Car Antenna

[ez_duce]

Just wondering here. I want to use a mobile scanner in my car, but dont want to drill holes/have wires running from trunk or roof(yet). In theory, isn't it possible to use your car's radio antenna for the scanner? I did some google-ing and came up with this.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/4534.html
Anyone had any experience with these? If not using the already provided antenna, is there a better quality antenna that can replace the stock antenna and fit in its place?

 

[Kegan30317]

FWIW, I tried the glass mount and it did OK, till some kid ripped it off one night when I parked on the street.

Now I use a rubber duck type from a hand held, which I have mounted in the "crease" between my windshield and the window frame, running the cable down to the radio, which is mounted next to the parking brake. Easy five minute installation. It sits nice and out of the way. Reception is OK, probably better if I mounted one square on the center of the roof, but like you I wasn't crazy about drilling holes.

 

[Tom-H]

Just wondering here. I want to use a mobile scanner in my car, but dont want to drill holes/have wires running from trunk or roof(yet). In theory, isn't it possible to use your car's radio antenna for the scanner? I did some google-ing and came up with this.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/4534.html
Anyone had any experience with these? If not using the already provided antenna, is there a better quality antenna that can replace the stock antenna and fit in its place?

Don't waste your money. Your cars FM band antenna was never intended to be a multi-band scanner antenna, adding this box will not make it one either.

This antenna from the same dealer works much better. It's very small, and a bit cheaper than the adapter you linked to. Many on this board, including myself, have had good results with it.

http://www.rffun.com/catalog/scanants/1190.html

 

[jdsmith4508]

My 2 cents regarding car antenna.

I installed the antenna splitter in my 1999 Tahoe. I needed the extra adapter for the mini motorola antenna plug that GM uses. It took 30 minutes to install.

I connected it to my BC796D and it worked great over the 150mhz - 800mhz range. Compared to the Radio Shack mag mount I used the results were pretty much the same. So even if I lost a little; the stealth antenna set up would have been worth it.

I think I spent 25 dollars for the kit.

FWIW,

Jim

 

[specman]

Agreed. I knew someone who used a similar device so that they could use their scanner for the weather band and aircraft monitoring, which worked out quite well for him. I wouldn't expect much coverage outside of those bands though.

 

[lowboy654]

I have used the item that you are talking about for a few years and most of the time i dont use it, just rember that reciveing radio sigs.. is all about the right length antenna, its all about the math, x amount of antenna aka wire = the band that one wants to recive. check this web site they sell antennas for the any band that you would like to recive.

http://shop.waltel.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/10_48/products_id/478

 

[consys]

I installed one of these, and it worked OK on the scanner for every thing above the FM broadcast band BUT- I lost reception of the California Hiway Patrol at 42 MHZ. I guess every thing below about 120 MHZ or so got sent to the car radio. There was a noticable loss in broadcast FM, I live between two metro areas so everything there is marinal. I've had several cars since then and never went this route again. I now use a trunk lip NMO mount and play with various whips, a much better way to go.

If you really want stealth... I fished an insulated wire behind the rubber trim on the outside of a nissan windshield and ran it through the hood gap and firewall. I worked pretty well after I bonded (grounded) the hood to cut down on ignition noise.

 

[gg750]

I used one of those for a while. It was originally in an old car that had a power antenna with an up/down button on the dash...worked well becuase I could change the length of the antenna. I later installed it in a newer car and it didn't work well at all...I was better off with a stock rubber duck.

G

 

[htsahler]

Car antenna

I have used both a splitter just a connection splitter and one of the tuned splitters, they both actualy worked equaly well. I have also had a RADIOSHACK thru the glass scanner antenna which worked well.

Henry
N9NOX
WQDB217