Handheld Scanner Ant- 6db gain

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twobytwo

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I am looking to replace my handheld scanner antenna. The specs say there is a 6db gain over the standard antenna . In layman's term how much is this? How much better is it over a standard antenna?
 

twobytwo

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Thanks for your reply, but I have no idea what this means. In practical terms, how much further can a signal on 800 Mhz reach with this antenna.
 

prcguy

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What 6dB gain in a hand held scanner means is the seller is a liar. Its impossible and they make up numbers to sell antennas.

There are basically two ways to verify the advertised gain, measure it under controlled conditions with a reference antenna of known gain, or compare its size, shape and design to a similar looking antenna with known measured performance. You will probably find a 6dBd gain antenna for 800MHz is about 4 to 5ft tall and it would be impossible to fit that on a hand held at 1ft tall or less.

However, if this particular antenna you are looking at is twice the length of what you are using then it probably has a little more gain (but less than 3dB) and might work a little better.

Thanks for your reply, but I have no idea what this means. In practical terms, how much further can a signal on 800 Mhz reach with this antenna.
 

thatoneiowan

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Thanks prcguy, that helped. Here is the antenna. It seems overpriced. So it would not be worth buying over an factory antenna ?https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/1830.html

I actually just purchased this one and got it yesterday. So far, I've not seen any major difference on 700/800 compared to the stock antenna, but my setup is a SDS200 in a ground-level apt building. This is just my experience.
 

iMONITOR

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Regardless of any claims to gain, the 800MHz line of antennas offered from Remtronix I've always found them to perform better than any other rubber duck portable antennas from anyone at any price. I do not have any technical method to back up my opinion but I think you'll find many will agree.
 

JoshuaHufford

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What antenna are you using now?

What conditions are you using it in?

What frequencies are you wanting to monitor?

What scanner are you using?

In my experience using a rubber duck antenna on a scanner is always very limiting even if it is tuned to the frequencies you wish to monitor. Sometimes they are all you can use, but if you are monitoring at home I would suggest putting your money towards a base antenna mounted outside as high as you can. If that isn't an option sometimes an antenna in an attic can be a good choice. If this is for a car have an NMO mount installed in your roof and put a good antenna up there. Those are the thing that will make a significant improvement in your reception, a different rubber duck on the radio, not so much.
 

hiegtx

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Thanks prcguy, that helped. Here is the antenna. It seems overpriced. So it would not be worth buying over an factory antenna ?https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/1830.html
That specific antenna is better suited for a desktop scanner. That's why it has a swivel at the base.

Here's the selection of antennas for handheld scanners, from the same manufacturer,

The 6db gain may be overstated, but I do see better performance on 700 & 800MHz trunked systems using one. Uhf is ok, though these antennas do not perform very well in the Vhf band. Not deaf, but not as good, since they are made for the 700 & 800MHz systems.
 

prcguy

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I have not used that specific antenna but others have reported some improvement. Most stock scanner duckies have about a 3" long wire inside the housing for the 800 band along with other wires and coils for other bands and a 6" long 800 antenna is usually a coaxial dipole which would be a little better. Not night and day better but slightly noticeable on some transmissions.
Thanks prcguy, that helped. Here is the antenna. It seems overpriced. So it would not be worth buying over an factory antenna ?https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/1830.html
 

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Silent Key
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Way back in the 50's I watched my dad greatly improve the performance of an old MW/SW radio by attaching a short wire to a bare bed spring with an alligator clip! Just about anything metallic can serve as an antenna as long as it's not grounded.
 

Kaleier1

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Thanks for your reply, but I have no idea what this means. In practical terms, how much further can a signal on 800 Mhz reach with this antenna.
What the reply and chart were showing you in it's strictest sense is that 6db is equal to 3.9 times more power. If I have an amplifier that puts out 10 watts and one that puts out 39 watts, the second one has a 6db increase in power output. Twice the power output is 3db or a x 2 increase.
 

Hit_Factor

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Thanks for your reply, but I have no idea what this means. In practical terms, how much further can a signal on 800 Mhz reach with this antenna.
Maybe a couple yards, maybe not. Replacing a 6" rubber duck antenna with another 6" rubber duck antenna is not going to give very noticeable results.

Gain numbers are tricky. The antenna you have now may not be a standard antenna, it might have some gain. We really don't know enough to give you numerical values.

Most 800MHz trunking public safety systems are so well built out that a paper clip is all you need to pick them up.

Tell us where you are, what you can hear, and what you want to hear, but can't.
 

Ubbe

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Remember that the only way to get gain in an antenna are to make it more directive, either horisontal or vertical. With omni antennas you flatten the loob so it is more concentrated at the horison at not up in the sky. If you tilt the antenna from its upright position you probably loose more dB at the horison, where the repeaters and other users are, compared to an antenna with less gain.

/Ubbe
 

hvytrucker

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After getting back into scanning after being away for almost 10 years I am using an old RadioShack Pro 106 Digital and I was able to pick up where I left off at... I did upgrade the stock rubber duck to a new Remtronix REM-800B and I must say that the difference is night and day!!!
The Remtronix REM-800B ads do boast a 6db gain and I don't know all of the technical stuffs but I can tell you that I was getting a 2-3 bars signal from a tower about 10 miles away from me and now with the Remtronix REM-800B I am getting a full 5 bars!!!
 
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