BC246T Antena suggest. - Moncton

[rc1990]

Good day,

I currently live in Moncton and I'm looking to upgrade my Uniben BC246T rubber duchy antenna so I can be able to hear as much as possible (maybe all the way to Halifax, if possible). I want to listen to air and Emergency services (surrounding RCMP, local PDs, FDs, EMS, Coast Guards so the 138-170 range. the 400MHz and the 800MHz). Would anyone have any recommendations of an antenna (nothing for the car or for the roof top) for this handheld scanner? Did a search for « antenna » in the Atlantic and Maritimes forum and came up with nothing for the BC246T from local hobbiests. Also, by how much KMs does an antenna extends the range of a scanner ?

Thanks for your input/suggestions

 

[rc1990]

After a LOT of research and being super confused, I've narrowed down my choices to the following 3 antennas :

- Diamond RH77 - read a lot of positive things except it does not perform that well in the 800MHz-956MHz range. There is an EDACS 800MHz system (NS Aliant Trunked Mobile Radio System that Halifax PD is on) about 100 some kms away that I would like to pick-up, if at all possible!

- Watson WSM 1900 Wide Frequency Range Mobile Magnetic Mount Scanner Antenna

- Workman KS-3 : which according to reviews, is a cheaper item but is verry similar performance-wise then the Watson WSM 1900.


I realize that 2 of these antenna have magnet mount but I could arrange something to put it on my window frame!

 

[davidmc36]

You won't be able to hear Halifax from that distance. Maybe if you had an antenna on a 400 foot tower.

I use a KS3. It is a good antenna for the price. The tiny coax on it is not that great but will still be better than the duckie that comes with the scanner. It will greatly improve your reception if you actually plop the magent on your roof or something. That will give you a ground plane. Also, if you are listening inside your house, just put it on an old cookie sheet or the top of your fridge for a ground plane.

I have an 800mhz rubber antenna that works very well but I don't know what the make is.

 

[hfxChris]

Agreed with above, you're not going to get anything from the Halifax area. And for the record the NS TMR (trunked mobile radio system) is an 800 MHz Motorola type II, not an EDACS system.
You may pick up some of the TMR towers nearer to the Amherst area and hear the RCMP in the Cumberland county (NS) area but you almost certainly won't be getting anything from the Halifax area.

 

[rc1990]

Thanks for the reply guys. HfxChris, my bad regarding the system type. I was leaning towards the Diamond RH-77. However, I read that external antennas are better at improving the range of scanner then antenna that attaches directly on the scanner.

Thanks guys Much appreciated since I know next to nothing about antennas. Would there be a beginners site explaining the techncial side of scanner antennas like gain and all that stuff? I suf the web for antennas and all the technical specifications of the antenna is all jiberish for me.

Thanks again!

 

[rc1990]

I know that Durham Radio and RadioWorld in Ontario and FleetWood Digital in BC sells the KS-3. Is there a local dealer (Moncton or in the Maritimes) that sell & ship them?

 

[davidmc36]

An 800 antenna could be of benefit to you in Moncton for the Type II system that is there.

You won't get other things very well like VHF while using something like that though. That's what makes the broadband antennas a better choice. They do not excel extremely well in any one band but being able to put one at a greater height can help improve things a lot.

Line of sight is very important. To get line of sight I have an antenna at home at 40 ft and can get 400 ft transmission towers from 40 or 50 km pretty good.

Having a good coax leading from the antenna to the scanner is a very important part. You could get a length of good coax and put that Diamond antenna on one end and put it up in your attic or something then connect it to your scanner. I like my KS-3 but the coax that came with it is not very good. I changed it and put some RG-8 on it. Not the very best but works pretty good for VHF stuff that I listen to mostly. Fer serious listening I drilled a hole in the roof of my car and put a hard mount antenna.

This is a good antenna presentation:

http://www.k5qhd.org/documents/K5QYpresentation_20120227.pdf

 

[rc1990]

AWESOME! Thanks David.

I just purchase the Diamond RH-77CA from RadioWorld. Should come in the mail tmrw or monday. Now, for a mag mount antenna, upon futhure research and reading the (few) reviews I could find online (including the Antenna Forum of RR), I've chosen to buy the WSM1900 Magnetic Mount Mini Scanner 25-1900MHz "NEW LOWER PRICE" - Canada. However, someone suggested the Hustler MRMBNC Mobile Scanner Antenana|MRMBNC [HUS-MRMBNC] : @ Radioworld Toronto.

Does anyone have the Hustler? Is ir superior performance-wise to the Watson for the bands that I want to listen (first post of this thread)? What's your take on both antennas?

Thanks

 

[VA3JWO]

Wsm 1900

I bought the Watson 1900 mag mount antenna from durham radio and it worked awesome. The coax wire it comes with could be a bit better quality but it got the job done. I ended up taking the whip portion off though as the coax wire had a break right where it goes into the base. I took the metal whip, soldered it to the BNC connector of an old rubber duck antenna I cut up, and electrical taped it so it looked good and by far it has whooped the butt of any portable VHF antenna I've ever used including the Watson w881. It's a homemade antenna by me except it uses the whip of the WSM1900 and works phenomenal for vhf lo and hi and UHF. I ordered a Diamond RH77ca to compare to my homemade antenna. I'm awaiting it in the mail. I can post a picture of it if people want or instructions

 

[rc1990]

I can post a picture of it if people want or instructions

Sure! Thx.

 

[VA3JWO]

havin a heck of a time uploading the pictures lmao.. maybe there too big, il try to figure it out and post them
as for instructions, basically took a fair bit of experimenting.. you have to cut into another antenna with a BNC connector though. plus have some good solder and solder paste
make sure you pull or cut the coil at the bottom of the antenna so it isnt touching the middle metal portion

 

[davidmc36]

I've done some similar antennae in the past like that. Just get some of the screw-on BNC connectors and shove a whip of the right diameter into the center conductor. Then squirt some RTV in around it to keep the whip in place and keep it from touching the ground part.

You can make whatever length you want or even coil part of it to make multiband.

 

[VA3JWO]

Yeah it's pretty simple when you have a nac for making stuff like that you can figure it out.. It works great for me

 

[VA3JWO]

comparison

got the rh77ca in the mail today and right out of the box comparison to my home made antenna suggests that my home made one picks up a little bit more noise than the rh77 therefore, "fooling" my bcd396xt signal strength meter and saying its getting full signal. the RH77 shows less signal strength but the station (Demorestville Fleetnet tower control channel) comes in a little clearer, or easier to read.
I reccomend the RH77CA for vhf and uhf but ive heard some bad reviews on it for 800..
better off spending the extra couple $$ for the Diamond as opposed to making your own.

 

[rc1990]

got the rh77ca in the mail today and right out of the box comparison to my home made antenna suggests that my home made one picks up a little bit more noise than the rh77 therefore, "fooling" my bcd396xt signal strength meter and saying its getting full signal. the RH77 shows less signal strength but the station (Demorestville Fleetnet tower control channel) comes in a little clearer, or easier to read.
I reccomend the RH77CA for vhf and uhf but ive heard some bad reviews on it for 800..
better off spending the extra couple $$ for the Diamond as opposed to making your own.

I too read the the Diamond RH77CA is not the best antenna in the 800 band, the Radio Shack 800MHz antenna got awesome reviews though.