BC 785d Mobile antenna suggestions

[bobholets]

I am going to install a BC 785d in my vehicle. I am looking for an all around frequency antenna. Anybody have any luck bad or good with scanner antenna made by FIRESTICK? I thought about mounting on rear bumper on my full size blazer with the top at least a foot above roofline. I will have to install a spring on antenna so I can pull into garage any suggestions would help.

Bob Holets
weimaranersno1@msn.com
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

 

[astrodanco]

I am going to install a BC 785d in my vehicle. I am looking for an all around frequency antenna.

I'm using an NMO mounted (on roof) Antenex ABSCANC antenna here.

 

[dwgelle]

mobile antennas

I concur with astrodanco, you will get the best ground and signal from the roof of a vehicle. All I run with my 2 ham radios and work radio are 1/4 wave antennas. Space them about 19" apart. Magmounts will work as well.

 

[JohnWayne]

I'll second the vote for the Antenex ABSCANC, or the chrome version - the ASCANC. I am using one on my car with a BC780XLT. It has good performance on VHF/UHF/800, and even works decently on lowband VHF.

You can them both at http://shop.waltel.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/10_48. I also have just about any mount you could want at http://shop.waltel.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/1 .

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Al42]

I will have to install a spring on antenna so I can pull into garage any suggestions would help.

At 150 MHz and above that's a definite no-no. Even the best quality springs (and the quality varies all over the place, not necessarily coincident with price) are pretty bad by 150, and worse above that. The cheaper ones are no good even at 30.

 

[Skylab]

I highly recommend a VHF/UHF 1/4 wave Antennex NMO mount antenna.

I switched to this antenna from one that was 2 1/2 times the length, and can hear much weaker signals.

The antenna is on a trunk-mount, hooked up to a Uniden 796d.


The antenna covers 39mhz CHP very well, and 860mhz trunking frequencies great also.

 

[gg750]

I'm using an Austin Spectra with a NMO mag mount with my 785 in the car. Reception is amazing on VHF. Not sure about other ranges, VHF is about it around here. It's expensive, but so far the best antenna I've had.