Cant Pick Up NOAA Weather Radio On SpectrumForce Wideband Antenna

[LetsGoRailfanning]

I will try a ground plane.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

Is the antenna or coax going bad?

 

[trentbob]

Is the antenna or coax going bad?

Well that would be the first guess by anybody here, especially the coax since it is very thin as mentioned before. You did say that it is picking up rail and other services. Maybe it's not picking them up as well as it should and it's just not pulling in the NOAA Weather Radio. I can certainly see it not getting State College but you are rather close to Hagerstown.

As was mentioned before these are not well made but they are inexpensive. It should work better than the on Radio stock antenna. It's a bit of a mystery but for that price you can always pick up another one lol.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

SpectrumForce should upgrade the coax!

 

[W2SOX]

Magnet mount antennas rely heavily on whatever they are stuck to make the antenna "work" properly. It's essentially using the metal of your car as a part of the antenna.

Not sure where or what your sticking the antenna to, if its on a newer car the performance is not going to be great, these newer cars are made of aluminum and plastic. I don't suspect its your coax. You can test you coax with a volt meter and check for continuity on the spade in the BNC connector and the antenna whip.

A good way to test this theory is to grab yourself a cookie sheet or pizza pan, stick the antenna to the center of it and and see if you can pick up the NOAA stations.

 

[trentbob]

Magnet mount antennas rely heavily on whatever they are stuck to make the antenna "work" properly. It's essentially using the metal of your car as a part of the antenna.

Not sure where or what your sticking the antenna to, if its on a newer car the performance is not going to be great, these newer cars are made of aluminum and plastic. I don't suspect its your coax. You can test you coax with a volt meter and check for continuity on the spade in the BNC connector and the antenna whip.

A good way to test this theory is to grab yourself a cookie sheet or pizza pan, stick the antenna to the center of it and and see if you can pick up the NOAA stations.

It's always good to read the posts prior to yours LOL has already been completely discussed in this thread.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

I broke the SMA connector on my first one.

 

[ur20v]

Frederick, Maryland is a wonderful place.

Umm, no. It's not. 🤣 I hope you were joking.

 

[trentbob]

Umm, no. It's not. 🤣 I hope you were joking.

I don't want to go OT here, guess I should have added that I haven't been there in well over 20 years. It had a nice Main Street but again, that was years ago. I returned several times because I enjoyed my visit there.

Maybe it has gone in the direction of so many other "nice" places

 

[trentbob]

I broke the SMA connector on my first one.

Yeah it is a poorly made antenna but also has a good price. Supposedly the coax is very thin so as to go through a car door without any problem. Let us know the results of using a ground plane of a pie pan or cookie sheet. I can remember way back I picked up a used file cabinet at a flea market just for that purpose. That was many Shacks ago.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

In Frederick, MD you go and see the MARC shops on Reichs Ford Rd.



.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

I am going buy a cheap pie pan at Walmart.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

Thanks guys for all you help.

 

[trentbob]

I am going buy a cheap pie pan at Walmart.

Walmart sells Pizza pans for $5. Make sure it's magnetic. It will help with VHF High and UHF.

 

[6079smithw]

I am going buy a cheap pie pan at Walmart.

Quick & Dirty Dollar Tree Special that sits on top of my computer/equipment hutch.
(Old NMO cell antenna connected to a Radius 800 mHz tuned to CalTrans during winter)
$1.36 invested.

 

[wa8pyr]

That's why I suggested a pie pan or cookie sheet. The best is a file cabinet.

Or the top of a refrigerator....

 

[trentbob]

Or the top of a refrigerator....

Unfortunately my kitchen is embedded in the middle of the house and it's the worst location for reception

 

[6079smithw]

Or the top of a refrigerator....

I tried that once. Until came a voice from behind me: "Get that thing outta my kitchen... NOW!"
Hence the pizza pan...

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

The antenna doesn't work.

 

[LetsGoRailfanning]

Bought a ground plane at Walmart for 2.00$.
I pulled the coax from the connector.
It is on the antenna end not the ground plane's.