for the bc 898t scanner, what would be a great antenna for me to listen to the other half of montgomery county,pa. What i mean to say is...i live in the southeast part of the county and i wanna hear southwest...like limerick, upper prov..and other depts in that area...so what antenna can i buy that will mount to the base unit and let me hear southwest county dispatch from the southeast area?...scannermaster sells a 2.5db gain antenex one for 30 smacks...anyone reccommend a better one perhaps larsen\?
Good antenna choice?
- Thread starter Q-ball
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Not familiar with PA...but just wanted to highly recommend a Scantenna ST2 for good all around antenna. I have on in my attic and it works exceedingly well. I believe it's less than $50 and includes 50ft of RG6. It is a rather tall antenna though.
Diamond RH77CA
I assume that it will be desktop and not mobile. So up front you know by general frequency what you want the listen too without a lot of change or flexibility needed. I have the Diamond (right-angle BNC adaptor) on a BC780 listening to the local 800MHz systems and some 400 out a little further. Little on the long side for a handheld but I believe better than the stock if desktop kept. The 2.5db gain antenna you mentioned is for the 800MHz systems and it works well. It is not deaf on the lower frequencies, but will lag behind the Diamond.
mike
I assume that it will be desktop and not mobile. So up front you know by general frequency what you want the listen too without a lot of change or flexibility needed. I have the Diamond (right-angle BNC adaptor) on a BC780 listening to the local 800MHz systems and some 400 out a little further. Little on the long side for a handheld but I believe better than the stock if desktop kept. The 2.5db gain antenna you mentioned is for the 800MHz systems and it works well. It is not deaf on the lower frequencies, but will lag behind the Diamond.
mike
well here in montgomery county, pa we are basically a 800mhz area with a little digital action also, but so little its not worth me having a digital scanner yet, so yes the 898t is a desktop true base station size scanner but i wanna attempt to get the WEST half of the county on it by adding an antenna rather than the stock one which will come with it.
Hey Qball.
Im scanning in montgomery county aswell. I currently use a PRO-528, a Uniden BCT15, and a PRO-433.
What are you monitoring?
Generally most emergency [EMS, Police] comes in quite well throughout the MONTCO county on most 800mhz specific antennas.
The Lower Merion Police uses 400mhz radios, and is on a separate system all together.
- Medic 313 -
Im scanning in montgomery county aswell. I currently use a PRO-528, a Uniden BCT15, and a PRO-433.
What are you monitoring?
Generally most emergency [EMS, Police] comes in quite well throughout the MONTCO county on most 800mhz specific antennas.
The Lower Merion Police uses 400mhz radios, and is on a separate system all together.
- Medic 313 -
With your focus on the 800MHz range the antenex is a good choice. I use it with my 396 when I am in the car. Mine is the BNC version and I don't like that the locking collar is bonded to the plastic shell of the antenna. Other than that it is a good antenna.
For 800mhz, and portable, I find the Radio Shack 800 to be the best of all the various antenna's I have tried. It is a heck of an antenna for $19.99
Hey medic 313, yea, lower merion gets some good calls, very busy dept, im aware that they operate off the edacs system...i assume you run with narberth ambulance, we could converse for hours, i think they are amazing squad....
im aware that 800 mhz comes in well, but my goal is to be able to listen to southwest dispatch(the western half of the county) from the KOP area.
im going to be purchasing several more scanners, but i monitor as much as i can in the way of fire, ems and police....i dont partake in railroad, federal, etc...i pay attention to medevac, and plymouth twp, and the state police and some delco..i have a bct 15 mounted in my car with proper antenna(not a mag mount!!!) i really should invest in a portable these days, but gotta pay uncle same first, and i get whats left in my pay check after that...lol.
im aware that 800 mhz comes in well, but my goal is to be able to listen to southwest dispatch(the western half of the county) from the KOP area.
im going to be purchasing several more scanners, but i monitor as much as i can in the way of fire, ems and police....i dont partake in railroad, federal, etc...i pay attention to medevac, and plymouth twp, and the state police and some delco..i have a bct 15 mounted in my car with proper antenna(not a mag mount!!!) i really should invest in a portable these days, but gotta pay uncle same first, and i get whats left in my pay check after that...lol.
Indeed, Narberth Ambulance is great. The state police has some activity, but generally, I find the calls simply uninteresting. I monitor mostly whatever pertains to me. I have my portable scanner set up to monitor Montco EMS calls, as well as our own inter-ambulance radio channel. I then have another scanner monitoring all Montco Police and Fire activity, and another on Lower merions "All Mighty" Edacs system.
I do get a lot of activity from the Southeast area, however, Rarely have i ever picked up anything from the western corner of the county.
Let me know how everything works out.
what exactly is there to hear on the inter ambulance channel, cause my squad in my twp which is 317 has one also, but most enthusiats say dont bother programming it in...i can seem to grasp any of the western half of the county from my location, and before i by another radio and antenna i wanna make sure it will be able to reel in the limerick area from kop.
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Hi
This is maxi,The state police has some activity, but generally, I find the calls simply uninteresting. I monitor mostly whatever pertains to me. I have my portable scanner set up to monitor Montco EMS calls, as well as our own inter-ambulance radio channel.
I find the calls simply uninteresting. I monitor mostly whatever pertains to me. I have my portable scanner set up to monitor Montco EMS calls, as well as our own inter-ambulance radio channel.
I assume that it will be desktop and not mobile. So up front you know by general frequency what you want the listen too without a lot of change or flexibility needed.
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maxi
New Jersey Drug Addiction
This is maxi,The state police has some activity, but generally, I find the calls simply uninteresting. I monitor mostly whatever pertains to me. I have my portable scanner set up to monitor Montco EMS calls, as well as our own inter-ambulance radio channel.
I find the calls simply uninteresting. I monitor mostly whatever pertains to me. I have my portable scanner set up to monitor Montco EMS calls, as well as our own inter-ambulance radio channel.
I assume that it will be desktop and not mobile. So up front you know by general frequency what you want the listen too without a lot of change or flexibility needed.
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maxi
New Jersey Drug Addiction
digitalanalog
Active Member
No matter what your trying to receive, an outside antenna will work MUCH better then any inside back of set antenna could.
Even if you just get a mobile scanner antenna and put it in the rain gutter outside.
Inside antennas will never receive long distance.
Get some type of mobile of base antenna and put it outside, and LISTEN to what your missing.
Good luck.
Even if you just get a mobile scanner antenna and put it in the rain gutter outside.
Inside antennas will never receive long distance.
Get some type of mobile of base antenna and put it outside, and LISTEN to what your missing.
Good luck.
Oh cool, Lafayette Ambulance.
My mobile setup right now consists of my BCT15 on a Magnet mount mobile antenna, and my pro-553. Through the Mobile antenna I get reception throughout the county from all parts of the county. Infact, I had reception all the way up until 676 connects to 76. Thats right, in jersey.
I have no idea as of what you're trying to say.
Maybe your NJ drug addiction link could be of some help to you.
Yeah, im in a very high area in Belmont Hills.
Our channel is mostly ambulance to ambulance, and station to station.
Occasionally we will go out to assist another one of our ambulances who is already on scene.
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