Base vs. Hand-held--one technically better than the other?

[Cribbage]

Do base scanners offer any technical (ie sensitivity, rejection, resistance to intermod) advantages over hand-helds?

In teh ham world, a base unit is (almost) always a 'better' unit technically.

Does this hold for Uniden scanners?

Thanks

Ted

 

[crayon]

Every radio is different. The main question to answer is what do you want it do.

If you want to scan whilst moblie, you will will a handheld or rig up a mount for a "base" model to be powered in your automobile.

 

[colheli]

Re: Base vs. Hand-held--one technically better than the othe

Do base scanners offer any technical (ie sensitivity, rejection, resistance to intermod) advantages over hand-helds?

In teh ham world, a base unit is (almost) always a 'better' unit technically.

Does this hold for Uniden scanners?

Thanks

Ted

Ted,

I think what you are referring to, in the ham world, is due to the quality of the antennae on base station installations. In terms of sensitivity, I would think that a base style scanner, with a good antenna, would outperform a handheld, but that is not an absolute. Sorry, probably doesn't help answer your question much.

 

[Voyager]

Re: Base vs. Hand-held--one technically better than the othe

Do base scanners offer any technical (ie sensitivity, rejection, resistance to intermod) advantages over hand-helds?

Basically, yes. In general, any COMPROMISE makes a product worse.

An antenna designed for multiple bands will not work as well as an antenna designed for a single band.

A receiver designed to work in multiple bands will not work as well as a receiver designed to receive a single band (or to a greater extent a single frequency).

Likewise, a portable scanner is usually a compromise in SIZE. Less effective components are used, and that will affect the performance over a unit of similar design with the better components.

That said, the portables today are better than those built many years ago since the technology has evolved to the point fewer compromises have to be made. The componets are small enough to hit in an acceptable size handheld design. In fact, today many base units are mostly air. Some are even using the handheld boards just in a much larger case with larger displays, buttons, or whatever.

Joe M.

 

[Cribbage]

Thanks

Thanks for the info! That does help. And, yes, I should have figured the antenna in to the equation.

 

[CZ]

I live in a 2nd.-story apartment about 5 - 6 miles from a major airport and can hear the tower with the Telescoping antenna on the Uniden 785D extended about 1/2 way, but don't hear it with the 246T (Version 1.42 Firmware) & Duck antenna sitting next to the 785D.
I hear aircraft with both, though.

 

[ILbandit]

One difference I've noticed is my 246 will pick up 800 MHz trunk systems better, and further away with the stock rubber duck, than my BCT8 with an external antenna. (While I'm sitting in the mobile.)

Running both with stock antennas at home,, The 246 might not be as good as the BCT8 on the public safety freq.s, but it isn't too far behind.

I just got this 246T, and I am really impressed with it's performance.

 

[oregontreehugger]

As far as aircraft monitoring, I've had real good luck using a Diamond RH-77 handheld whip antenna.

Using the stock antenna with the 246 for aviation monitoring wasn't that great. The Diamond blows it away -- I've been able to pick up air traffic and ground controllers, too. When I put the stock duckie back on I can hardly copy the aircraft, and definitely not the ground controllers.

As others have said, the antenna used can make a big difference.