Combining a Scanner Antenna with a TV antenna into a single coax cable

[wormwood1978]

I recently installed a tv antenna into my attic and get great reception through my house from many digital stations. The tv antenna coax runs out my attic, down the side of the house, and entering the house in the basement where it hits a splitter that sends the signal through the house.

I have a stock antenna for my scanner. Can I install a scanner discone antenna in my attic and merge the coax from the the tv antenna with the coax from the scanner antenna into a single coax cable if I keep the two antenna cable lengths the same?

It is much less work doing it this way rather than running another long length of cable out my attic, down the side of my house, into the basement.

 

[Craigmoe]

I would say no. Separate runs of coax for the TV antenna and the discone antenna. Major issues to combine...

 

[popnokick]

I recently installed a tv antenna into my attic and get great reception through my house from many digital stations. The tv antenna coax runs out my attic, down the side of the house, and entering the house in the basement where it hits a splitter that sends the signal through the house.

I have a stock antenna for my scanner. Can I install a scanner discone antenna in my attic and merge the coax from the the tv antenna with the coax from the scanner antenna into a single coax cable if I keep the two antenna cable lengths the same?

It is much less work doing it this way rather than running another long length of cable out my attic, down the side of my house, into the basement.

What you CAN do is use the TV antenna with your scanner. Yup... you read right. Most TV antennas work quite well with scanners. Before you say no, try it. It costs almost nothing to try. All you need to do is take one of the outputs from the splitter you already have (or if no open ports, get a splitter with more ports). Run a 75 ohm cable from the splitter to your scanner (or maybe it's already there. My house was once wired for cable TV in nearly every room... so there's a 75 ohm outlet on the wall. I can put the scanner wherever I like.) Depending on the TV antenna you may need to change the polarization from horizontal to vertical by rotating it so the elements are pointing toward the floor and ceiling... rather than horizontally to the walls. But try it first to see and if you're not hearing enough on the scanner, change the polarity of the antenna to vertical. Some of the newer TV antennas are circularly polarized. If you post a pic we can tell you whether you'll benefit by changing to vertical polarity.

 

[wormwood1978]

I will see how my scanner does off the TV antenna first before I look at a discone antenna for it. The TV antenna I have is this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYMVPVX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[n3obl]

I use a scantenna to feed into my house with an elctroline amp for tv reception and one cable for a scanner. I only use the outside antenna for VHF and UHF. My 800 local system is strong with a paperclip.

 

[FrensicPic]

I will see how my scanner does off the TV antenna first before I look at a discone antenna for it. The TV antenna I have is this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYMVPVX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Be aware that a TV antenna is horizonally polarized while most things we listen to on a scanner are vertical.

 

[dave3825]

Keep in mind that the tv antenna you linked is directional, where as a discone is omni directional. Still worth a try.

 

[KMG54]

I would bet it would work fine in a city area were simulcast could be a problem.The TV antenna would help to desensitize the sinulcast problem and more than likely give good results.

 

[KMG54]

Sometimes we overthink public safety. It is made to be able for portables to be heard inside houses on a handheld, yet scanner people have a hard time. Yes I am a scanner guy, but with 800 too much signal is worse than not enough. Stick a paper clip in your an tenna port and you will hear a bunch.

 

[KMG54]

Although I am in Pickens county, my DSD+FL runs of of a piece of quad shield RG6 with a adapter from F to PL259 to a chassis mount so239 with a piece of 12 gauge wire 8 inches long and four radials three inches long on the mount tie wrapped to my deck

 

[dave3825]

piece of quad shield RG6 with a adapter from F to PL259 to a chassis mount so239 with a piece of 12 gauge wire 8 inches long and four radials three inches long on the mount tie wrapped to my deck

8 inch center and 3 inch radials? What band and how well does it work?

 

[KMG54]

863.8625. just running of of memory, Buy guessing the dimensions, although thinking the vertical is shorter than I said. But dealing with a simulcast system less is better. I get two towers instead of five around me.
It is a home brew available on this site. Chassis mount 259 some radials and a element. Pretty simple, just one step more than taking your antenna off and using a straighten paper clip.

 

[KMG54]

I am on the border of Pickens and Greenville county just inside Pickens and I work in Greenville, Most of my listeng is Gville, Pickens ia still anolog and with a scanner it was hit and miss. Now I listen to Pickens with a Wouxon 1000G+ and I will tell you I will not go back to a scanner for analog.

 

[dave3825]

Buy guessing the dimensions, although thinking the vertical is shorter than I said.

But dealing with a simulcast system less is better. I get two towers instead of five around me.

It is a home brew available on this site. Chassis mount 259 some radials and a element.

Yeah, usually 3 inch all around for 800 and 6 inch for uhf. I made a few over the years including a tri band and a dual band based off the tri band. But yeah, altering the center would affect where it resonates and that could help with simulcast for sure.

 

[iMONITOR]

I will see how my scanner does off the TV antenna first before I look at a discone antenna for it. The TV antenna I have is this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYMVPVX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

"Supports 4K 1080P HD Smart TV"

 

[wormwood1978]

"Supports 4K 1080P HD Smart TV"

The Amazon listing does hit the buzz words. The over the air towers for me are all around 35 miles away and it picks all of them up solidly mounted in my attic. Amazon reviews are great, Youtube Antenna Man channel gave a favorable review on it as well. I'm not sure you can beat it at the price point.

 

[popnokick]

I will see how my scanner does off the TV antenna first before I look at a discone antenna for it. The TV antenna I have is this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYMVPVX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

That antenna will be horizontally polarized if installed as pictured. What you are trying to receive with your scanner will be vertically polarized signals, so it will be beneficial to rotate the antenna 90 degrees on its axis so that the elements point up-and-down instead of sideways. However, that may have a negative impact on your TV reception. Or it may not if the TV signals are strong enough, and they are likely using circular polarization. You'll need to experiment with both orientations to find what works best for TV and scanner.

 

[BinaryMode]

"Supports 4K 1080P HD Smart TV"

Yeah, that marketing gimmick always gets me with TV antennas.

For those on the Internets just browsing by. Any TV antenna will work with HD TV. The frequency bands have NOT changed, the modulation has. From the old analog to the new digital modulation. Antennas are not a factor with the modulation. You could use your old 1980s rabbit years and probably still pull in the signal. Or better yet, built a dual band VHF/UHF homemade antenna.