Handheld antenna on a base scanner

[wvufan]

I just bought a Pro-2042 scanner off ebay with no antenna. I put a Radioshack 20-006 handheld antenna on it and can't pick up hardly anything. Would it help if I bought a new antenna?

 

[MacombMonitor]

Normally, that should work fairly well. However, much depends on where you are located, what you're trying to receive, and what conditions exist in the room where you have the radio located. Can you give us more information?

 

[wvufan]

I bought the Pro-2042 to listen to the state police so I could hear their links in 70mhz range. I have not been able to hear them. I also can't hear the things in the 150 mhz range I can hear on my Pro-93.

 

[LarrySC]

Did you put the 93 antenna on it??

 

[wvufan]

I put the Pro-93 antenna on it and it did worse than the 20-006 did.

 

[w8mkh]

If your wanting to listen to the 70 mgz WVSP links
you will need an outdoor antenna at least
they are using 5 watt HTs.

 

[wvufan]

Thanks n8uxf I have been trying to figure how to listen to the WVSP ever since I got my first scanner. Any suggestions on a cheap outdoor antenna?

 

[Al42]

Thanks n8uxf I have been trying to figure how to listen to the WVSP ever since I got my first scanner. Any suggestions on a cheap outdoor antenna?

High up with VERY low loss cable (which isn't too difficult on 70 MHz). You aren't going to put up a high-gain antenna on that frequency - a real-world quarter wave is 39 inches, so a gain antenna is going to be almost 10 feet tall for just a little gain . (Even a ground plane will be a bit higher than 39 inches, and it's pretty cheap to make, but you'll have to make it yourself or buy a commercial one - there aren't any cheap antennas for that frequency range. It wouldn't be too difficult to cut down a CB ground plane.)

Although I can only find one use of 72.36 MHz listed, and that's in Welch & Caretta so, if you're not in those areas, you're not going to hear anything unless you're ready to spend lots of money on an antenna.

 

[w8mkh]

I dont know what county your in but..
here are the basic freqs
42.10 base
42.26 mobile (they still use these low band freqs all the time)
42.12 interbase comms

155.595 high band in wood wirt ritchie gilmer pleasants area
156.030

155.430 turnpike

More freqs are on the rr database link at the top of this page

 

[wvufan]

I can hear the dispatcher on 42.38. I can also hear the mobiles on 45.82 but only if they're real close.

 

[w8mkh]

42.38 is a company d tac freq some times used car to car
here is the link to the freqs hope it helps
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=2055

 

[stingray327]

put up one of those Scanantenna's they perform excellent.