Anybody using filters in the north metro?

[smokeyjones666]

I've noticed that, while using my PSR-500 in the north suburbs (Falcon Heights and surrounding area), the signal meter on my scanner is usually pegged at full bars - even with the stock duckie. When I hook it up to my Larsen 150/450/800 on my car (NMO through-hole mount in the trunk lid), I notice that I have terrible reception problems. Digital signals from the ARMER system break up, as well as any 2m amateur traffic. My el cheapo RS ground plane antenna 30ft. up is better, but I feel like I am missing out on some signals out there.

I'm starting to wonder if the problem is too much signal, not too little. I can see the big radio towers in Shoreview from my house, and I'm wondering if that or the weather radio broadcast from University Ave. is overloading my scanner's front end. (I know when I attempt to tune distant FM radio stations with my Grundig, everything that isn't strong and local modulates KQRS.)

I'm starting to think that I might need to try a notch filter, maybe for the FM broadcast band. Does this sort of behavior sound familiar to anybody else in the metro area?

 

[wogggieee]

I really haven't noticed a whole lot of interference from the shoreview towers. But near KSTP i get all kinds of intermod from the NOAA broadcasts. Sometimes to the point where i just shut it off so i don't have to constantly keep forcing the scanner to resume.

 

[smokeyjones666]

Hmm, I don't get that NOAA stuff quite so much unless I'm closer to the KSTP tower. I wonder if RS still sells those FM traps for tv use, that and a couple of BNC to F adapters from my parts bin would help test my theory cheap.