996xt with this ant

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daneg

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how well would this work with the 996xt? Where I am now it's mixed frequencies. Next year we should be going to a digital system.

SP800BNC, SPIDER BASE SCANNER ANTENNA 25-1300 MHz FULL FREQUENCY COVERAGE, ANALOG OR DIGITAL with cable and BNC connector - Scanner World - The Largest Dealer of Scanning Radios in the World

Also they have a "LIGHTNING ARRESTOR COAXIAL ADAPTER "
FW201, LIGHTNING ARRESTOR COAXIAL ADAPTER FOR BASE ANTENNAS - Scanner World - The Largest Dealer of Scanning Radios in the World

how does that work? Connect the adapter to the ant, then plug the adapter to the back of the 996xt? I have a second floor patio that I can put this on. Would I be able to pick up a good distance?
 

davedaver1

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how well would this work with the 996xt? Where I am now it's mixed frequencies. Next year we should be going to a digital system.

SP800BNC, SPIDER BASE SCANNER ANTENNA 25-1300 MHz FULL FREQUENCY COVERAGE, ANALOG OR DIGITAL with cable and BNC connector - Scanner World - The Largest Dealer of Scanning Radios in the World

Also they have a "LIGHTNING ARRESTOR COAXIAL ADAPTER "
FW201, LIGHTNING ARRESTOR COAXIAL ADAPTER FOR BASE ANTENNAS - Scanner World - The Largest Dealer of Scanning Radios in the World

how does that work? Connect the adapter to the ant, then plug the adapter to the back of the 996xt? I have a second floor patio that I can put this on. Would I be able to pick up a good distance?

The antenna would work fine - height is everything with antennas. The higher you can mount it outside, the better. Analog or digital makes no difference, it will work just as well if they convert. Frequency does make a difference though. A coat hanger will receive 25-1300 mHz, but some bands will work better than others. This one that you linked is a sort of modified discone, and it will perform decently in general, but certain bands would be helped by a specific antenna - like 800 mHz and VHF-low if that applies to you.

As for the lightning arrestor - they work by shunting harmful static electricity from the antenna (center conductor of your coax cable) to ground and preventing it from getting into your radio receiver. However, despite their name, they are little protection from a direct strike; those would likely fry anything and everything remotely connected to the cable - no matter what you put on the antenna cable. The other type of protection you want to provide to radios is from a nearby strike or static electricity buildup. It's hard to know what protection this $5 device will provide - typically they are sacrificial, meaning they are good for one event then you replace it. There are better devices for this - gas discharge types - that can repeatedly shunt harmful surges to ground. You need to provide a good ground for of these devices that you use - without a good ground it's not much help.

This is what I use for a number of my radios: Low Loss Coax Surge Protectors

These better devices cost a lot more than $5, but some radios (like your 996) may be worth it - consider these things as insurance.
 

daneg

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Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
307
Location
Lancaster County pa
The antenna would work fine - height is everything with antennas. The higher you can mount it outside, the better. Analog or digital makes no difference, it will work just as well if they convert. Frequency does make a difference though. A coat hanger will receive 25-1300 mHz, but some bands will work better than others. This one that you linked is a sort of modified discone, and it will perform decently in general, but certain bands would be helped by a specific antenna - like 800 mHz and VHF-low if that applies to you.

As for the lightning arrestor - they work by shunting harmful static electricity from the antenna (center conductor of your coax cable) to ground and preventing it from getting into your radio receiver. However, despite their name, they are little protection from a direct strike; those would likely fry anything and everything remotely connected to the cable - no matter what you put on the antenna cable. The other type of protection you want to provide to radios is from a nearby strike or static electricity buildup. It's hard to know what protection this $5 device will provide - typically they are sacrificial, meaning they are good for one event then you replace it. There are better devices for this - gas discharge types - that can repeatedly shunt harmful surges to ground. You need to provide a good ground for of these devices that you use - without a good ground it's not much help.

This is what I use for a number of my radios: Low Loss Coax Surge Protectors

These better devices cost a lot more than $5, but some radios (like your 996) may be worth it - consider these things as insurance.

Thanks for the helpful response. The frequencies now are 33's and 154-155. After the new system they will be higher up. The scanner would not be always attached to it, when I go out and about for awhile I'll be taking it with me. What are the chances of them getting struck?
 

davedaver1

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Location
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Thanks for the helpful response. The frequencies now are 33's and 154-155. After the new system they will be higher up. The scanner would not be always attached to it, when I go out and about for awhile I'll be taking it with me. What are the chances of them getting struck?

Probably not much! You can also just disconnect the antenna if you're expecting the possibility of lightning (don't do it DURING a storm though!)
 
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