H/H Radio Shack 800 MHZ Antenna

[firefighter2186]

This has probably been asked before but I have a PRO-96 and was wondering if the 800 MHZ antenna improves reception in the 800 MHZ range or is it a marketing scheme. The antenna doesn't look much different than the OEM antenna.

Thanks

 

[MacombMonitor]

Yes, this subject has been beaten to death!


Bottom line, the antenna that comes with the PRO-96 is an attempt at being a wide-band, one-does-all, antenna. The results? It doesn't do anything really well. The 800MHz antenna is tuned, or designed, to perform best in the 800MHz band, and it does do better than the stock antenna. It also does pretty good for UHF (450MHz band), but not so welll below that. So if your scanner is dedicated to the 800MHz band, or that's where you do the majority of your listening, or where you need the most improvement, then you should be satisfied with your investment.

 

[KT4HX]

It is absolutely an improvement over the stock antenna on 800 MHz. I use one each on my Pro-96 and BCD396T. It is no marketing ploy. While they may look similar on the outside, its whats under the coating that counts. The RS800 actually works about as well on VHF and UHF as the 96's stock antenna (which is more of a broadbanded antenna), so I use it all the time for all my listening. I never use the stock antenna. So I highly recommend it!

 

[firefighter2186]

Thanks

I always hate to ask a question that's been answered a million times but some of these threads get so long it is like finding a needle in a hay stack.

Thanks for the info. I'm looking into the 800 mhz antenna as well as a good base for the house and a glass mount for the mobile. I have the low end base antenna from Radio Shack cat#20-176 which does great for VHF-HI and pretty good in the UHF range but it isn't anything to write home about in the 800MHZ range. May need to step up to the discone.

Once again, thanks the helpful info and have a good one

 

[MacombMonitor]

You might want to re-think the glass-mount, as they do not work very well. Consider an NMO mounted antenna.

 

[KT4HX]

Agree with Bill, forget the glass-mount. If you dont want to drill any holes in your roof, would recomment the NMO style magmount at a minimum. Good luck and have fun.....Alan

 

[rgchristy]

The best handheld antenna I've used so far with the Pro-96 is the Centurion 800MHz Half Wave Dipole Antenna - BNX Connector (CRNEXE806BNX) from Waltel. My experience has been that it outperforms the RS 800 and the GRE 800 on all bands. Also, if you're a new customer at Waltel you get a 20% discount. I'm very pleased with the performance of the Centurion antenna.

As for the glass-mount antenna, I use one and those guys are right - it stinks. I've also used NMO and trunk-lip mount antennas. They are much better.

Hope this helps.

 

[nexus]

I bought a PRO95 from radio shack a few weeks ago. The next day after failed attempts at pulling in decent signals from the TRS a county over, I bought the 800mhz antenna they sell. I've had no problems with it since. This antenna truely does work.

If you plan on scanning anything 800mhz I would highly advise buying it. Also I noticed that I'm picking stuff up in other bands better with this antenna as well. For example, 162.4000 weather. I'll stand in the same spot and just swap the OEM antenna with the 800mhz antenna and notice a great improvement over the OEM antenna.

Once I noticed how well it was pulling in everything from civil aviation to 900 mhz trunked systems I just tossed the antanna that came with the radio and use the 800mhz one exclusively.

 

[Al42]

Thanks for the info. I'm looking into the 800 mhz antenna as well as a good base for the house and a glass mount for the mobile.

My Larsen 2/440 on-glass works pretty well, even on VHF-lo (for its size), but the same antenna on a mag-mount does work better on the roof.

 

[KT4HX]

The best handheld antenna I've used so far with the Pro-96 is the Centurion 800MHz Half Wave Dipole Antenna - BNX Connector (CRNEXE806BNX) from Waltel. My experience has been that it outperforms the RS 800 and the GRE 800 on all bands. Also, if you're a new customer at Waltel you get a 20% discount. I'm very pleased with the performance of the Centurion antenna.

As for the glass-mount antenna, I use one and those guys are right - it stinks. I've also used NMO and trunk-lip mount antennas. They are much better.

Hope this helps.

See now here is a case where two different people have differing results with the same equipment! lol I bought the Waltel 1/2 wave (sma style) as well and did a comparison on my 396. I found no appreciable difference for the most part. In fact, while monitoring a digital system at work (inside), I found the RS800 gave me just a little better reception and higher decode percentage. So go figure. However, I do like the appearance of the Centurion on the 396 because it is sma and just has a nice sleek look to it. Either one you get should do just fine for you, though the RS is a little cheaper.

 

[RCjim]

Max System 800

I own a Max System 800 antenna that greatly improves my 800MHz reception on my BC396T. It looks different but the performance out ways the strange looks you will get when using it. I have good results with VHF and UHF also.

Check it out here.

http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT22.html

I have owned most of the antennas mentioned in this thread and think the
Max System 800 out performs them all in the 800 band.

 

[KT4HX]

I've always wondered about those things. Strange looking as hell, but if it works.....

You ever used it on a base scanner in the house? If one wants to improve 800 reception in the house without installing a larger antenna, seems logical that it would be an improvement over the stock antenna.

 

[ahearn]

I'll add my kudos for the RS800 as well. I have a PRO-97 and could not pick up my county TRS with the stock antenna. I bought the Diamond RH77CA -- no difference. Then bought the RS800 and now I receive about 80%-90% -- a huge improvement. And performance on the other bands does not seem to have been affected, no better or no worse.

I have read great reviews of the Seeker 800 MHz Duckie, from Radioware. Might be worth looking at.

Al