800mhz attic setup help

Status
Not open for further replies.

dracer777

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
738
Location
South Dacono, CO
Hi!

I want to install an antenna(the antenna type not really a part of this question, i dont think anyway) in my attic(due to covenants).

I have about 40 ft of RG-6 with F connectors(Comcast guy gave it too me).

I am planning on running 2 adapters, F to N and F to BNC, is this acceptable? I know it is not ideal.

I have an 800mhz duckie that if i use, I can get a very weak signal, so preferably, I am just looking to get slightly better than my duckie. Will this setup achieve this?

Thanks guys!

P.S. The duckie and the antenna I am putting in the attic perform almost identically.
 

n5ims

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2004
Messages
3,993
Since your duckie and the attic antenna are identical, this setup will add height (good for the signal), but also add loss for the coax and adapters (bad for the signal). Depending on how the attic was built, you may have additional factors that degrade your signal as well (metal flashing near the antenna, spray-on metalic coatings for heat control (e.g. "radiant barrier"), etc.

Start by taking your radio up into the attic where you plan to mount the antenna and see how it performs there. That will be the best things could get with that setup. Next add the coax and adapters to see what the loss associated with those does to the signal. If things work for you at that point, then pull the coax and you should be good to go. If not, you won't have invested too much in the project at that point.
 

wwhitby

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
1,280
Location
Autauga County, Alabama
I had almost exactly the same setup in my attic you are proposing for years. It worked fine. Antenna was a RS 20-176 with RG-6, and I had to use a F to PL-259 and an F to BNC adapters.

Warren
 

dracer777

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
738
Location
South Dacono, CO
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

Awesome info guys! As far as building materials, I wasn't too worried, as I can receive with the duckie if I reach into the attic a few feet.

My main worry was the signal dying in the maze of adapters. And I know RG-6 isn't the "scanning coax". But thanks for the advice guys! I just ordered the adapters.
 

smason

Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
1,174
Location
Alberta Canada, Eh!
RG-6 is used by many here on the forums. Yes it's 75ohm, but it's pretty low loss for the $
You can get compression BNC connectors for RG6 if you're worried about loss in the adaptors, but I suspect you wouldn't really notice.
 

SignalSeeker

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
145
Location
West Sacramento
I didn't want to have a lot of cable loss either, so I used CAT5. Made up to adapters, one for each end. I run power over 2 pair and audio over 2 pair. It is using a premade 25ft cable with no issues and superior sound quality compared to the scanner on my work bench. It is in the attic of my garage now. The laptop is on a shelf above my work bench in the garage.

Should be pics attached.

Justin
 

Attachments

  • P4200290.jpg
    P4200290.jpg
    49.9 KB · Views: 700
  • P4200292.jpg
    P4200292.jpg
    66.1 KB · Views: 1,135

dracer777

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
738
Location
South Dacono, CO
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

Uhhh..... I live in my attic? Jk. I think you misread???
 

dracer777

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
738
Location
South Dacono, CO
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

And thanks for everyones responses. I will detain what I did and the results when I get it all hooked up. Also, will splitting this two ways be a problem?
 

SignalSeeker

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
145
Location
West Sacramento
You mounted your SCANNER in the attic?....that's got to be a first.

Why? Or am i missing the joke?

The audio and power are going over the CAT5 cable. It is in the garage attic for a better signal. The audio comes down the cable to my workbench, into the laptop to broadcast here. Then I listen to it on the embeded player on my webpage.

Justin
 
K

kb0nly

Guest
The audio and power are going over the CAT5 cable. It is in the garage attic for a better signal. The audio comes down the cable to my workbench, into the laptop to broadcast here. Then I listen to it on the embeded player on my webpage.

Justin

Not a bad solution actually, zero cable loss.. But i would be worried about the conditions the scanner would see up there, hot, cold, humid, etc..

Now if you mounted the scanner in a weathertight enclosure that might be a better solution.
 

Thunderknight

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
2,216
Location
Bletchley Park
Not a bad solution actually, zero cable loss.. But i would be worried about the conditions the scanner would see up there, hot, cold, humid, etc..

Now if you mounted the scanner in a weathertight enclosure that might be a better solution.

I disagree. I think a weathertight enclosure would do little good in an attic (unless the roof leaks).

If anything, it will just make it hotter at the scanner due to trapped heat, plus it will trap condensation.

My biggest worry putting a radio there would be heat. I wouldn't worry about cold.

How hot does it get in your attic? The problem is that you really can't cool the radio any...a fan won't help if the ambient temp is already high.
 

ERICMYERS

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
248
Location
Plainfield, IL
Scanner in the attic is silly. Even crap RG6 coax at 25' isn't much loss.

I struggle to come up with any plausible reason to do this.

But hey, dude, it's your radio and your shack!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top