Anyone Use This?

[Bentley]

I want to improve reception, I am currently running a 800mhz rubber ducky on my pro-2096. It is on the second story of the house, but still doesn't recieve as much as I'd like it to. Some departments in my area (within 5-6 miles) that have very weak signals and I'd really like to be able to pull them in.

I live in a townhouse and the rules are very strict about having anything outside or on the roof. I am able to access the attic area which has plenty of room for mounting options.

I came across THIS on ebay for mounting inside the window. Has anyone ever had one of these? Any other suggestions for being able to pull in those towns? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[SCPD]

I have this antenna and im not to happy with it. I live in a basement apartment here in NY and i get a better signal from a radio hd antenna.

If you want you can try mine before you go out and buy it or just go to radioshack and try this with a bnc tip
Budget TV Antenna - RadioShack.com

The tv antenna in the same location as the window antenna works great.

Good luck.

Mike

 

[Bentley]

Wow,....I never would have thought about a TV antenna. I will pick one up today and give it a shot. Do you think it will do better in the attic or in the window? I guess trial and error?

 

[SCPD]

I cant comment on the attic cause i dont have one but you are allready on the 2nd floor and the tv antenna only has 4ft of coax so stick with the window. Don't forget the bnc tip from rat shack you will be a lot happier with the tv antenna then the window mount super duper stealth junk. Let me know how you make out and if you need help let me know.

Mike

 

[Bentley]

Just got home with the antenna and bnc adapter. I'll keep you posted! Thanks again for the help.

 

[lebrunmn]

Here's something that may help...

Chad-

If the TV antenna doesn't work, try this... I have several of 'em--you can't be the price.

MAXRAD SYSTEM ANTENNA 800MHZ omni-directional ground - eBay (item 250424534863 end time Aug-12-09 05:20:08 PDT)

Regards,

 

[Bentley]

Excellent, thanks! Do you have them mounted in the attic?

 

[lebrunmn]

800 MHz antenna

Nope. I use it attached directly to the back of my PRO-2096. I've got my radio room on the second floor of my house, too. No external aerials allowed in our community, just like yours.

Forgot to mention, you'll need a right-angle BNC adaptor, too...

 

[SCPD]

how did the TV antenna work out?

You dident get the extended warranty i hope

 

[Bentley]

lol....no, they didn't even ask! hahah. I dunno...seems about the same to me, I have it in the window, and I'm not picking up anything more than I did before with the rubber ducky. But, now I get no white noise when I turn the squelch all the way down, is that normal?

 

[SCPD]

Thats very weird. What about if you goto your local noaa weather freq? do you get them in loud and clear?

 

[ampulman]

Wow,....I never would have thought about a TV antenna. I will pick one up today and give it a shot. Do you think it will do better in the attic or in the window? I guess trial and error?

You can go one step further. Try a local thrift shop or someone's discard. Sometimes you can find just the rabbit ears portion. Depending on the configuration, with a little modification, you can spread both 'ears' so that they are 180 degrees (straight).

Then, you can mount it vertically (will need to be imaginative). I have mine mounted on the back end of a homebrew yagi that sits on a photographic tripod. This is stationed in my second floor listening post.

I can mount it in the attic, but prefer it where it is. The ears are pulled out to the same lengths as the off-center fed dipole which as been featured here.

One advantage: I can easily adjust the lengths to make a normal dipole through a wide range of frequencies, if I want to. This will maximize signal strength. Normally, I just leave it alone.

Amp