twolf816 said:
anyone who has owned or currently owned a multicoupler:
how well do they work...ex;; a 4port multicoupler on 1 antenna VS each of the 4 scanners on the same antenna by itself...any difference?
cable: best cable for a 50ft run...for the money of course
also, will the multicoupler perform better if its on a good antenna....as in better on a 100 discone than a 29 dollar one? although i do like the looks on some of the lower priced models..just not sure how they perform
thx in advance.!
Active multicouplers such as the Stridesberg ones do an excellent job of providing multiple outputs from one antenna. The active units provide amplification so that the output of all the ports are the same signal level as the input signal (from the antenna). If you were to use a plain passive splitter, then the signal is divided without amplification, i.e., if you use a two port splitter then each port will output half of the inbound signal, and if four, then one-quarter of the original signal. So I would never recommend using a passive splitter.
The multicoupler's performance as far as splitting the signals is not dependent on the antenna at all. It merely amplifies and splits what you provide it. So if you use an inefficient antenna, then the signal you feed to the multicoupler will be less than optimal. The multicoupler would still do what it does - amplify and split. If you use a highly efficient antenna, then you will deliver a higher signal level to the multicoupler. And once again, it will merely do what it was designed to do. So yes in a way, the antenna does have an impact, but only from the standpoint of the level of signal you are feeding to the multicoupler input. But the unit's function is no different based on the quality of your antenna. The multicoupler's job is to provide the same signal level to the ports.
I don't know much about the signal capturing capabilities of different discones. I have never tested multiple discones to see if there is indeed a difference in reception quality, all other things being equal. I would think that they would provide very similar reception results. However, a big difference in the cost of the antenna would be in physical construction and how well it will stand up to the elements when mounted outdoors.
Hope that helps.
