Base scanner antenna

[FIRE321FIGHTER1985]

what would be a good base antenna that covers 25-1300 mhz that won't break the bank. I will have a run of coax about 40' long. Also what would be a good mobile scanner antenna with a run of at least 19" roughly with a strong magnet and would withstand interstate hwy speeds

 

[Ubbe]

what would be a good base antenna that covers 25-1300 mhz that won't break the bank.

For that would probably be a $70 Tram 1411 discone antenna that are one of the antenna types that can handle that huge frequency range. If you do not need low-VHF below 80MHz then go for the Tram 1410.

For coax you can use RG6 that attenuates less than 3dB at 900MHz. You can buy the much more expensive and harder to install LMR400 that will attenuate 2dB at 900Mhz, probably not worth the money.

/Ubbe

 

[FIRE321FIGHTER1985]

Thanks for the reply. I also am interested in a good mobile scanner antenna that has a strong magnet plus at least a 19' coax.

 

[CanesFan95]

A Diamond discone D-130NJ is a well-known base antenna for a wide RF range that a lot of users have good luck with. Another option is a dual-band ham or commercial vertical. For the Mobile scanner antenna, the Larsen 150 / 450 / 800 is considered excellent. For the base antenna, I would recommend using a lower-loss coax like LMR-400 and use N-connectors.

 

[krokus]

While discones cover the freqs, keep in mind the reception angle moves above the horizon, for 800MHz & higher.

 

[NYRHKY94]

Been using the Larsen Tri-Band for years with excellent results. It’s short enough to pair with a magnet mount for highway use.

 

[KOK5CY]

I'm using the Tram 1410 @ 15ft high and using RG8X feed line . I mostly listen to 800 trunked with good results

 

[CanesFan95]

Thanks for the reply. I also am interested in a good mobile scanner antenna that has a strong magnet plus at least a 19' coax.

You can buy the antenna and mag-mount separately. Most mag-mounts are only 17' of coax. Antenna Farm has a way to order a mag-mount with a custom length, but they're expensive.