Base Station Antenna for Bucks County and Chester County PA

[pastormg2]

Good Morning,
I have been toying around with the option of installing a base station antenna for receiving Bucks County and Chester County P25 Systems. I presently live in Collegeville PA. which is about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia or 7 or so miles west of King of Prussia.

If I looked correctly in Google Buck County is towards Quakertown and Perkasie PA. Direction would perhaps 35 degrees from my house.

Of course Chester County would be in the opposite direction or about 180 degrees or due south from my home. My gut feeling is that a beam antenna would not fit the bill. Only because it would either copy one system really good and the other not so good, or not at all.

Also, I was thinking of an antenna with a frequency range in the 700 to 800 mhz range. I'm not sure what omni directional antenna would produce the best results for me. I am also an Amateur Radio Operator and I have a 50 foot Rohn 25 G tower.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Mark Griffin, KB3Z

 

[bharvey2]

Depending upon what you are trying to listen to, it looks like you may be trying to work with a wide range of frequencies. With the exception of a few Fire Tac frequencies, Bucks County looks to be 150mhz and 450mhz while Chester County is 800Mhz but even they are a mix of P25 and analog. I've heard that the OCF dipole are pretty broad range but I don't have experience with them and don't know how they work with 800mhz. While hardly a base station style antenna, the Larsen NMO 150/450/800 gets decent reviews. Perhaps it with a ground plane base/adapter might be an economical and functional choice.

 

[pastormg2]

Actually,
I am looking to monitor both counties P25 systems. A mobile antenna would not do the job for me. I am looking for perhaps an omni directional antenna with decent gain to pick up both systems. Mounting it on my tower would not be an issue! Mark Griffin, KB3Z

 

[bharvey2]

If it is just the 800mhz band then that could be easier. Maybe one of these:

http://www.theantennafarm.com/catal...tennas-976/800mhz-cellular-base-antennas-933/