can a discone 20-043 scanner antenna be used instead of an indoor coax antenna ?

[Rhetro]

hello
noob here.

I have Pro-2006 that's connected to a 20-043 discone antenna that sits on my roof. I also have an older TV that i'm using with an indoor antenna (with marginal results).
If i were to get a BNC splitter (with a coax adapter) could i use that on my TV as well ?

 

[jtwalker]

Yes, but a non-amplified 2-way splitter will send half of rf signal strength to each output port.

I use my Discone for tv and for my scanners, but I have an amplified splitter.

 

[Rhetro]

Thanks JT!
so the BNC input goes to the amp and then then you have it Y-d to the scanner and then the tv -with a coax adapter ?
which amp would you recommend ?

 

[dlwtrunked]

hello
noob here.

I have Pro-2006 that's connected to a 20-043 discone antenna that sits on my roof. I also have an older TV that i'm using with an indoor antenna (with marginal results).
If i were to get a BNC splitter (with a coax adapter) could i use that on my TV as well ?

The discone antenna may to be a poorer than you indoor antenna for TV (which you did not describe). In addition, the indoor TV antenna is usually somewhat designed for horizontal and not vertical polarization. There are addition issues about impedance, designed frequency, etc . You can try it for your TV. If it works better, it is most likely due to the added height of the antenna and having in in the clear of surroundings in the house rather than the antenna itself.

 

[jtwalker]

I use a Stridsberg 8 port active multi-coupler that amplifies just enough to overcome loss from splitting the signal.

 

[Rhetro]

Thanks guys.
it's a GE Hover HD antenna. absolutely minimal. i think i paid about $30 for it at Walmart (since my Spectrum cable box crashed) i didn't bother getting it replaced because i really didn't use it that much. But i wasn't totally ready to retire the tv (it's about 40 years old and still has an excellent picture). i just use it mainly for local channels and background noise when i'm working in my office. Got a converter, and the GE indoor antenna, but i can only get about 3 channels with it (i suppose i could live with it). but then the idea occurred to me about using my Discone that i have hooked up to my Pro-2006. Again, the a discone is sitting on my roof of a second floor. I get excellent reception from the airport on it. thought maybe i could take advantage of it being up higher and unobstructed with an amp as JT mentioned.

 

[popnokick]

Get an inexpensive TV splitter / amp combo and try it. One single device will handle splitting the signal from the outdoor discone and amplifying it. A Stridsberg multicoupler would be expensive overkill for what you’re trying to do. Don’t worry about the fact the TV splitter amp is 75 ohms and your scanner says 50 ohms… it’s insignificant for what you are doing. My wager is that it will work… and better than anything you could use indoors.

 

[MUTNAV]

I would check to see what you can reasonably be expected to receive at your location with antennas at various heights.

TVFOOL.com lets you do that.

If you would normally only be able to get the 3 channels, then no sense in any antenna improvement.

On the other hand.....

If you see that you could pick up all kinds of cool channels, then (to me) it would make sense to proceed.

In addition, I don't know how well converters are compared to the TVs that are actually designed to receive the ATSC format, or computers with cards to decode very weak ATSC formatted signals.

If you have a chance at some point to compare, please mention it in the thread !

Thanks
Joel

 

[Rhetro]

Holy cow ! Tried that TVfool thing. That's crazy ! I really appreciate it. . So i guess you could say i'm planning ahead. If so, I can't see myself going completely over the top (I'll though i've said that before with my varied hobbies over the years) but it's why I thought I'd ask here to begin with. I had new siding installed a while back, and made sure to have my BNC cable run though the wall to my Pro-2006 which has worked great. When my cable box burned up, I just thought about using the discone for basic TV. But OK, for now a basic TV splitter amp combo (any inexpensive recommendations ?)
I'm leaning towards a basic HAM rig (Icom 7300?) -eventually, not necessarily right away. But now that I got that TVfool plot, maybe you guys can tell me to not even bother. I live in an HOA so what I have on my 2nd story roof will have it's limitations

 

[MUTNAV]

About your 40 year old TV, I hope you're exaggerating, if not, it doesn't decode digital signals. and you are missing some good stuff.

If so, have you checked what you can get while inside on the second floor with a set of rabbit ears? You might be surprised?

As a side note, if you start hamming, you'll need a completely different antenna arrangement for the ham stuff, unless you just want to receive.


Thanks
Joel

 

[Rhetro]

Hey Mutnav...
No. I wasn't kidding about the tv
again, it's just a curio that i use in my office for background noise.
I do have a converter (otherwise I wouldn't be able to get anything at all). I have NOT tried the rabbit ears... But the rabbit ears don't decode digital, correct?

If the discone won't work with for basic ham stuff, i'll probably try it somewhere else. There is a remote 12 acre property i have where I can place an antenna as high as i want. I guess if it will take place, it will take place there.

 

[MUTNAV]

Hey Mutnav...
No. I wasn't kidding about the tv
again, it's just a curio that i use in my office for background noise.
I do have a converter (otherwise I wouldn't be able to get anything at all). I have NOT tried the rabbit ears... But the rabbit ears don't decode digital, correct?

If the discone won't work with for basic ham stuff, i'll probably try it somewhere else. There is a remote 12 acre property i have where I can place an antenna as high as i want. I guess if it will take place, it will take place there.

The antenna has nothing to do with digital decoding. That's just an advertising thing for cheap antenna manufacturers.

TV's are really cheap. I use them as additional computer monitors, from Goodwill, although they tend to have TVs that are too big for what I want now.

What does happen when you hook your discone up to the converter box?

I also know that what I'm about to say will draw the wrath of every technical person out there, but....

The discone will work for some ham stuff, but not transmitting on HF. and you don't want any receivers hooked up while transmitting or with a coupler/splitter and amp in the line.

Thanks
Joel

 

[Rhetro]

hey Joel,
Interesting: I had no idea that this was just an advertising gimmick for the antenna makers. -looks like I got a lot to learn...

the TV is one of those rotary dial channel selector types; no remote, or anything like that. I tried just hooking it up to the indoor antenna via the coax input on the back of the TV, but I couldn't get ANYTHING at all. Was told to get a converter so i got some cheap deal at Walmart. hooked it up, scanned some channels and some of them come in ok.
So. To answer your question: I have not hooked the TV up to the discone yet. I need a BNC-COAX adaptor. I guess that would be the place to start? If it works -THEN get a splitter? Is that where you're going ?

 

[MUTNAV]

hey Joel,
Interesting: I had no idea that this was just an advertising gimmick for the antenna makers. -looks like I got a lot to learn...

the TV is one of those rotary dial channel selector types; no remote, or anything like that. I tried just hooking it up to the indoor antenna via the coax input on the back of the TV, but I couldn't get ANYTHING at all. Was told to get a converter so i got some cheap deal at Walmart. hooked it up, scanned some channels and some of them come in ok.
So. To answer your question: I have not hooked the TV up to the discone yet. I need a BNC-COAX adaptor. I guess that would be the place to start? If it works -THEN get a splitter? Is that where you're going ?

It's not really my place for that... If I was going anywhere, I would say get a TV that receives the new format directly.....

This is kind of an unusual thing to say.. Normally money spent to improve an antenna system gets the most bang for the buck, and is the first place to start for improving any system. But in the case of a forty year old TV, maybe in this case a new cheap TV would be the place to start... Can you ask neighbors what they can receive (if you think they don't have cable) or borrow one to see if it makes a difference? I literally have spare TVs sitting around for computer monitors whose computers don't work anymore (a 24" TV is something like $70 on amazon, unless you go to Goodwill which can be pretty inexpensive) they energy savings alone could be valuable (how big is your current TV?)
.

(They are pretty low resolution for a monitor, but they get the job done (then get an BNC to F adapter).

Thanks
Joel

 

[merlin]

I use my discone for TV, only problem is you lose the lower channels below 80 Mhz.
I can connect my XG-100 to the discone, and gets great performance on 2, 1.25, 70 Cm, and 33 CM.
Hey, I had an old Silvertone with a cheap converter and that worked good.
I'm using a splitter as a combiner with a low VHF dipole I made for channel 3 to 6, that goes to my 4 way splitter and feeds my scanner, TV, and lowband RX, + a spare port.

 

[Rhetro]

Hey guys,
the TV has more of a sentimental attachment -nothing more. It still works (and very well) so I see no need in getting rid of it. It's a Panasonic Quintrix II 10". I'll probably continue to use it until it gives out completely. Again. it's for background noise. Since I got rid of my cable box I wanted something to use that I wouldn't have to pay monthly for. That's where the idea for the discone that's feeding my scanner came to me. It's just an experiment since the one I got for indoor use isn't that great. Apparently using a splitter so I can use both the TV and the scanner is doable so I'll give it a shot.
SO:
I have a BNC Male connector coming from the wall. I would need a bnc cable going from the wall to a splitter/amp, is that right ? With one going to the scanner and the other one going to the converter that i bought from Walmart (that's the one with the remote and scan functions that allows me 5 channels so far). I would use output of the amp to the input of the converter. And the output of the converter to the coax input of the TV. Am I doing this correctly ?

Thanks again, gentlemen!

 

[Ubbe]

Am I doing this correctly ?

First get a BNC to F female adapter for that antenna coax and get some standard TV coax with F connectors at its ends, that you probably have on the converter box, but if it has an older IEC connector then get a F to IEC adapter. Check if you get any better performance from that discone antenna.

If it's an improvement then get a 1-2 $5 CATV splitter and adapters to also feed your scanner. It will be just a 3dB loss of signal and are probably not noticed. I use standard TV coax with F connectors for most scanners and to all antennas and use adapters or pigtails to BNC or SMA depending of scanner.

/Ubbe

 

[Rhetro]

Ok !
I appreciate it...I'll give it a shot ! And let you know what happens !

 

[Rhetro]

Hey. It didn't work -unless I did something wrong but i don't think so. The discone didn't like the tv. when i scanned for the channels on the converter it didn't find any channels. I went back to the indoor antenna and it worked like before. I went from BNC (antenna) to a coax adapter to feed the splitter, to feed the converter AND the scanner. the scanner didn't have issues but the tv could not find channels through the discone antenna.

 

[Ubbe]

the tv could not find channels through the discone antenna.

If your TV channels are in the 500-700MHz range then a discone could have a 10dB loss in that range due to its skewed direction pattern and it is also vertical polarized so another 6-10dB loss. Moving an antenna from next to a TV to up on the roof should increase signals maybe 10-20dB. But now it is a different type of antenna used not at all suitable for horizontal polarized signals and not also for the frequency band.

/Ubbe