Boosting Scanner Pickup

[ffdave77]

I have a portable Bearcat scanner and I would like to boost its receiving power. Radio Shack has a new antena out that looks like a cell phone antena but is a scanner antena w/ coax cable.


Does anyone use this and if so, does it dramatically increase the receiving power? In not, does anyone know a good was in increase it, like antenas and such?


Dave
Firefighter for a year and a half.

 

[mikerabbit]

I dont know the antenna you are talking about specifically, but almost any antenna will out do the rubberduck antenna that comes stock with the scanner.
Mike

 

[INDY72]

Also GRE (Same folks that make most of Radio Shack's scanners) make this for if you live in a rural area (dont use it in a magor city as it will overload the scanner) : http://scanner.greamerica.com/amp.html

 

[tglendye]

I use the radio shack cellular "look-a-like" scanner antenna. It's not bad. I put it on my wife's car and had to cut a few inches off, because it was a little too long. I know that's almost a sin, but it helped to keep the peace :wink: Even with the portion removed, I've been picking up vhf low-800mhz pretty well.

TBG

 

[JohnWayne]

Is this for your vehicle? If so then I would go with a mobile scanner antenna on a mag mount. You can get an antenna from http://shop.waltel.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=Scanner_Antennas, and a mobile mag mount from http://shop.waltel.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=Mobile_Antenna_Mounts.

The Antenex mobile scanner antennas work very well on VHF/UHF/800. If you just listen to one particular band, then I would get a band-specific antenna.

Jeff

 

[LarrySC]

Usually a telescopic works as good as anything. Try www.bncantenna.com