Counterpoise on BCD396XT

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SCPD

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Decided to try this on the hand held scanner and it improved my rx. We have a small p25 police department that is about 5+ mi from me and I can't pick them up unless I am using a large antenna, (something other than portable any duck antenna). Stuck the counterpouse which is about 19" ± and screwed the stock antenna and lone n behold receive is 99% better. Just thought I would share this.
 

NWI_Scanner_Guy

SCANNING THE AIRWAVES SINCE 1987
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Decided to try this on the hand held scanner and it improved my rx. We have a small p25 police department that is about 5+ mi from me and I can't pick them up unless I am using a large antenna, (something other than portable any duck antenna). Stuck the counterpouse which is about 19" ± and screwed the stock antenna and lone n behold receive is 99% better. Just thought I would share this.

I saw this explained recently on a YouTube video but in conjunction with ham radio handhelds. Decided to try it with my kg-uv8d and it improved both tx and rx. Going to have to give it a try with a couple of scanners and see how it fares.

:)
 

SCPD

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I saw this explained recently on a YouTube video but in conjunction with ham radio handhelds. Decided to try it with my kg-uv8d and it improved both tx and rx. Going to have to give it a try with a couple of scanners and see how it fares.

:)

How did it work out ?

Sent from my SCH-I605
 

ka3jjz

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Yes that's correct.

A company some years back called this a 'Tigers Tail'. Probably made a bunch of money from folks who didn't know you could do the exact same thing for much less than they were charging...Mike
 

frazpo

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yep

Yes that's correct.

A company some years back called this a 'Tigers Tail'. Probably made a bunch of money from folks who didn't know you could do the exact same thing for much less than they were charging...Mike

I had the stuff laying around. Ive made two this evening already. I had no doubt it would improve reception but I was shocked at just how well. I carry a 396 everywhere and any little bit of improvement to the standard rubber ducky is welcome.
 

jonwienke

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Another thought is to use the headphone cord to form a J-pole antenna. If you have the scanner on your hip and you have the headphone cord go straight up from the scanner, the ducky becomes the short segment of the J-pole and the headphone cord becomes the long segment. It works surprisingly well for VHF frequencies.
 

SCPD

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I always strip back an inch or two make a loop solder and smash it flat like a washer just large enough for the SMA connection. I have rattails for 6m 2m 70cm and 800mhz. They are not interchangeable based off my tests a 6m tail will not work on 800mhz. As for the scanner and the tail I use something I made with calculations between 2m and 70cm like 18"±

Sent from my SCH-I605
 
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