OK, I'm using a PSR-500 with all band omni outside at about 20 ft. I tried a dedicated 800 mhz omni with poor results. The 800 meg ant. is rated at 5 db gain and thought I would get better results. I am monitoring the new public safety system in Obion County. If you need anymore info., just let me know.
Thanks...........
One possibility. If you are near one or more cell towers, and/or other 800mhz transmitters (whether public safety or perhaps an SMR site, where a local company provides service to customers), the scanner may be overloading from a strong signal & desensing, causing worse reception rather than better. That's the reason that, in town, and especially at home, I don't use a gain antenna on my PSR500. I'm surrounded by a forest of cell towers along several nearby freeways (about 8 within less than a half mile). I get worse reception of the more distant 800mhz systems using the Radio Shack 800mhz antenna, than I do using the stock antenna. (I do use a gain antenna out away from the rf clutter of the city.)
You might try using the attenuator, either on that specific system, or globally (all channels/systems), and see if that improves things. Otherwise, your option, if overload is really the problem, might be to try either a lesser gain, or perhaps a directional antenna, pointed directly at the site for the system in the next county (hopefully, without a cell site or other transmit tower, directly along the same path).
If this is the
system you are aiming for, it is "tagged" as having simulcast sites in the database description, so Jim's possibility could also come into play. I'd suggest trying to rule out overload first. Also, you might check in the Tennessee forum, and see if anyone else is having difficulties getting this particular system to work well.
