Battling Trees

[kenisned]

I'm a complete dunce when it comes to antennas (physics too for that matter).

I have a single story home and a chimney mount 15 foot mast topped with a discone.

I get decent reception, but when the trees bloom and there are leaves, my reception drops way off.

To go above the trees, which are right up on the house, I would need a 100' tower (not going to happen)!

So...would adding a second scanner antenna further down the roof line on a tripod and having them both feed the scanner help?

I'm willing to try it!

 

[N4JNW]

Instead of going to the trouble of running multiple lines and adding a second antenna, why not move the one you already have?

Get you a tripod roof mount, and move your current antenna off the chimney and down to the other end of your house.

You CAN add another antenna, but then you're going to have to run a whole new coax, then you're going to have to split one scanner into two antennas. Personally, I think it would be easier just to move what you've got.

 

[kenisned]

Instead of going to the trouble of running multiple lines and adding a second antenna, why not move the one you already have?

Get you a tripod roof mount, and move your current antenna off the chimney and down to the other end of your house.

You CAN add another antenna, but then you're going to have to run a whole new coax, then you're going to have to split one scanner into two antennas. Personally, I think it would be easier just to move what you've got.

Well moving the antenna won't help me clear the trees or anything. I just thought that it would increase the odds of catching a reception as it either goes through or around the trees and other obstacles.

 

[zz0468]

So...would adding a second scanner antenna further down the roof line on a tripod and having them both feed the scanner help?

Just combining the two antennas to a single receiver isn't going to work well and, in fact, will probably degrade the performance you're getting now. What you're looking for is a technique called diversity reception. It's far more complex than that.

 

[N4JNW]

What about maybe adding an amplifier in line? The signal is THERE... you just need to make it stronger. On the other side of that tree, the signal is good, but on your side, it's not.

Some signal is getting through the tree, so it might be a possibility to amplify what you have.

Maybe a more efficient antenna would work? What about a small yagi, mounted just below your discone, pointed AT the tree? This would allow you maximum gain throgh the tree, where you're losing reception, but still have your discone up on the top of the pole as well?

 

[kenisned]

What about maybe adding an amplifier in line? The signal is THERE... you just need to make it stronger. On the other side of that tree, the signal is good, but on your side, it's not.

Some signal is getting through the tree, so it might be a possibility to amplify what you have.

Maybe a more efficient antenna would work? What about a small yagi, mounted just below your discone, pointed AT the tree? This would allow you maximum gain throgh the tree, where you're losing reception, but still have your discone up on the top of the pole as well?

Okay, that's interesting to think over.....

As for a Yagi, I understand that is pretty directional and I monitor all around me I monitor a wide spectrum. From 45 mhz to 800 mhz. The 800 mhz system (there's only one I listen to at home) comes in fine now. Will the yagi help with 40 mhz?

The signals I'd like to hear better are the 40 mhz and 450 mhz.

 

[k9rzz]

WHen you say "drops way off", how much of a drop do you mean?

 

[gmclam]

I vote for whacking the trees significantly.

 

[Don_Burke]

Consider topping the trees.

That will also reduce the chances of one of those trees ending up on your house in a windstorm.

 

[N4JNW]

Okay, that's interesting to think over.....

As for a Yagi, I understand that is pretty directional and I monitor all around me I monitor a wide spectrum. From 45 mhz to 800 mhz. The 800 mhz system (there's only one I listen to at home) comes in fine now. Will the yagi help with 40 mhz?

The signals I'd like to hear better are the 40 mhz and 450 mhz.

You can make a small yagi, or buy one even for 450 mhz. A 40 mhz yagi is going to be quite large.. A 450 mhz only yagi would be more practical.

 

[Viper43]

I am surrounded by trees, but I recently (Sunday) put up a 20' tower and a 40' extendable extension pole and at about 30' have tripled my coverage on all frequencies, even 800mhz. All of the trees are still way above the antennas but they all work fine now. I got the tower and extesion for free, all it has cost was $30 for cement and I still need to buy a couple 50' coax cables for two other antennas. Oh, it also cost a 12 pack of beer for a neighbor who helped put the tower up
It has the TV antenna and a discone, an old 30-1300mhz antenna, and a couple other odds and ends antennas for various frequencies. Basically it has 5 scanner antennas for 5 of my 6 scanners.

V

 

[N4JNW]

Viper is right... To achive better gain, you don't need a big tower, even above the tree. The farther up you go, the stronger the signal will be, even coming through the tree.

Just a small tower would have some improvement... But, considering your antenna is already up on top of your house, I'm not sure how MUCH a tower would help you. Having your antenna 30' in the air on top of the house and having a tower that's 30' tall isn't going to be any improvement.

 

[kenisned]

WHen you say "drops way off", how much of a drop do you mean?

Unfortunately, I only have a subjective way to measure this, and that is that signals that I used to received I no longer receive.

 

[kenisned]

I just noticed that one of the lower extensions on my discone is missing. What kind of impact would that create?

I appreciate all the responses and expertise!