Best portable 500mhz antenna for a SDS100?

[trentbob]

@policefreak, here's that model from REM. It appears similar to the original 7-800 MHz High Gain antenna. It's a little longer this will be a major improvement over the stock antenna, the original 7-800 worked pretty good on UHF, VHF High not so much but apparently this works better on UHF. It says up to 470 MHz but you're only listening.


If I was scanning in Mercer County I would absolutely have to have VHF High.. SPEN, Mercer County Emergency Alert, Mercer County fire dispatch and guard. Sector Delaware Bay Coast Guard VHF and p25 conventional VHF and UHF. Always listen to them in Mercer County.

REM also makes the 842s which covers VHF High, UHF 1 and 2 and 7 - 800 MHz. It's affectionately called the broomstick. Night and day difference in reception between original issue, even on 7 - 800 MHz but definitely on VHF high and UHF. I used it for about a month. Perfect SMA connection but not water resistant, no o-ring. It's non-flexible and long.

It's also top heavy on the unit, not a good balance, gets caught on the coat and stuck in the ribs, if you can put up at that, that would probably be a perfect antenna as you would have wide coverage

That's about all I've got, plenty of aftermarket antennas out there. Anything will be an improvement over the original issue.

 

[rgchristy]

The W-801 is probably my favorite antenna for most usage.

Even though I know that they're different designs, I wasn't in a hurry to get a REM-920S after how poorly my 842S receives.

The other thing that I've found having bags of antennas, is that what looks good on paper, doesn't always translate into good reception for a given frequency range.

Sometimes, just watching the RSSI while switching a bunch of antennas does the trick. I guess that's why I have bags of antennas...

 

[trentbob]

The W-801 is probably my favorite antenna for most usage.

Even though I know that they're different designs, I wasn't in a hurry to get a REM-920S after how poorly my 842S receives.

The other thing that I've found having bags of antennas, is that what looks good on paper, doesn't always translate into good reception for a given frequency range.

Sometimes, just watching the RSSI while switching a bunch of antennas does the trick. I guess that's why I have bags of antennas...

One of the things having literally bags of antennas is the condition of some of those antennas. I have rubber ducks like the Watson w-108 that's got to be very old and it's in good condition.. I've had rubber ducks that were 10 years old and literally crumbled in my hands haha. The thing I remember about the 842 and it's performance was it was an improvement over the original antenna. I don't think I used it long enough to run it through its paces.

The best indication for me on a system is error rate and Noise. I think RSSI is a good indicator but some argue that it could be an increase in noise but my ear is also a good indicator.

I also have found in the old bags poorly performing antennas some of them were original issue with scanners that I bought, didn't like the antenna and put it in the bag never to be used again LOL

 

[policefreak]

All very helpful information. I basically just want something simple to listen to FD/EMS in Mercer County - and even without TFD it's still a lot of action for a relatively smaller county and a lot of unusual fire apparatus - the SDS100 allows me scanning flexibility other devices do not. That W-801 antenna looks interesting but how good is it fitting into the BNC connector. Is it easy on and off. I sure dont want anything that's going to loosen a connector on my scanner or any other device. As far as how my G3 receives 500Mhz Mercer County compared to the SDS100, it goes like this from best to worst. BKR9000 > Harris XG-100P > Uncation G3 > SDS100.

 

[trentbob]

All very helpful information. I basically just want something simple to listen to FD/EMS in Mercer County - and even without TFD it's still a lot of action for a relatively smaller county and a lot of unusual fire apparatus - the SDS100 allows me scanning flexibility other devices do not. That W-801 antenna looks interesting but how good is it fitting into the BNC connector. Is it easy on and off. I sure dont want anything that's going to loosen a connector on my scanner or any other device. As far as how my G3 receives 500Mhz Mercer County compared to the SDS100, it goes like this from best to worst. BKR9000 > Harris XG-100P > Uncation G3 > SDS100.

You have it all with the SDS 100 and a decent aftermarket, VHF, UHF, 7-800 MHz antenna. You have the County fire dispatch, all of the fire tac channels, Hamilton fire channels, Trenton fire department is in the clear on NJICS.. Trenton police is encrypted on sensitive channels but Trenton police dispatches in the clear on C3- 2 comm also known as Hamilton headquarters.

You have the EMS response channels for Trenton City on West response, Trenton fire uses tac 5 for fire ground and EMS and Fire for the rest of the county on the South, North, East response channels that I believe are still on the county TRS..

Hamilton PD of course is encrypted on p25 conventional.. Ewing has their own encrypted p25 system, Hopewell and Lawrence Police still on the county TRS, I believe.. Princeton Borough and Township has been encrypted a long time, West Windsor PD on the state system now..

you also have C3 - 06 which is Trenton based State Police Patrols to assist Trenton, in addition to State Police State House Patrols who patrol all state government buildings in the Trenton area. You have C3 - 4 comm that patrols 295 to Burlington County and 195.

All of these talk groups are right in the database. Don't forget SPEN and Mercer County Wide emergency radio network, they do a roll call every Wednesday morning at 11:00 with every police agency in Mercer County.

Of course Mercer County sheriff and prosecutor are encrypted on the county TRS.

 

[trentbob]

As far as damaging your radio using the BNC adapter, there are aftermarket alternatives that are a little safer but as long as you are careful the BNC adapter should not harm your radio at all. Try to find an aftermarket antenna that is compatible with the recessed proprietary SMA connector on the 100 but if you have to use a BNC adapter, no sweat.

 

[policefreak]

And to answer your question I replaced the stock antenna on the SDS100 with the Remtronix 800mhz rubber duck and for 500 or VHF I have an old Radioshack BNC 8 inch long antenna.