Connecting my Uniden BCD996P2 to a RG-58 coax antenna feed

[Jmoore06]

Just got my Comet 150-DS discone scanner antenna, but I need some help connecting it to my Uniden BCD996p2. What type of connector should I order to connect the scanner to the RG-58 cable that came with the antenna. The scanner is a BNC male port and the cable has a female end. Any help would be great. Thanks

 

[mmckenna]

That antenna has a UHF connector on the base of the antenna. From what I can find, it ships with 65 feet of RG-58 with a UHF connector on each end. You scanner has a female BNC connector on the back.

The adapter you need is like this one:

Amazon.com: DHT Electronics 2pcs RF coaxial coax adapter BNC male to UHF female SO-239 SO239: Electronics

Amazon.com: DHT Electronics 2pcs RF coaxial coax adapter BNC male to UHF female SO-239 SO239: Electronics

www.amazon.com

I would like to point out that 65 feet of RG-58 cable is going to have a LOT of loss on the higher frequencies. As in you may not hear stuff you want to because it's lost due to cable attenuation.

Give it a try, maybe it'll work fine for you. But if you find that performance is not up to snuff, you will want to upgrade to a higher grade coaxial cable.

 

[Jmoore06]

That antenna has a UHF connector on the base of the antenna. From what I can find, it ships with 65 feet of RG-58 with a UHF connector on each end. You scanner has a female BNC connector on the back.

The adapter you need is like this one:

Amazon.com: DHT Electronics 2pcs RF coaxial coax adapter BNC male to UHF female SO-239 SO239: Electronics

Amazon.com: DHT Electronics 2pcs RF coaxial coax adapter BNC male to UHF female SO-239 SO239: Electronics

www.amazon.com

I would like to point out that 65 feet of RG-58 cable is going to have a LOT of loss on the higher frequencies. As in you may not hear stuff you want to because it's lost due to cable attenuation.

Give it a try, maybe it'll work fine for you. But if you find that performance is not up to snuff, you will want to upgrade to a higher grade coaxial cable.

Thanks for the info. I will order it tonight.

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks for the info. I will order it tonight.

Well, maybe not order those.
Those appear to be cheap Chinese adapters. It really is worth getting some higher quality adapters. I linked to those purely as an example. One of the issues with Amazon is that they stock a lot of really cheap Chinese crap. You can do better, and I should have linked to something better. My bad….

RFI is pretty good and reasonably priced: https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/rfi-rfb-1136-1379
Amphenol is better, but probably overkill for hobby use: https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/amphenol-2900-1378

Eventually you may want to/should upgrade to better coaxial cable. If you do that, heavier/stiffer cable can put a lot of strain on the antenna jack on the radio. A whip adapter like this can be a good idea and save damage to your radio:

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/comet-hm-05-350

 

[Jmoore06]

Good info..I will take a look at the options, and will probably avoid the cheaper Chinese products

 

[iMONITOR]

I've seen "poorly molded" threads, not machined on connectors and adapters that would bind. I had a BNC connector actually crumble in my fingers while attaching it!

 

[Jmoore06]

Thanks for the help with this set-up. Just one more question about ordering a coaxial ground block that I need to ground the coax. Home Depot didn't sell it at the store near me. Any recommendations on the proper ground block and where to order.(I plan on adding another antenna in the future as well). Thanks for any help.

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks for the help with this set-up. Just one more question about ordering a coaxial ground block that I need to ground the coax. Home Depot didn't sell it at the store near me. Any recommendations on the proper ground block and where to order.(I plan on adding another antenna in the future as well). Thanks for any help.

Home Depot and the like will sell cheap grounding blocks used for TV antenna installs. They'll all have F type connectors. Not ideal for what you are doing, but they'll work. You could have to cut your cable where it enters your home, install F connectors on each end, install the block and properly ground it.

For commercial radio systems, and what most hams/hobbyists should be doing, you'd want something like a Polyphaser protector:

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/polyphaser-is-50nx-c2-1913

You can get cheaper versions, but since this is a safety device, you need to be careful.