Discone Antenna / Audio Distortion

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paramedszaf

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Couldn't find a thread anywhere that covered this so...

I sometimes (haven't completely ran the coax where I want it) hook up a discone antenna to my BC780XLT, I have been able to increase my radius where I receive transmissions from but there is a realy noticable distortion in the audio.. Is this a shielding issue? Any solutions?

I planned on using a 4 way splitter w/ amp to split the antenna across 4 scanners, may not be the best idea if I am getting this much interference...

Any information would be helpful, thanks...
 
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N_Jay

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You have not provided enough information to determine if it even is interference.
If it is interference you have not provided enough information for anyone to tell you how to eliminate it.

What band, what systems, what did you receive well before that is now distorted, what did you receive before that is still good, what did you not receive before that is now distorted, what did you not receive before that is now good?
What does the distortion sound like?
Is it the same all the time, or does it come and go?
Feel free to add any other details that you think might be helpful.
 

paramedszaf

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May 4, 2008
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Location
Kingston, Pa - Luzerne Co.
All bands, non-trunked systems.

Received clear, after connecting with RG6 and F to BNC connector to discone mounted in my attic whenever received audio transmission the background has a noise that I can only describe as "white noise like". I remove the big antenna and put the telescoping back on what I receive is clear (what is able to hear clear) as clear can be.

Happens whenever I plus the discone via the RG6 into the scanner.

Shielding problem? Impedence problem? NOT a speaker problem, same sounds heard when an external speaker in plugged in.
 

n4yek

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Newport, Tennessee
Is the noise a drastic increase or just enough that you are noticing it?
If it increased just enough that you are noticing it, then it is probably a result of signal loss through the coax and connectors.
Just a thought...
 
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N_Jay

Guest
On all frequencies that same?

Nothing gets better?

Everything gets worse the same?

Something does not add up.

Is the antenna grounded to anything in the attic?
Is anything else grounded to the same thing? (could it be a ground loop?)

Try turning off each breaker and see if something powered in the house is making the noise?
 

paramedszaf

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Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
8
Location
Kingston, Pa - Luzerne Co.
On all frequencies that same?

Nothing gets better?

Everything gets worse the same?

Something does not add up.

Is the antenna grounded to anything in the attic?
Is anything else grounded to the same thing? (could it be a ground loop?)

Try turning off each breaker and see if something powered in the house is making the noise?

- Yes, any frequency received by the scanner in memory...

- Not sure I understand?

- Antenna is on a metal pole, secured vertically to one of the joists. No grounding anywhere. Where would you ground in an attic? I will provide pics when I haul my lazy fat arse up there.

- Powered by a DC power supply & RIGRunner. Even tried a different power supply..

***NEW DISCOVERY***

Hooked up to different scanner, monitoring MAINLY repeatered police frequencies and I am not getting the same interference sounds... The other scanner is mainly simplex frequencies...
 

paramedszaf

Member
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
8
Location
Kingston, Pa - Luzerne Co.
On all frequencies that same?

Nothing gets better?

Everything gets worse the same?

Something does not add up.

Is the antenna grounded to anything in the attic?
Is anything else grounded to the same thing? (could it be a ground loop?)

Try turning off each breaker and see if something powered in the house is making the noise?

That was going to be my suggestion. :)

Only having the problem when on the discone antenna, no interference sound heard with whip antenna.
 

n4yek

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Joined
Apr 20, 2004
Messages
2,506
Location
Newport, Tennessee
Only having the problem when on the discone antenna, no interference sound heard with whip antenna.

But your Discone might be picking up a signal source from somewhere in the house. That is why you would turn off each breaker one by one to see it that noise disappears. If it does, then you know your noise is coming from a source that is on that circuit breaker. I know touch-lamps are bad for creating noise on receivers.
 
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