Just curious as to which antenna everyone is using on the 536 when mobile?
BCD536HP Mobile Antenna Question
- Thread starter rnwjr
- Start date
- Status
This will vary from install to install and location depending on what the end-user is monitoring.
For example, if they are only monitoring an 800 MHz system they may connect it to an 800 MHz antenna. If they are monitoring VHF only, then perhaps just a VHF. Or they may be monitoring a mix so they connect it to a wideband antenna or perhaps two antennas coupled together, covering different bands.
So...you will likely get a myriad of answers and another person's results in their setup may not work for you. It would depend on what system(s) (i.e. frequency band(s)) you are looking to monitor.
That being said, it still might be nice to know what folks have the new units connected to. It's just important to remember these bits of info...
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 893
Good advice, but hooking two different antennas to the same radio I do not think that will be successful from a performance standpoint. You can hook two or more radios to one antenna (might need a splitter to keep the radios from interfering with each other) and you can hook two identical antenna in a phase array (with the appropriate harness and spacing) to achieve some additional gain).
Right. I didn't mean two identical antennas, I really meant two different ones - like an 800MHz specific antenna and then a VHF one. I have never done that but I seem to recall posts in the setup threads showing that. Seems I remember one who has two or three antennas running to a coupler and then splitting to two or three scanners (since receive only). Maybe that's wrong but my overall point was the question of "what's the best antenna" will vary from person to person, location to location.
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 893
I think you misread my first sentence and I perhaps gave to many examples of what will work, it may have thrown you off.
You must have IDENTICAL antennas properly spaced with the correct wiring harness (to keep the RF waves from cancelling each other out) for them to successfully work together with one radio.
Overall, your reply to the OP was very good! But if people try that one example of two different antennas to one radio I think they will be disappointed with the results.
OK, I may have misunderstood the posts I've seen before of setups using 2 or more antennas. Thanks for clarifying!
I've split the antenna thread off from the mobile install issues thread as it had nothing to do with the OP.
I love my LARSEN 150/450/800 tri-band black unity gain antenna....... I live in Southern California and monitor just about every spectrum Band out there....... Even The low band CHP blows my car windows out
It's small in size, so The wife won't tear down the antenna going Thru the fast food drive thru's
It's small in size, so The wife won't tear down the antenna going Thru the fast food drive thru's
Randdon
Member
Workman KS3 Tri Band Magnet Mount Antenna|KS3 Magnet Mount Antenna [WOR-KS3] : @ Radioworld Toronto
This is what I use, works across the entire range of the 536.
This is what I use, works across the entire range of the 536.
So it does good on received outside of the 150/450/800 bands? I assume that's what you meant by "just about every spectrum band out there" but just verifying?
This is exactly right. Don't forget to share what bands/frequencies you plan to listen to the most, as that may potentially make a big difference in the antenna someone recommends.
It "works" on bands outside of those it's been tuned to transmit/receive, but I'm not sure I'd say it's "good" on those bands.
Everything in this discussion is relative, but if you need the most bang for the buck in a "small, sub-20 inch antenna, the Larsen tri-band is about as good as you can do.
Thanks. Really the only thing outside the 150/450/800 I listen to is a little bit of Air 120Mhz range so hopefully it'd do fine on that.
- Status
