Crazy Newbie Question

[jitrevino]

Keep in mind this question is coming from a Newbie.

I have a PRO-106 scanning in Palmdale/Lancaster.

Because I travel full-time I primarily live in my 5th Wheel.

As with most RV's there is an extendable antenna that was intended for the television. Being that I can't haul an external antenna around and don't watch television this is what I was wondering:

Would this antenna do me any good if I could find an adapter to get it to fit my scanner?

From what little I do know, I understand that this question may require some more questions from you to me to.

Thanks!

 

[BonziBuddy]

Keep in mind this question is coming from a Newbie.

I have a PRO-106 scanning in Palmdale/Lancaster.

Because I travel full-time I primarily live in my 5th Wheel.

As with most RV's there is an extendable antenna that was intended for the television. Being that I can't haul an external antenna around and don't watch television this is what I was wondering:

Would this antenna do me any good if I could find an adapter to get it to fit my scanner?

From what little I do know, I understand that this question may require some more questions from you to me to.

Thanks!

If you could attach it, it would technically work. Anything metallic would work as a receiving antenna. If you plan on picking up stronger signals, like State police, Sheriff ,etc, on UHF/VHF, you'd be ok.

I have a scanner attached with a coupler to my car's FM/AM antenna. Works for me. I really only listen to public safety and FDNY, but I'm still able to pick up weak FRS frequencies while on the highway.

aren't TV antennas designed to pick up frequencies, among others, in common public safety frequency ranges?
Television Frequencies plus CATV, Radio, and Satellite Frequencies

 

[jitrevino]

Bonzi,

Thanks for the reply. I'll set out and see if I can find a coupler/adapter that would go from the basic television connector to a scanner.

Any other tips or advice welcome!

JT

 

[BonziBuddy]

You would need a F-type female to BNC male adapter

 

[Kennrth]

It’s hard to say without knowing about your set up. Not sure what you mean by RV either. Large RV’s like mobile homes would have antennas that are rotatable and have FM broadcast radio elements which would work fine. Don’t know what bands your interested in either. Most tv antennas can pick up 800 mhz 900mhz trunking systems ok. May be poor on 2 meter and deaf on cb band.
If you have an RV like a Ford Expedition or Cadillac Escapade then you may have a boomerang looking type tv antenna which is not rotatable and does not have Broadcast Fm elements. I wouid not use it as a permanent set up. Just about anything outside the vehicular would work better that the antenna on the radio inside the RV because the metal box your act like a Faraday cage. For a cost of a cheap adapter from Radio Shack it worth trying until you get something better.
You may have a high end electrically rotatable tv antenna with FM broadcast capability. This would make an excellent scanner antenna.
Can you id the antenna model and or mfgr.
If you travel a lot then you really need a broadband scanner antenna. A. Not an easy thing on a high RV.
Be careful. What you think is a tv anteanna could be a satellite antenna.
Are you familiar with BCD996XT from Uniden. You can pre program it for hundreds of systems and have it change system to system automatically for the area you are traveling in when you use the gps option. Great scanner if you travel a lot. The GPS tracks where you are and turns the systems on and off automatically as you travel. Of course this all need to be programmed in. Requires some work and time but is great on the road.

 

[jitrevino]

I am in a fifth-wheel RV. The antenna is a Winegard. They come in 75(Model RA-7570) or 300(Model RA-3330) ohm. It is hooked up to 12 Volt DC, I don't know if that has anything to do with the antenna or just the 12v power supply that is part of the wall jack.

Not real familiar with the BCD996XT, however that GPS would be great in my case.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[n0nhp]

That antenna has an amplifier built in and would probably boost the VHF portion of the bands, probably too much and introduce intermod. It may work moderately well on UHF and probably not do much for 800 MHz.
As others have pointed out though, Give it a try! The most you will be out is the cost of a connector and a few minutes playing.
Most RVs now are not the aluminum shell that the old ones were so it is not as important to get an outside antenna. However if you are traveling quite a bit and in some more marginal areas, sticking a mounting bracket for 10' of mast and putting a scantenna or discone up will improve your experience quit a bit. With wing nuts in place of the hex nuts and a length of velcro to wind up the coax it should only take a couple of minutes to erect and take down at each stop.

Bruce

 

[jitrevino]

n0nhp,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Seeing your location, makes my heart ache. We are from Colorado Springs. We've been through Grand Junction several times heading home on I-70. I miss those Rockies.

I'll do my best to let you all know how the antenna works out.

JT