Digital Antenna Vs Analog

[darticus]

Is there a difference? Can a digital antenna be purchased? Do digital signals need to be received by antennas with certain receive capabilities? Can digital signals be picked up by an antenna thats made to receive 2 Meter 440? Thanks Ron

 

[mmckenna]

Is there a difference?

Physically? No.

Can a digital antenna be purchased?

Absolutely. There are people that will gladly sell you a "digital" antenna and charge you extra for the fact they call it "digital". Truth is, the antenna doesn't care what the signal is it's receiving. Antennas are resonate on specific frequencies, that's all you need to worry about.

Do digital signals need to be received by antennas with certain receive capabilities?

Nope, as long as the antenna is relatively resonate on the frequency you want to receive it'll work just fine.

Can digital signals be picked up by an antenna thats made to receive 2 Meter 440? Thanks Ron

Yes. Especially well on frequencies around 2 meters and 440MHz.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Mode Does not matter as long as the antenna is tuned to the correct frequency

 

[darticus]

Mode Does not matter as long as the antenna is tuned to the correct frequency

So what frequency is needed for digital? Ron

 

[kayn1n32008]

Huh? What 'digital' are you wanting to listen to. Digital means nothing. Digital modes can be used on any band: 136-174MHz/380-512MHz/700MHz/800MHz/900MHz.

 

[mmckenna]

So what frequency is needed for digital? Ron

A better question would be:

I want to listen to "Agency X" in "State Y" in "City Z".

Answer X, Y and Z for us and someone can assist.

Digital modulation can be used on any frequency. Just figure out what/who you want to listen to and purchase an appropriate antenna.
Keep in mind, however, that a non-digital radio/scanner cannot be made to decode digital signals by changing the antenna. You have to have a radio that will receive/decode the signal you want to listen to.

 

[ko6jw_2]

Put another way, digital transmissions are not digital, they are merely different methods of modulating an FM signal (or single sideband). Digital modes are used throughout the radio spectrum. Hams use digital modes on HF. Of course, you could say that CW is the only true digital mode.

Digital antennas are pure advertising hype. On the other hand, I just found some antennas that are described as quantum antennas. These antennas apparently receive and not receive simultaneously whereas a digital antenna only receives ones and zeros.

 

[darticus]

Huh? What 'digital' are you wanting to listen to. Digital means nothing. Digital modes can be used on any band: 136-174MHz/380-512MHz/700MHz/800MHz/900MHz.

Just testing some roof antennas. I want to receive the Dover NJ police but I think a mountain is in the way. I do notice that my RS Discone gets trunking stations and digital but doesn't reach Dover 12 miles south but goes north 40 miles. The other antenna that I thought would do it is my Diamond X510 ham antenna on the very top of the peak on the house with LMR-400 cable but its not getting trunking stations nor digital stations the Discone does. Seems strange. Ron

 

[kayn1n32008]

If you have terrain between you and what you want to hear you may be sol. Terrain is a pain in the but. You caould try a yagi cut for what ever dover NJ police use, but if the terrain blocks the rf completely you are out of luck

 

[ab5r]

"These antennas apparently receive and not receive simultaneously whereas a digital antenna only receives ones and zeros."

HUH? Antennas are in affect just metal wire that is energized by the RF energy which creates currents in the wire and transmitted to the receiver.

The receiver itself determines if it analog or digital signal imposed on the incoming RF.


Zeros & Ones?? Come On now!

 

[ko6jw_2]

"These antennas apparently receive and not receive simultaneously whereas a digital antenna only receives ones and zeros."

HUH? Antennas are in affect just metal wire that is energized by the RF energy which creates currents in the wire and transmitted to the receiver.

The receiver itself determines if it analog or digital signal imposed on the incoming RF.


Zeros & Ones?? Come On now!

Don't take everything I post seriously

 

[kayn1n32008]

Just testing some roof antennas. I want to receive the Dover NJ police but I think a mountain is in the way. I do notice that my RS Discone gets trunking stations and digital but doesn't reach Dover 12 miles south but goes north 40 miles. The other antenna that I thought would do it is my Diamond X510 ham antenna on the very top of the peak on the house with LMR-400 cable but its not getting trunking stations nor digital stations the Discone does. Seems strange. Ron

Again we need to know what FREQUENCIES you are trying to listen to not modes. 'Not getting trunking stations or digital stations' does not mean anything with out knowing the frequencies that you are trying to listen to.

If you are trying to receive 7/800MHz with a ham 144-148Mhz/440-450MHz antenna, then yes that makes sense that the ham antenna is not picking them up.

Please stop confusing trunking(example: P25, Motorola type 2, EDACS) and digital(example: P25 CAI, Provoice, NXDN, DMR) which is a voice mode of transmission from the actual frequency digital voice/trunking is transmitting on(example:852.2125, 151.345, 452.6375, 776.6125)

 

[darticus]

Again we need to know what FREQUENCIES you are trying to listen to not modes. 'Not getting trunking stations or digital stations' does not mean anything with out knowing the frequencies that you are trying to listen to.

If you are trying to receive 7/800MHz with a ham 144-148Mhz/440-450MHz antenna, then yes that makes sense that the ham antenna is not picking them up.

Please stop confusing trunking(example: P25, Motorola type 2, EDACS) and digital(example: P25 CAI, Provoice, NXDN, DMR) which is a voice mode of transmission from the actual frequency digital voice/trunking is transmitting on(example:852.2125, 151.345, 452.6375, 776.6125)

I don't know what your talking about at all. Just wondering why I can't get digital and trunking stations on my Diamond x510. They do come in on my RS Discone. Why?

 

[kayn1n32008]

Again what band(s) are the trunking system(s) and 'digital' systems you are trying to listen to on the ham antenna?

 

[AI7PM]

I don't know what your talking about at all. Just wondering why I can't get digital and trunking stations on my Diamond x510. They do come in on my RS Discone. Why?

Because your X510 is tuned to the 2 meter and 70 centimeter bands. That makes it a relatively narrowband antenna. The discone is a wideband antenna, as advertised, good for 1.3 ghz down to 25 mhz.

If the "Digital" and "Trunking" stations were on 2 meters or 70 centimeters, you'd hear them fine. The "Digital" and "Trunking" stations you are trying to hear are most likely on 700 and 800 mhz frequencies. The X510 isn't tuned to perform on those freqs.

And, to reiterate what others have said, that a signal is "Digital" or "Trunked" is irrelevant to an antenna. The antenna knows a frequency or frequency range. The antenna doesn't know whether it's dealing in video, audio, digital, analog, SSB, trunked, conventional, or Morse Code. It's just resonating electromagnetic energy.

 

[darticus]

Again what band(s) are the trunking system(s) and 'digital' systems you are trying to listen to on the ham antenna?

I don't know a lot about this and try not to make a jerk out of me but I feel it coming. You sound like you know what your talking about. I listen to my Home Patrol and hear the digital signal from the Sheriff of Sussex County New Jersey and the New Jersey State Police Trunking that I don't know if its digital. This is being heard while using my RS Discone antenna. When I hook up my Diamond x510 2meter 440 ham antenna I don't get the State Police Trunking or the Digital Sheriff signals. This Diamond is 30 feet higher and using better LMR-400 CABLE. Is there a reason? How can I get these signal better on my discone? Thanks Ron

 

[darticus]

Because your X510 is tuned to the 2 meter and 70 centimeter bands. That makes it a relatively narrowband antenna. The discone is a wideband antenna, as advertised, good for 1.3 ghz down to 25 mhz.

If the "Digital" and "Trunking" stations were on 2 meters or 70 centimeters, you'd hear them fine. The "Digital" and "Trunking" stations you are trying to hear are most likely on 700 and 800 mhz frequencies. The X510 isn't tuned to perform on those freqs.

And, to reiterate what others have said, that a signal is "Digital" or "Trunked" is irrelevant to an antenna. The antenna knows a frequency or frequency range. The antenna doesn't know whether it's dealing in video, audio, digital, analog, SSB, trunked, conventional, or Morse Code. It's just resonating electromagnetic energy.

Great answer! Is there a way to know what area or in what range the digital signals and trunking signals I'm trying to hear are in? Maybe than I can come up with a correct antenna. Sheriff of Sussex County New Jersey and the New Jersey State Police Trunking. Thanks Ron

 

[n0xvz]

Is there a way to know what area or in what range the digital signals and trunking signals I'm trying to hear are in?

Yes...right here on this website:

Sussex County, New Jersey (NJ) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

NJ State Police Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

As others have said, it's going to be difficult to received those agencies using an antenna designed for ham radio use. You might get the Sheriff freqs but not likely the SP. The elevation of the antenna is going to be a factor too.

 

[K6CDO]

Ron,

Digesting down the conversation, you indicate you have a X510 antenna (8 dB gain at 144-148 MHz, and 11.7 dB gain at 440-450 MHz). You are trying to hear P25 signals on 154.845 and 155.430 MHz [Sussex Sheriff], and on the 851.0-861.0 MHz band [NJSP] using a high-gain antenna that is not designed for the frequencies you are trying to receive.

The Discone antenna is a low-gain antenna designed to cover a very broad range of frequencies. If you are hearing both systems on your Discone, then terrain isn't a big a factor as you may think. The x510's lack of resonance at the frequencies that you want to receive is the key factor.

Hope this helps.

Don

 

[WA0CBW]

Could be that the connectors on the LMR400 were installed incorrectly or you have a short or open in the coax. Or as everyone said your are using an antenna to receive frequencies that it wasn't designed for.
BB