General Frequency / Interference question

[dnoyeb]

I have a tower very close to me. Within a mile. It has a hand full of 800MHz frequencies. Now I am just speculating here since I don't have a scanner yet. Is it likely that any particular site I want to listen too would be using the same frequencies as this tower? How close together are same frequencies allowed to be transmitted, if not part of the same system?

What I'm getting at is, what if I want to listen to a particular site 50+ miles away. Say I put up a giant antenna and try to receive it. Wouldn't I basically be out of luck if my target frequency was the same as this local towers frequencies? Any time the local tower fires up, wouldn't the remove signal be drowned out?

 

[SkipSanders]

Doesn't actually matter about exact same frequency. If you're listening in the same band, a very close tower like that is likely to 'desense' your receiver (decrease its sensitivity) over the whole band.

It's common practice with scanners, which really aren't designed for GOOD outdoor antennas, to include an FM Broadcast band trap in any outdoor antenna installation in urban areas. The local high power FM broadcasts can desense your scanner over all bands.

All you can do it try it and see. Depends entirely on how high power that antenna is using, how often, and how close to what you want to listen to.

 

[dnoyeb]

Thanks.