HappilyRetired
Member
And unfolded coat hanger? I assume that would have to be soldered onto a BNC connector with some kind of plastic insulator.
Best scanner for aircraft only
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Using a simple inline ground loop isolator will take care of that earphone noise.
HappilyRetired
Member
This noise that you speak of in an earphone is the same noise I have pointed out coming over different feeds from broadcastify. I guess those people need to put a filter in line with their audio output? It's a constant tick tick tick and you can hear the computer noise. It's also got a hiss to it. It's not a 60 Cycle hum.
Icanhearit
Member
Not sure if is the same noise. My noise is the scanning noise. If I lock to a specific channel without scanning(as broadcastify feed normally does), then there is no noise. I do hear people say if using ground loop isolator filter, then the signal open/close will have a click (so it actually means those feeders have a filter in place)
HappilyRetired
Member
That is what I'm referring to. The scanning noise. I've heard it on many many feeds and I'm wondering if it's specific to any particular scanner. I see the noise filter and it is intended for a 60hz hum which is caused usually by the cable of the wall wart acting like an antenna and transmitting a 60hz hum that the scanner picks up in the audio section. I only know half of what I just wrote. My ham elmer gave me that information. Lol. He was telling me that you can also get it by running your power supply line in close proximity to your audio line, like maybe using wire ties conference a need appearance when they actually need to be crossed like an X to cancel out the noise. I guess the nice filter works based on reading other people.
Hello, I'm using 2 Radio Shack Pro-2052 scanners (made by Uniden for Radio Shack) for aircraft. Yep they are old and analog but they scan 100 channels per second and will receive military air frequencies as well. They are hooked to two discones which I can switch as needed, if needed. I took one of them one Tuesday morning (Tuesday seems to be the busiest day for commercial aircraft), put it to search scanning aircraft frequencies and found 70 of the most used frequencies. I entered those and the scanner never stops. I also do not use the delay function on air to ground because most signals are one sided, the ground control is not receivable. However, I do have local airport frequencies entered and they are on delay.
My discones are mounted in my attic about 25 feet off the ground and my house sits about 550 feet above sea level. I have received aircraft flying over the Rockies, aircraft coming up the coast of South America, and military aircraft all over the eastern and midwestern US.
These scanners are getting harder to find and the costs of the used ones have slowly risen. I have 3 and one is sick right now with a bad capacitor, but if I ever catch up with my chores, I'll fix it.
What make of Discone antenna are you using with that Pro-2052 scanner.
One is like this, but I believe the manufacturer was Comet.
Tram Broad Band Base Antenna (144/220/440/900/1290 MHz)
The Tram 1410 is a broad band (144/220/440/900/1290 MHz) stainless steel base antenna with a 200 watt power rating.
HUSTLER DCX [DCX] - $54.95 : R&L Electronics, Amateur radio store
R&L Electronics HUSTLER DCX [DCX] - DISCONE MONITOR ANTENNA 40-999MHz RECEIVE ONLY ANTENNAS ANTENNA
www2.randl.com
lu81fitter
Member
If you are solely looking to monitor the fire stuff, go get yourself the BCT15X and pair it with this.
theantennafarm.com
Then attach a 1/4 wave whip for VHF to it. (approx. 18 inches)
Mount it on any pole that gets it away from obstructions. You won't be disappointed.
The Antenna Farm can also make a custom cable to go from the radio to the antenna. They are good people. Have done business there many times.
Mobile Antenna to BASE Convertor VHF UHF Antennas TE Connectivity MBC
Mobile to Base Station Adapter Kit for NMO Mount Type Antennas. Includes bracket, clamps, radials and mounting bracket. Frequency Range 0 - 512MHz, SO-239 (UHF
theantennafarm.com
Then attach a 1/4 wave whip for VHF to it. (approx. 18 inches)
Mount it on any pole that gets it away from obstructions. You won't be disappointed.
The Antenna Farm can also make a custom cable to go from the radio to the antenna. They are good people. Have done business there many times.
eorange
♦RF Enabled Member♦
I use the BCT15X as my mil air base, but it definitely misses some transmissions. I also run an AOR AR mini and it's parked on 260.900. I hear extended transmissions on the AOR while the BCT15X just scans on by multiple times and rarely, if ever, stops on 260.900. Each radio uses separate antennas which are exactly the same model in the same location.
Do you think the AOR AR mini is a better receiver than the BCT15X for VHF air 118 - 137Mhz
eorange
♦RF Enabled Member♦
I don't know; I don't use it for civilian VHF airband.
I can say this: older receivers do way better overall. I also recently picked up an IC-R2 and a VR-120 (both in excellent condition and cheap) and they are hotter on mil air than the BCT15X. Way better at pulling in distant signals. I'd take those 2 any day over, say, a BC125 which I don't own but have used extensively for mil air.
I can say this: older receivers do way better overall. I also recently picked up an IC-R2 and a VR-120 (both in excellent condition and cheap) and they are hotter on mil air than the BCT15X. Way better at pulling in distant signals. I'd take those 2 any day over, say, a BC125 which I don't own but have used extensively for mil air.
Do you think those receivers might be different when receiving VHF as compared to UHF military, I had an Icom R6 that I returned since it was disappointing on VHF air.
eorange
♦RF Enabled Member♦
In my experience VHF sensitivity is never less than UHF sensitivity in the airband. I also have the R6 and it does really well on the VHF airband for me.
jaymatt1978
Member
I have (2) 996T and a regular BCT15 all hooked up to the same antenna and I can tell you the 15 definitely misses transmissions. I don't know about the BCT15X or 996XT. I just did a search on eBay and there's a 996XT for $230 which isn't that bad. For military air only I would go for a BC996T
eorange
♦RF Enabled Member♦
That's interesting about the BC996T and good to know. It's impossible to know what you're not hearing unless you have another dissimilar radio. Also, the 996 could certainly be better than the 15...but only maybe in a certain frequency range. (I don't know for sure, just illustrating a point.) There's just no way of knowing - given the very wide mil air range - and one can go insane trying to find the best radio, which we know is unrealistic.
My BCT15X sings pretty well on various mil air freqs, but as mentioned above I've begun to park various radios on a single 'important' freq to ensure coverage.
All good stuff @jaymatt1978 , thanks for the input!
My BCT15X sings pretty well on various mil air freqs, but as mentioned above I've begun to park various radios on a single 'important' freq to ensure coverage.
All good stuff @jaymatt1978 , thanks for the input!
Ubbe
Member
You also have to remember that some scanners are very sensitive but cannot handle big signals and other scanners are the opposite.
VHF AIR goes down to 118MHz or even 108MHz and then also pass a big chunk of FM broadcast signals. What scanner that works best probably depends of how high level of FM broadcast signals you have to fight.
My Icom R2 are super sensitive, the most sensitive scanner I have measured with a signal generator, but as soon as I connect it to a roof antenna that sensitivity are gone and are up 100 times worse due to overload issues. When a scanner receives a too strong signal it will start to gradually loose sensitivity without showing any other signs of overload. A BCT15 doesn't measure as well as a R2 but when connected to a roof antenna the BCT15 hardly reacts at all and keep its sensitivity, that then will be way better than the R2. A scanner that doesn't have any impact from big signals are Pro-2006, but then its measured sensitivity are the worse I have seen. The Icom R1500/2500 are also almost immun to big signals and have a better sensitivity than Pro-2006 but are also a more modern receiver.
When monitoring VHF AIR, and most other frequency bands, a FM trap filter will help to reduce overload issues but best are to use a scanner that can handle big signals. Only if you monitor far from any high power transmitter can you use those extra sensitive scanners without loosing sensitivity. If one scanner where good at both sensitivity and overload handling we would all buy just that scanner for analog monitoring. But usually you have to sacrifice overload handling to get good sensitivity specification in the price range that include scanners. Professional radios in the $1,000 range and up are often both sensitive and with good overload handling but they are poor at high speed scanning.
/Ubbe
VHF AIR goes down to 118MHz or even 108MHz and then also pass a big chunk of FM broadcast signals. What scanner that works best probably depends of how high level of FM broadcast signals you have to fight.
My Icom R2 are super sensitive, the most sensitive scanner I have measured with a signal generator, but as soon as I connect it to a roof antenna that sensitivity are gone and are up 100 times worse due to overload issues. When a scanner receives a too strong signal it will start to gradually loose sensitivity without showing any other signs of overload. A BCT15 doesn't measure as well as a R2 but when connected to a roof antenna the BCT15 hardly reacts at all and keep its sensitivity, that then will be way better than the R2. A scanner that doesn't have any impact from big signals are Pro-2006, but then its measured sensitivity are the worse I have seen. The Icom R1500/2500 are also almost immun to big signals and have a better sensitivity than Pro-2006 but are also a more modern receiver.
When monitoring VHF AIR, and most other frequency bands, a FM trap filter will help to reduce overload issues but best are to use a scanner that can handle big signals. Only if you monitor far from any high power transmitter can you use those extra sensitive scanners without loosing sensitivity. If one scanner where good at both sensitivity and overload handling we would all buy just that scanner for analog monitoring. But usually you have to sacrifice overload handling to get good sensitivity specification in the price range that include scanners. Professional radios in the $1,000 range and up are often both sensitive and with good overload handling but they are poor at high speed scanning.
/Ubbe
Ubbe, What FM trap filter do you recommend, also, do they come with BNC connectors at both ends.
eorange
♦RF Enabled Member♦
I forgot to mention I have a mini circuits FM trap filter inline with the BCT15X only. I do pick up some verrrry faint CAP transmissions in the UHF ARTCC frequencies {280 to 330 MHz) and yet I don't hear 260.900 which can be pretty solid coming in on the AOR. So I doubt the trap filter is killing anything. I am pretty sure it's helping quite a bit, because I hooked up my R30 to my discone and that's when I realized I had a FM broadcast problem!
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