bearcat 250D

[captmike]

I'm only 4 miles from the airport and having a hard time receiving certain tower freq's. The squelch must be off to receive some tower functions.

I'm a commercial airline pilot so I would appreciate discussions on what I can do to increase receivability.... better antenna (stock on now)..way to hook up to external antenna....all of the freqs on the air bands are set to AM, would changing that have any effect on receivability.....of course I would check that but will not be at the scanner until the weekend. Thanks in advance.

 

[N_Jay]

I'm only 4 miles from the airport and having a hard time receiving certain tower freq's. The squelch must be off to receive some tower functions.

I'm a commercial airline pilot so I would appreciate discussions on what I can do to increase receivability.... better antenna (stock on now)..way to hook up to external antenna....all of the freqs on the air bands are set to AM, would changing that have any effect on receivability.....of course I would check that but will not be at the scanner until the weekend. Thanks in advance.

All aircraft comms are on AM.

Hmm, (starting to worry now) Thought that was covered in ground school?

What airline do you fly for? :roll:

 

[W4KRR]

Install an external antenna mounted as high up as you can safely get it. Use a good quality coax cable, like Belden 9913 or LMR400, between the antenna and radio.

 

[OutPost]

Comm antennas at the airport are not on top of control towers much anymore. They are usually in the middle of the field in an array set-up and because of hangars and other buildings, you'd have to go quite high with your antenna, but then again, what kind of antenna are you using? In many cities, the telescopic antenna on a scanner, or that rubber thing on a handheld will not work very well.

If you're a pilot...please check this out.....

http://www.dc8.org/store/bertrand/videos.php

Thanks !

 

[captmike]

, but then again, what kind of antenna are you using?

If you're a pilot...please check this out.....

http://www.dc8.org/store/bertrand/videos.php

Thanks !

As I stated in my post.....the stock antenna.

 

[captmike]

All aircraft comms are on AM.

Hmm, (starting to worry now) Thought that was covered in ground school?

What airline do you fly for? :roll:

Ha Ha...nope not covered in any ground schools that I have ever been to.

Frontier.

 

[OutPost]

Capt Mike......

"Stock on now"

Stock as in the telescopic that came with the receiver?? What airport are you trying to achieve good reception? For instance...MIA

MIA has their array of antennas near the Airport Crash Station along runway 12/30. With a scanner and a telescopic antenna, living in Miami Springs; I could receive most everything but it was not as clear and strong, especially in the car.

Many years ago when I was dreaming about flying DC-8's and 727's, I had a Halicrafters VHF Aircraft receiver tube radio, and had a TV antenna on the roof. I lived 6 straight miles from the Tower and 118.3 came in loud and clear. At that time, the antennas were on top of the control tower.

I also had a battery operated huge portable radio with a whip antenna I could use for fishing. My friend and I could receive MIA TWR loud and clear from his house, 8 miles north in Hialeah.

As with most every airport today, the antennas are somewhere on the field and not very high off the ground. More building and hangars have gone up and reception, being line of sight has diminished.

Here's a site that enables everyone to listen to both sides of the communications at Atlanta Center while watching radar targets on your computer. www.atcmonitor.com

Good luck with your antenna search, if in doubt, buy a good old Radio Shack Ground Plane.

 

[captmike]

Capt Mike......

"Stock on now"

Stock as in the telescopic that came with the receiver?? What airport are you trying to achieve good reception? For instance...MIA

MIA has their array of antennas near the Airport Crash Station along runway 12/30. With a scanner and a telescopic antenna, living in Miami Springs; I could receive most everything but it was not as clear and strong, especially in the car.

Many years ago when I was dreaming about flying DC-8's and 727's, I had a Halicrafters VHF Aircraft receiver tube radio, and had a TV antenna on the roof. I lived 6 straight miles from the Tower and 118.3 came in loud and clear. At that time, the antennas were on top of the control tower.

I also had a battery operated huge portable radio with a whip antenna I could use for fishing. My friend and I could receive MIA TWR loud and clear from his house, 8 miles north in Hialeah.

As with most every airport today, the antennas are somewhere on the field and not very high off the ground. More building and hangars have gone up and reception, being line of sight has diminished.

Here's a site that enables everyone to listen to both sides of the communications at Atlanta Center while watching radar targets on your computer. www.atcmonitor.com

Good luck with your antenna search, if in doubt, buy a good old Radio Shack Ground Plane.

1. Stock, as in the RD that comes with the unit. No telescopic inclosed as stock on the 250D that I have ever seen.

2. KFAT

3. "Here's a site....." Sorry not interested in anything eles except scanning with my scanner.....I get enough of ATL when I go in/out of there.

4. I would prefere to put the an antenna on the unit instead of on my house.

thanks

 

[OutPost]

Capt. Mike......

Sorry...I took the time to see what a 250D is and now I understand why you can't pick-up airplanes, unless you hold it near a window on a second floor, or outside.

Those handheld aviation radios (receiving only) were mostly sold to those that sit in cars near the runway. Then they go home and hook a ground plane antenna to it to get another dose of aviation. As much as you get of Atlanta and wherever else, I can't imagine going home and listening to more of the same stuff, however a cheap ground plane will do for you.

What you can do though....

Get the outside antenna and you will have clear comm from KFAT and then you can place a tape recorder next to it to determine the quality of your communications from Ground, to Tower, to Departure, to Center. Someday your kids will enjoy that.

If I can help you further, just drop me a line at: DC8JetMan2003@Yahoo.Com

Happy Flying 8)

 

[captmike]

Capt. Mike......

and then you can place a tape recorder next to it to determine the quality of your communications from Ground, to Tower, to Departure, to Center. Someday your kids will enjoy that.

If I can help you further, just drop me a line at: DC8JetMan2003@Yahoo.Com

Happy Flying 8)

OMG....I would never get that radical. But thanks for the ground plane antenna thought. looking to avoid hooking up to external antenna.

If anyone else out there has had success with another antenna that replaces the stock antenna on the Bearcat 250D and you get better results please let me know.

 

[wadeless28]

A so-so remedy would be to get the indoor scanner antenna Cat #20-161 from RS. It gets a bit more reception.

I myself live ~4 miles south of KBWI and found this antenna works well listening to the tower and Potomac TRACON. If the stock antenna is used I tend to start using stretching techniques to just receive the tower and TRACON. Then again some days the reception is booming.

Hope this helps.

Mike

 

[captmike]

thanks for that reply

 

[captmike]

Well, sorry to report that I tried the Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna (20-283) and there is absolutely no change to the reception.

Still looking for suggestion to improve reception in the air band range...short of hooking up to a fixed antenna on the roof.

 

[N_Jay]

Well, sorry to report that I tried the Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna (20-283) and there is absolutely no change to the reception.

Still looking for suggestion to improve reception in the air band range...short of hooking up to a fixed antenna on the roof.

No change at 800? or no change at the air band?

What type of cable and how much did you use?

How is the antenna mounted?

 

[captmike]

Well, sorry to report that I tried the Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna (20-283) and there is absolutely no change to the reception.

Still looking for suggestion to improve reception in the air band range...short of hooking up to a fixed antenna on the roof.

No change at 800? or no change at the air band?

What type of cable and how much did you use?

How is the antenna mounted?

1. No change on Air Band AND no change on some police....in addition, I have NOT noticed a change in increased reception on any other band as well.

2. "What type of cable and how much did you use"?
As mentioned it was the RS antenna which is mentioned above.

 

[W4KRR]

If you're looking for better reception in the VHF air band, and you were disappointed with the Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna, that's no surprise. The Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna will be better than the stock antenna on the 800 MHz band, but probably no better, or worse, than the stock antenna at other bands.

If you insist on trying an antenna attached to the scanner as opposed to a base outside mounted antenna, try either a telescoping whip with a BNC connector, or the Diamond RH-77CA. Unfortunately, you may not get much improvement in the VHF air band, because the tower transmits with fairly low power. Hearing aircraft in flight should be much easier due to the high altitude.

 

[N_Jay]

Well, sorry to report that I tried the Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna (20-283) and there is absolutely no change to the reception.

Still looking for suggestion to improve reception in the air band range...short of hooking up to a fixed antenna on the roof.

No change at 800? or no change at the air band?

What type of cable and how much did you use?

How is the antenna mounted?

1. No change on Air Band AND no change on some police....in addition, I have NOT noticed a change in increased reception on any other band as well.

2. "What type of cable and how much did you use"?
As mentioned it was the RS antenna which is mentioned above.

I would have expected it to be worse at VHF air (Why would an 800 MHz antenna be expeced to be better?)

I don't know what "other bands" you are listening to.
I would expect it to be slightly (maybe only margenally) better at 800 MHz.

If you want any significant improvement you need to get the antenna outside, and as high as practical.

As was said, if you want to keep teh antenna on your scanner, then an extendable whip is best, and a rubber duck cut to teh aircraft bandd is probably second best (but might not be any better than the stock antenna.

 

[captmike]

I would have expected it to be worse at VHF air (Why would an 800 MHz antenna be expeced to be better?)

.

A. Because of these responses from this forum:

CaptMike:If anyone else out there has had success with another antenna that replaces the stock antenna on the Bearcat 250D and you get better results please let me know.

DSYCUTTER:"radioshack 800mhz antenna"

KME507:" I have a 250D and bought a duckie from Rat Shack for the 800 range. This antenna blows the stock antenna away. I have listened to a.m., particularly aircraft without any problems. But, then again, I live relatively close to the airport. "


W4KRR:"Ifyour primary interest is the 800 MHz band, then the Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna is an excellent choice. I don't recall the stock number off hand.


DSYCUTTER:" just picked up the RADIO SHACK 800mhz rubber duckie and did a comparison.

set my BC250D to NJSP troop C, started with stock antenna, came in decent, switched to new 800mhz and it definately incresed the reception can't say it double it, but definately increased it."

bill_n:"I picked up the RS antenna [20-283] tonight also. Tested it on a mediium distance trunk system. Previously using my PRO-96, the control channel came in at 45 - 65% power, with the RS it's now up to 85 - 95%, so definately a good improvement there. My VHF-hi systems I listen to come in about the same as with the stock antenna, and that's okay. I was afraid they might be considerably worse."

So, N_Jay, Thats why I gave the RS 800 MHz (20-283) a shot.

 

[N_Jay]

I would have expected it to be worse at VHF air (Why would an 800 MHz antenna be expeced to be better?)

.

A. Because of these responses from this forum:

. . . . .

So, N_Jay, Thats why I gave the RS 800 MHz (20-283) a shot.

Sorry to hear that.

If I were you I would have done a bit more reading and maybe asked a few more questions.

An 800 MHZ antanna is designed for 800 MHz, not 120 MHz.

There is plenty of discussion on this forum about antennas.

The search feature would turn up some to help you.

P.S. It takes a bit of readinmg here to figure outr what is true, and what is conjecture. That is just the nature of forums. Everyone THINKS they are right, or at least writes as if they are! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[W4KRR]

W4KRR:"If your primary interest is the 800 MHz band, then the Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna is an excellent choice. I don't recall the stock number off hand.

Yes, I said that, and I still stand by it.

But the aircraft band is 108-137 MHz, not 800 MHz, so logic would dictate that an antenna designed for this band would be a better choice for aircraft monitoring than an 800 MHz band antenna.

Read my message from 12/26 a few posts above.