HWG
Member
Trying to revive an Electra Bearcat III scanner (pretty neat old scanner) but the antenna that screws in down through the top has went missing. Trying to locate one to keep this little project going.
Bearcat III - Missing Antenna
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- Feb 22, 2007
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Oh yes I love that radio. I'm pretty sure if you're searching, it is the same antenna that the other Crystal controlled Electra Bearcats used. It is also the same one the Electra Bearcat 101 and the Electra Bearcat 210 used.
After that Uniden bought them out.
After that Uniden bought them out.
HWG
Member
I have seen those other scanners that look like they all use the same antenna but finding THE antenna has been the hurdle. I was hoping to find someone that might have one lying around from old parts scanners.
PS - I love Alf. Grew up watching the show.
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Who is Alf? This is my high school yearbook picture. I've lost a little hair but basically look the same. 
Yeah I like Alf too. You know I used to have several of those antennas but I have been monitoring since the mid sixties when I was a kid. When those scanners came out it was amazing, can you imagine, being able to listen to 4 frequencies at one time? With those lights blinking across. Space Age... LOL.
Yeah I like Alf too. You know I used to have several of those antennas but I have been monitoring since the mid sixties when I was a kid. When those scanners came out it was amazing, can you imagine, being able to listen to 4 frequencies at one time? With those lights blinking across. Space Age... LOL.
There are lots of new replacement antennas similar to that on Ebay.
Electra Bearcat III Vintage Regency Scanner Antennae & O-Ring OEM Replacement
Electra Bearcat III Vintage Regency Scanner Antennae & O-Ring OEM Replacement
Electra Bearcat III Vintage Regency Scanner Antennae & O-Ring OEM Replacement | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Electra Bearcat III Vintage Regency Scanner Antennae & O-Ring OEM Replacement at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
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HWG
Member
I missed the crystals days of scanning so that is why this is a little project for me. And those red blinking lights are exactly why I want to get this scanner going again.
HWG
Member
There are lots of new replacement antennas similar to that on Ebay.
Electra Bearcat III Vintage Regency Scanner Antennae & O-Ring OEM Replacement
Electra Bearcat III Vintage Regency Scanner Antennae & O-Ring OEM Replacement | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Electra Bearcat III Vintage Regency Scanner Antennae & O-Ring OEM Replacement at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
Well, I saw that one you posted but I don't consider that lots. For the price of the one you posted, I can buy another Bearcat III. Thanks for the post though.
HWG
Member
That was my thinking and reasoning for the thread. And by no means does it have to be free. Those deals can be worked when the antenna is located.
I had a Bearcat IV and there was an external jack for an antenna. You can even use an old antenna that used to be on all vehicles.
I was wondering about that also. Being as Electra was all made in Cumberland, Indiana USA, were the antenna threads normal or metric threads.
I'd assume a 6-32 thread or possibly smaller at 4-40 if they are not metric.
HWG
Member
The Bearcat III also has a hookup for an external antenna but for now I am searching for the telescopic antenna that came with the scanner.
HWG
Member
Haven't been able to find any information on the thread of the telescopic antenna that was provided with the scanner. That's why I was hoping to find someone that had one from the old scanners that used these antenna instead of taking a $17-$20 chance. That price will almost fetch another Bearcat III that is, of course, also missing the antenna.
The original included telescopic antenna had an Electra part number of A-138-2 and also was called a model ANT30.
They would sell you a replacement back in the day for a whopping buck and 50 cents!
The same antenna was used all the way up to the old Electra Bearcat 300's and probably even newer base type models made by Uniden after they bought out Electra.
Yep, one of the links someone provided showed an antenna pictured with male threads but then in the listing specs, it said antenna thread "hole" size so who knows if it had male or female threads!
And the spec measurement was not a true thread size for US or a Metric size.
I tried searching for some original OEM antennas for you but came up blank for the most part.
Somewhere I know I have some as I'd bought a couple new old stock BC-III's a while back that had never been opened but I can't find what I did with those antennas for anything.
HWG
Member
I read the same in the back of the owner's manual I have. I was hoping the part number would uncover a cache of them at some online store but nothing.
HWG
Member
This reply is exactly why I decided to post a thread on here thinking someone might have some from old scanners or ones lying around not in use. Where did you end up finding the new old stock BC-III's?
So, do you still have a Electra Bearcat III in operation?
Oh, and if you happen to run across those antennas in the future and can part with one of them, don't forget about this thread.
Yes, I still use a pair of BC-III's today for our VHF Low Band state patrol's backup system and another for some of the local VHF High railroad frequencies.
I loved the audio from those old radios!
I'd found the old unopened BC-III's on an eBay auction a long time ago. They had very cheap buy it now prices as well which I don't recall anymore but they were cheap. And they were perfect as one was VHF-LO and the other had both VHF boards installed in it from the factory.
I once buggered up one those old funnel shaped threaded antenna sockets they used on a lot of the newer Electra programmable models like those from the old BC-220 era. They were aluminum and somehow I'd cross threaded mine and ended up ripping it off of the board.
I had that 220 open a while back and noticed I'd soldered a nut in the old funnel shaped nut's place directly on the PCB!
I still can't remember if it was 4-40 or 6-32 but I doubt it was metric as I never really had to mess with any metric stuff back in the late 70's or early 80's.
You could probably figure out the size pretty easy if you have a screw from say an duplex electrical receptacle or light switch that was used to fasten the receptacle or switch to the box. Those were all 6-32 and if that's the correct size, it should screw into the antenna socket on the board of your BC-III easily for sizing purposes.
I can't recall if the old BC-III models used the funnel shaped telescopic antenna nuts yet or just a plain old nut. It's been a while since I've been in one!
I loved the audio from those old radios!
I'd found the old unopened BC-III's on an eBay auction a long time ago. They had very cheap buy it now prices as well which I don't recall anymore but they were cheap. And they were perfect as one was VHF-LO and the other had both VHF boards installed in it from the factory.
I once buggered up one those old funnel shaped threaded antenna sockets they used on a lot of the newer Electra programmable models like those from the old BC-220 era. They were aluminum and somehow I'd cross threaded mine and ended up ripping it off of the board.
I had that 220 open a while back and noticed I'd soldered a nut in the old funnel shaped nut's place directly on the PCB!
I still can't remember if it was 4-40 or 6-32 but I doubt it was metric as I never really had to mess with any metric stuff back in the late 70's or early 80's.
You could probably figure out the size pretty easy if you have a screw from say an duplex electrical receptacle or light switch that was used to fasten the receptacle or switch to the box. Those were all 6-32 and if that's the correct size, it should screw into the antenna socket on the board of your BC-III easily for sizing purposes.
I can't recall if the old BC-III models used the funnel shaped telescopic antenna nuts yet or just a plain old nut. It's been a while since I've been in one!
Somewhere on eBay is a guy that will make any frequency crystal you need. You just tell him if it's for a 10.8 or 10.7 MHz IF radio and he will open one of his up and cut it for you if he does not have one already cut to your specified frequency.
He also tests them before shipping them to make sure they are on frequency.
He puts little custom stickers showing the frequency on the ones he had to custom cut to order.
I forget the sellers name but his prices were reasonable for getting custom or rare frequency crystals for the old crystal scanners.
I had to use him for most of the railroad freqs I needed!
He combined shipping so I waited to order until I had a pretty good list of what I needed before I ordered from him.
I'd guess he's still around as it was not all that long ago when I setup one of my old BC-III's for the local rail freqs.
He also tests them before shipping them to make sure they are on frequency.
He puts little custom stickers showing the frequency on the ones he had to custom cut to order.
I forget the sellers name but his prices were reasonable for getting custom or rare frequency crystals for the old crystal scanners.
I had to use him for most of the railroad freqs I needed!
He combined shipping so I waited to order until I had a pretty good list of what I needed before I ordered from him.
I'd guess he's still around as it was not all that long ago when I setup one of my old BC-III's for the local rail freqs.
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