Navycop
Member
This might of been asked before. If so can someone point me to the thread. I have a bunch of coax from COX Cable laying around. I was going to use it for my base. It is a pro-2050. If I connect a BNC to it will it work for 800 mhz?
Can I use tv coax for an antenna?
- Thread starter Navycop
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Not worth the effort.
Well, that flies in the face of what everyone else says. Why not?
Depends. Some cable companies use pretty good quality RG6. While not optimum, and not 50 ohms, it can work quite well. Won't cost you much to try it.
I'm currently using a cable tv run within my house on a couple of my scanners.
I'm currently using a cable tv run within my house on a couple of my scanners.
altec
Member
If that don't work you might want to get a lil fancier with some LMR-400 Ultraflex coax cable. That stuff will pull in a signal like a golf ball being sucked though a garden hose by a overly possessed scanner.
iMONITOR
Silent Key
RG6 cable TV coax will work just fine. Radio Shack sells adapters that will work with the standard TV coax F-connectors, and give you a BNC connector for your scanner.
Click here:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...kw=f+to+bnc&origkw=f+to+bnc&parentPage=search
Click here:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...kw=f+to+bnc&origkw=f+to+bnc&parentPage=search
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N_Jay
Guest
At 100 feet the difference is about 3 dB and probably would not be noticed by most listeners.
I currently use RG6 attached to a home-brew off-center fed dipole antenna and it works fine.
Note that he's not connecting this to an antenna, he just wants to use the cable as his antenna. BIG difference.
hoser147
Member
If you have good cable connections you may want to check out RG 11........Hoser
I think the OP needs to clarify his intentions. Is he asking if he can use the coax itself AS the antenna, or to CONNECT to an antenna? His use of the words "for an antenna" can imply either meaning.
If his intention is to use the coax AS an antenna, particularly for 800MHz, the answer would be "No, forget about it, won't work." Unless, of course, he's a few blocks from the transmitters of everything he wants to listen to. At that point, you may as well just attach a rubber ducky to the scanner, as it would still be the better choice. Coax in and of itself does not make a very good antenna, save for some very specific applications on low frequencies.
If his intention is to use the coax to CONNECT an antenna, the answer would be "Yes, 75 ohm RG6 is just fine." The whole notion that you need to use $1 a foot, 50 ohm LMR400 for a relatively short run from a scanner to an antenna is ridiculous and often overstated around here by "coax snobs". Guys who believe it's an inherent truth that the more expensive something is, the better it MUST be. Or that a particular name brand is inherently better than another lesser "glitzy" brand. Or that using 75 ohm coax with 50 ohm RF equipment is sacrilege. None of those are true, in fact.
The more important issues to worry about are:
- The quality of the receiver
- The quality and condition of the coax
- The quality and proper installation of the connectors
- The quality, appropriateness and positioning of the antenna itself
Notice the repetition of the word "quality". If any part of the entire system is junk, that will be the weak link in the chain, and will make even the rest of the top dollar items perform like junk also. It's more important to use any type of decent coax that is in good shape and has good connectors installed properly, connected on one end to a good receiver and the other end to a good antenna that is positioned well and is rated to receive the band(s) you're trying to listen to.
If his intention is to use the coax AS an antenna, particularly for 800MHz, the answer would be "No, forget about it, won't work." Unless, of course, he's a few blocks from the transmitters of everything he wants to listen to. At that point, you may as well just attach a rubber ducky to the scanner, as it would still be the better choice. Coax in and of itself does not make a very good antenna, save for some very specific applications on low frequencies.
If his intention is to use the coax to CONNECT an antenna, the answer would be "Yes, 75 ohm RG6 is just fine." The whole notion that you need to use $1 a foot, 50 ohm LMR400 for a relatively short run from a scanner to an antenna is ridiculous and often overstated around here by "coax snobs". Guys who believe it's an inherent truth that the more expensive something is, the better it MUST be. Or that a particular name brand is inherently better than another lesser "glitzy" brand. Or that using 75 ohm coax with 50 ohm RF equipment is sacrilege. None of those are true, in fact.
The more important issues to worry about are:
- The quality of the receiver
- The quality and condition of the coax
- The quality and proper installation of the connectors
- The quality, appropriateness and positioning of the antenna itself
Notice the repetition of the word "quality". If any part of the entire system is junk, that will be the weak link in the chain, and will make even the rest of the top dollar items perform like junk also. It's more important to use any type of decent coax that is in good shape and has good connectors installed properly, connected on one end to a good receiver and the other end to a good antenna that is positioned well and is rated to receive the band(s) you're trying to listen to.
KB8UYC
Member
This subject has been battled and battled.....Steve, K8PBX is successfully using cable coax and it seems to be working for him. My opinion is that you want everything to remain optimal. 50 ohm antenna, and 50 ohm coax.
With that being said, why not just try it and compare it to 50 ohm coax and then post your results back here and let us know what you think. I believe I tried it at one time and it did not work out for me.
Let us know
With that being said, why not just try it and compare it to 50 ohm coax and then post your results back here and let us know what you think. I believe I tried it at one time and it did not work out for me.
Let us know
He doesn't have an antenna though - so what would you "match" it to?
Is Steve receiving 800MHz signals with NO antenna? Just coax?
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N_Jay
Guest
Not to beat a dead horse, but if it did not work, I bet it was something other than the impedance.
Yes people, it will work! :twisted: 
I'm sitting here right now next to a setup using RG59 that leads to a RadioShack groundplane on the roof. It works fine, atually...it works great.
I'm sitting here right now next to a setup using RG59 that leads to a RadioShack groundplane on the roof. It works fine, atually...it works great.
Speaking of beating dead horses, by now you have him so confused he's trying to force a golf ball though a garden hose and wondering why it won't fit.
Not sure if you are aware - but a groundplane is an ANTENNA.
He DOES NOT HAVE AN ANTENNA. He simply wants to use the coax as an antenna. Several of us here say it won't work at all, others are swearing by it as the best thing since -- well -- a real antenna.
Austin4Wyo
Member
He never specifically said he wanted to use the coax AS the antenna. His wording isn't very clear, and I can see where a person would get that out of it in the subject, but I feel like it could be read as "Can I use tv coax for an antenna (cable)?"
Until he clarifies that point, it's either-or.
I must've missed the part where he said definitively "I have no antenna" that rdale is so adamant about knowing, he needed to post it three times. That very well might be the case, but until the OP clarifies yes or no, we won't know. By the way, rdale, I don't see ANY posts in this thread suggesting that coax ALONE will make an effective antenna. What I do see is people suggesting, correctly, that RG6 75 ohm coax is fine to use WITH an antenna. Had you not assumed from the outset that this guy has no antenna, you might actually understand the rest of the posts!
And for the record, I have a sneaking suspicion the OP was asking if the coax alone will make a good antenna in and of itself. Which is why I addressed both scenarios in my post. But I'm not going to ASSume it and tell the guy straight out "Not worth the effort" without giving any further details as to why I feel that way.
And for the record, I have a sneaking suspicion the OP was asking if the coax alone will make a good antenna in and of itself. Which is why I addressed both scenarios in my post. But I'm not going to ASSume it and tell the guy straight out "Not worth the effort" without giving any further details as to why I feel that way.
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