Connecting 2 external scanner antennas to a 2-IN 1 Output?

[CorwinScansNM]

I am thinking about trying this new idea out for possibly improved scanner signal reception to my public safety scanner. My plan or idea which is driving me a little crazy right now as to should I, should I not, it's possible I know but will it work correctly or is it going to cause more problems than it is really worth etc?

My plan was to hook up 2 different models of outdoor scanner antennas on a very tall antenna mast. First scanner antenna on the top, the 2nd scanner antenna about 5 to 10 feet below the first one but both on the same antenna mast & with both running separate long coaxial cables. Then the next step which has me wondering & hanging here is then to, hook both of the outdoor scanner antennas to a coaxial splitter that has (2 input ports) which would be for the hook up of both scanner antennas separate coaxial cables to & then (1 output port) for me to run a single coaxial cable inside to my scanner. This all to try in boost my incoming scanner signals with not 1 but 2 outdoor scanner antennas to one single public safety scanner as for I live in a canyon on a mountain with trees & forest land all around me.

The splitter would be or look something like this one on Amazon:
Amazon.com: CHANNEL PLUS 2512 DC + IR Passing 2-Way Splitter/Combiner: Electronics

Is this really possible & will it work without harm or technical problems? Please help if anyone has tried or experimented with trying to do this before I attempt it because it is not going to be easy I have a feeling.

 

[doublescan]

two antenna

I think you will have some problems with running one amp to two antennas. There's been several discussions about that on RR and the results are usually unpredictable, even if the two antennas are exactly alike. I've tried several scanner antennas, with and without amps on them, some work ok and others do not. For me, listening mostly to VHF hi and aircraft bands, I've had about equal results with : 1-ST2 antenna with antennacraft tv preamp, and 2- home made dipole made of 1/2" copper pipe and placed about 30' closer to my house. WIth no amp on the dipole I can pretty much pick up the same signals and at the same strength as on the ST2. They're both about 30' off the ground. Moving your antennas around seems to be a very good idea, as it seems sometimes you can find a sweet spot where the signals come in much better than other places. There's plans on several threads about that 1/2" copper dipole, I cut mine at 22" for both parts, for the aircraft band-seems to work as well as, or better than, that humongous ST2 antenna. Keep experimenting-you might just find that right combination of antenna and location.

 

[krokus]

Is this really possible & will it work without harm or technical problems? Please help if anyone has tried or experimented with trying to do this before I attempt it because it is not going to be easy I have a feeling.

Possible? Certainly! The signals are going to be unpredictable, especially if they are similar antennas.

The received signals will, most likely, not boost each other. In fact, due to phase differences, they are more likely to cause reduced or distorted signals. How the reduction/distortion manifests will vary, based on freq, direction of signal, the difference in cable length, and mode.

Sent via Tapatalk

 

[popnokick]

If one antenna is good, two antennas must be twice as good, right? Not necessarily. Whole sticky thread on this topic right here:
http://forums.radioreference.com/sp...57-running-one-scanner-multiple-antennas.html

 

[CorwinScansNM]

Possible? Certainly! The signals are going to be unpredictable, especially if they are similar antennas.

The received signals will, most likely, not boost each other. In fact, due to phase differences, they are more likely to cause reduced or distorted signals. How the reduction/distortion manifests will vary, based on freq, direction of signal, the difference in cable length, and mode.

Sent via Tapatalk

While the first antenna to be on the very top is a Centerfire Deluxe Discone Antenna & the other one to go below it 5 to 10 feet down is a, DPD Productions OmniX Scanner Base Antenna. Thus they are not at all similar but quite different in design so I don't know what that would entail or cause?

 

[doublescan]

multiple antennas

I'd try each antenna for a week or two, alone and log results. I always give a new antenna at least that long, to get through various temperature/weather conditions, pick a few distant stations to monitor, and see how well it generally performs. Never tried connecting two at the same time though. You might be able to pick up all the FM stations within two hundred miles, haha! Or maybe every weather service radio transmitter on the band. Give it a try and see how you like it, post back with results. I'd like to know how that Omni=X performs too.

 

[majoco]

If the feeds from the antennas to the 'combiner' are not the same, on some frequencies you may end up with complete cancellation of the signal.