Antenna options for a condo owner

[mnrick]

I have a radio shack PR0 652 and I live in a condo in a Minneapolis suburb. We have P-25 800 Mhz system here, digital trunking, statewide.

I bought this scanner back in 2014 and tried it out, had a lot of reception issues, bought the rubber antenna and tried that with little improvement. I sort of lost interest in it, stopped trying to listen. I've been trying to get back into it now, got it dusted off and plugged in.

I have a condo, I cannot put anything on the roof and I am not supposed to have any antennas or dishes on my balcony.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I could do? A small antenna I could put out on the balcony that the HOA folks would not notice? Something I could do indoors? My balcony faces West, everything I want to listen to is either North or East.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[blantonl]

You might try, and I'm serious, a pole set in a planter of soil with a Yagi pointing to your favorite site on your porch. Put some plants in the soil and dare anyone to contest it.

 

[blantonl]

Also, "no dishes" on your balcony is an illegal HOA restriction and the FCC would back you up in a heartbeat...

 

[ChrisABQ]

I'm in the same boat, but went an easier way. I ran for the board and got elected. I had my antenna (which is mounted on my patio fence) approved 7 - 0 in a vote.

I got this antenna off Amazon, it's wide band and will pick up everything, all directions. Best of all, it's only 40 inches high. Do like Mr. B said and make it look like a plant or tree on your balcony, it will work for low price.
https://www.amazon.com/Centerfire-A...id=1498786983&sr=8-9&keywords=discone+antenna

 

[mnrick]

They have a dish on the roof that runs through the building to all the units to provide access to us, they do prohibit personal dishes but I suppose no one challenges it because dish TV is provided to anyone who gets hooked into it. I know some people here have actual cable TV that they buy themselves from the local provider but that is their decision.

As far as the scanner antenna, I'll look into that suggestion.

I'm in Scott County and I really want to be able to get Hennepin County which is North of me. Right now I have them in my scanner on the Scott County towers and I get them sporadically but I want to be able to pick up more.