Don't laugh, it works!

[k1mri]

I use an old cell. phone (the type with the squiggly coil in the middle) mag. mount for my antenna. I have it up in the attic and run the coax down to the basement. I attached a BNC to it and it works great.

I was amazed at the reception of it and the many call I had been missing. Our local FD is on VHF and missed about 85% of the calls from the FD portable units and trucks and now I receive 99% of them.

BTW on my Truck Tracker it works equally well.

This antenna work equally well. Diamond RH77CA. http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/2368.html

 

[jon_k]

These antennas were designed for 800mhz. An antenna is an antenna. If it works on the frequency you want, it's as useful as any other.

My question is, what the hell were these used for? I've not seen a cell phone with an external antenna jack in DECADES, yet I still see cars with these antennas frequently. Why would you need these external antennas in a city as busy as dallas/ft worth anyways? I imagine they were meant for the small cities away out there which have cell towers in the fringes of reception.

As for the SRH77CAthis antenna is what I use for transmit on my amateur radio, and what I use on my scanner. Excellent antenna. They got it right that time.

 

[k1mri]

These antennas were designed for 800mhz. An antenna is an antenna. If it works on the frequency you want, it's as useful as any other.

My question is, what the hell were these used for? I've not seen a cell phone with an external antenna jack in DECADES, yet I still see cars with these antennas frequently. Why would you need these external antennas in a city as busy as dallas/ft worth anyways? I imagine they were meant for the small cities away out there which have cell towers in the fringes of reception.

As for the SRH77CAthis antenna is what I use for transmit on my amateur radio, and what I use on my scanner. Excellent antenna. They got it right that time.

You must be a young person! Back in the '80's, analog systems were used and the antenna (so I'm told) was 'split' one half receive the other half to transmit. They were large box type units mounted in the trunk of your car. No such thing a hand-held cell. phone in those days!

 

[af5rn]

And your cellphone actually does probably have an external antenna jack. It's just very small and covered up by a rubber plug. There are external antennae and boosters sold that will work with it, but the current antennae are dual-band (800/1800mhz) instead of the old single band 800 whips. They are tri-linear (two coils) instead of co-linear like the old ones that were so common. Comes in handy in the rural areas, as well as urban dead spots. Even the glass mounts make a huge difference over the phone mounted stub.

I do find myself wondering though, why so many places still have so many 800 cellular antennae for sale, when there are no more strictly 800 cellphones made anymore. Not to mention so few people use external antennae anymore either. It's pretty rare to see a dual-band cell antenna on a vehicle. They remain about the best thing you can get for 800mhz scanning though. Better even than the 800mhz LMR band antenna.

But to the OP, nobody here's going to laugh. This is about the fourth topic in the last month where someone was amazed by the all band performance of their 800mhz antenna, including one posted yesterday. Can't argue with results! But what is the antenna mounted to in your attic? Does it have a ground plane?

 

[k1mri]

I do find myself wondering though, why so many places still have so many 800 cellular antennae for sale, when there are no more strictly 800 cellphones made anymore.
But to the OP, nobody here's going to laugh. This is about the fourth topic in the last month where someone was amazed by the all band performance of their 800mhz antenna, including one posted yesterday. Can't argue with results! But what is the antenna mounted to in your attic? Does it have a ground plane?

They must have made them by the billions in China I guess.

I did have a 'scanner' multi-band antenna but I was getting to much of an over modulation. I tried my HAM 2 meter antenna also and that worked out well also.

In the attic the antenna is just standing there, no ground plane or anything. I'm within line of sight with Boston, MA and they have most of their antenna's up on the top floor of a 710 foot John Hancock building. My local cities repeater is up on a hill and I get great reception all around. Even Logan Airport's tower comes in great.

 

[jon_k]

You must be a young person! Back in the '80's, analog systems were used and the antenna (so I'm told) was 'split' one half receive the other half to transmit. They were large box type units mounted in the trunk of your car. No such thing a hand-held cell. phone in those days!

Oh, indeed I remember these. I'm 23 years old and was a child when these were popular. they were 'car phones'. They were actually kind of neat to have a phone in the car. I'd take the cellphone any day though!

 

[N1BHH]

I had one and gave it to a friend who needed a short antenna for his scanner. Since the locals have pretty much switched over to VHF, UHF and 800, there was no need for a huge "suck in all the signals" antenna. It works great as a scanner antenna. If you aren't interested in hearing 100 miles away, it does the trick. Glad your having fun with it. I have seen some of these on ebay, mostly they have TNC connector and all you need is an adapter and you're all set to go.

 

[dkostrey]

My question is, what the hell were these used for? I've not seen a cell phone with an external antenna jack in DECADES, yet I still see cars with these antennas frequently. Why would you need these external antennas in a city as busy as dallas/ft worth anyways? I imagine they were meant for the small cities away out there which have cell towers in the fringes of reception.

On-Star

 

[kb2vxa]

You don't see me laughing, I'm using one alone temporarily sitting on a shelf connected to the scanner with the 18' of RG-58U that came with it. Now that I've been stimulated by the IRS (WOO WOO!) when things cool off enough to work I'll have my antenna farm, diplexer, switching and all that good stuff I wrote about last year going again. Meanwhile it receives the local stuff just fine.

"On-Star"
Ringo Starr

 

[dkostrey]

"On-Star"
Ringo Starr

Nah, Ringo Starr worked for Cushcraft.