Has anyone used one of these antennas ?

[Chronic]

What type of antenna are you using in a mobile scanner set up ? prefer something that is not mounted outside of vehicle .

has anyone tried or are using something like this .

Suggestions ?

Amazon.com: AEcreative Wide-Band Receive Scanner Antenna Window Glass Mount for Uniden SDS100 BCD430HP BCD325P2 BR330T BC75XLT BC125AT RadioShack pro Whistler TRX-1 ws1010 ws1080 ws1040 BNC SMA : Electronics

Amazon.com: AEcreative Wide-Band Receive Scanner Antenna Window Glass Mount for Uniden SDS100 BCD430HP BCD325P2 BR330T BC75XLT BC125AT RadioShack pro Whistler TRX-1 ws1010 ws1080 ws1040 BNC SMA : Electronics

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Bingfu VHF UHF Car Truck Police Scanner Adhesive Mount Antenna Vehicle Ham Radio Amateur Radio Mobile Scanner BNC Male Dipole Antenna Compatible with Uniden Bearcat Whistler Radio Shack Radio Scanner: Home Audio & Theater

Buy Bingfu VHF UHF Car Truck Police Scanner Adhesive Mount Antenna Vehicle Ham Radio Amateur Radio Mobile Scanner BNC Male Dipole Antenna Compatible with Uniden Bearcat Whistler Radio Shack Radio Scanner: Radio Antennas - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Thanks

 

[iMONITOR]

Save your money.

 

[gh6406]

Your vehicle will block a lot of RF Signal from reaching an antenna that is mounted inside of it.

 

[mmckenna]

Amazon.com: AEcreative Wide-Band Receive Scanner Antenna Window Glass Mount for Uniden SDS100 BCD430HP BCD325P2 BR330T BC75XLT BC125AT RadioShack pro Whistler TRX-1 ws1010 ws1080 ws1040 BNC SMA : Electronics

Amazon.com: AEcreative Wide-Band Receive Scanner Antenna Window Glass Mount for Uniden SDS100 BCD430HP BCD325P2 BR330T BC75XLT BC125AT RadioShack pro Whistler TRX-1 ws1010 ws1080 ws1040 BNC SMA : Electronics

www.amazon.com

A dipole antenna with helically wound elements. It's going to suck on anything below UHF. The claim that it covers down to 50MHz is hilarious.

Amazon.com: Bingfu VHF UHF Car Truck Police Scanner Adhesive Mount Antenna Vehicle Ham Radio Amateur Radio Mobile Scanner BNC Male Dipole Antenna Compatible with Uniden Bearcat Whistler Radio Shack Radio Scanner: Home Audio & Theater

Buy Bingfu VHF UHF Car Truck Police Scanner Adhesive Mount Antenna Vehicle Ham Radio Amateur Radio Mobile Scanner BNC Male Dipole Antenna Compatible with Uniden Bearcat Whistler Radio Shack Radio Scanner: Radio Antennas - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Bingfu is the Baofeng of antennas. Claiming coverage down to 20MHz is BS.

Putting an antenna inside the car is going to suffer from the same issues that keep a hand held radio from working well. I understand wanting to keep things low profile, but physics get in the way. You really want the antenna outside the vehicle if you want any sort of performance.
The antenna is the most important part of your radio system. Trying to do low profile installs like that is going to suffer from poor performance. For the low price of $9.00, you can certainly give it a try. If your expectations are not too high, and you are not out on the fringes of coverage, it may work well enough. But if you want decent performance and you travel outside the center of your home town, you really want some metal up in the air.

 

[eorange]

Bingfu: Microsoft martial arts. Lol sorry.

 

[trentbob]

Sorry, always subscribe to the KISS principal. If you're looking for a good mobile antenna. You can either drill a hole or use a lip mount. Best to Center your antenna on the roof or rear of your car. My favorite antenna is the Larsen tri-band, the most recent version. I used the original version for about 20 years with great results but the new version, excuse me for not knowing all of the model numbers, it will be the one that has a more heavy-duty nmo mount and a spring. It also has a more expanded coverage into the 700 MHz range. It has been paired with the apx 8500.

I don't drive very often but I have actually used it on 2 m to transmit with no problem, swl was good enough and the RG8m coax never got hot nor did the radio

If you're really looking for results??? avoid anything that's inside the car and be careful of the crappie stuff that's being sold out there.

 

[FM88]

Try using a mag mount they always come in handy.

 

[mmckenna]

excuse me for not knowing all of the model numbers

NMO150/450/800SF 150-174MHz, 430-520MHz, 806-960MHz
NMO150/450/758SF 150-174MHz, 430-520MHz, 750-870MHz

I have both, been using them on the work truck, but so far only on VHF.

Prices may be a bit high for most hobbyists, but they are good antennas.

 

[spacellamaman]

tried one from scanner master. nothing special from my brief experiments. stuffed away somewhere in the land of misfit toys now

 

[Chronic]

Guys , i have been using a handheld in the car with the stock rubber duck antenna with satisfactory results, i recently acquired a Mobil unit i want to mount so i don't have to carry the hand held around , so i am just looking for a antenna that will give me similar results as the rubber duck on the handheld. I am just thinking that just about anything that is not on the back of the mobile unit would be better than the antenna being down low up against the firewall . Even a BNC extension to maybe place a rubber duck up near the windows . I saw the Bingfu antennas and thought they may be an option , .
Thanks for everyone's advice .

 

[trentbob]

Guys , i have been using a handheld in the car with the stock rubber duck antenna with satisfactory results, i recently acquired a Mobil unit i want to mount so i don't have to carry the hand held around , so i am just looking for a antenna that will give me similar results as the rubber duck on the handheld. I am just thinking that just about anything that is not on the back of the mobile unit would be better than the antenna being down low up against the firewall . Even a BNC extension to maybe place a rubber duck up near the windows . I saw the Bingfu antennas and thought they may be an option , .
Thanks for everyone's advice .

Mmmm... well, you did ask what most people use in a mobile application and for me I'm always looking for the best possible reception. If you use the stock rubber antenna for whatever scanner you have and are happy with it, you would be amazed at the results that you would get with an external antenna, so you're looking to install a permanent mobile unit and run coax to a antenna that remains inside the car...

I have seen a BNC mount that uses suction cups and a run of RG58, you stick the suction cups to the inside of your passenger side window.

You then can mount whatever you want on that BNC connection. I would recommend the new remtronix tri-band antenna. You then run the RG58 to the back of your set. This antenna is a great Improvement over the stock antenna, It's called the REM 842 and you get the BNC version. Try Scanner Master for that suction cup inside the window BNC mount with the coax included. Scanner Master has the 842 in stock also. If you can't find the suction cup BNC mount just search on your favorite search engine. If you must have an inside the car antenna this is going to be your best option.

 

[R8000]

If internal only is a must, this may work a bit better. It on Amazon as the "Pro Trucker BNC Scanner Antenna" .....



It's basically a coax based dipole with suction cups on the end of the center conductor.

I had some undercover surv cars use these with halfway decent results for a interior antenna.

 

[mmckenna]

I saw the Bingfu antennas and thought they may be an option , .

My concern with the Bingfu and the other one is that they are far too small to be good performers on VHF.
Depends on what your expectations are. You are correct, just about anything would be better than the back of set antenna up against the fire wall. Getting an antenna outside the car would work much better, and it would probably amaze you with the amount of stuff you'd be able to pick up, but I do understand keeping things low profile.

T-ing off the AM/FM radio antenna might be a good option. Or the on-glass antenna that R8000 posted. You do want something right up in the window. I just think you'd be disappointed with the Bingfu. But then again, for $9.00, what have you go to lose?

 

[spacellamaman]

Guys , i have been using a handheld in the car with the stock rubber duck antenna with satisfactory results, i recently acquired a Mobil unit i want to mount so i don't have to carry the hand held around , so i am just looking for a antenna that will give me similar results as the rubber duck on the handheld. I am just thinking that just about anything that is not on the back of the mobile unit would be better than the antenna being down low up against the firewall . Even a BNC extension to maybe place a rubber duck up near the windows . I saw the Bingfu antennas and thought they may be an option , .
Thanks for everyone's advice .

actually you should find that to be just fine then, as it compared as basically the same as using the stock ducky.

i will mention this though, something i have used for years is a RS800 with three feet of coax and bnc adapter suction-cupped in the rear passenger side window of a 2 door honda civic. just lead the coax dangling and when i get in the car i just sit the handheld in the passenger seat and slap on the coax. that has worked nicely as a quick and dirty, always there, yet removable option. since that window doesn't roll down or move in anyway that spot is a good option particular to that type of car, but you see what i am getting at.

and as an aside, granted they were only a few miles off, but that setup did recieve UH60's chit chatting on 40.7FM a few times over the years, so its not totally deaf.

R8000's suggestion i have tried and worked ok too

 

[trentbob]

I still think you will have good performance with the REM 842 on a BNC mount with suction cups right up against the passenger window.

As was said, back in the day, way back, scanners used a mot pin connection and with the way the cars were in the 60s and 70s you could reach around under the dash behind the AM car radio pull out the pin and plug it right into the scanner, everything was VHF low then and I actually unscrewed my car antenna and replaced it with an extra long telescopic radio antenna with great results, maybe you can figure out some way to work off your car antenna, however I think they're just little rubber antennas in the rear roof now LOL.

 

[Chronic]

My concern with the Bingfu and the other one is that they are far too small to be good performers on VHF.
Depends on what your expectations are. You are correct, just about anything would be better than the back of set antenna up against the fire wall. Getting an antenna outside the car would work much better, and it would probably amaze you with the amount of stuff you'd be able to pick up, but I do understand keeping things low profile.

T-ing off the AM/FM radio antenna might be a good option. Or the on-glass antenna that R8000 posted. You do want something right up in the window. I just think you'd be disappointed with the Bingfu. But then again, for $9.00, what have you go to lose?

i agree , the Bnigfu name scared me , i figured it was junk . I also agree that i would be amazed with an outside antenna , but in the mobile i am not sure i need to pick up agencies 30 miles away . With outside there is also the concern of too much signal , intermod ect .... Even at my home with the back of set antenna i have to run the ATT on my local police as there signal is too strong.

 

[ladn]

...As was said, back in the day, way back, scanners used a mot pin connection and with the way the cars were in the 60s and 70s you could reach around under the dash behind the AM car radio pull out the pin and plug it right into the scanner,... however I think they're just little rubber antennas in the rear roof now LOL.

I, too, used a coupler/splitter with my AM radio in my '66 Mustang and a couple of other vehicles. Worked decently for VHF lo/hi. UHF was horrible so I switched to a "real" external scanner antenna, but a lot of scanners still used the Motorola pin connector, which was really lossy at UHF and above. I think my first scanners to use a better connector were my BC-760XLTs.

I can't get my hand and arm up behind the dash to even reach the back of the radio in my 2001 4Runner, not to mention my old bones don't like to be contorted. My 2018 4Runner is even worse for access behind the dash, and that vehicle uses diversity antennas (one on each back side window).

I'd avoid the Bingfu. I use a small footprint magnetic mount antenna from Amazon (not Bingfu) on my '18 4Runner. Adequate, but not great for VHF low, decent for VHF Hi and above. The only VHF lo agency I routinely monitor is Calif. Highway Patrol, and then only the base or repeater side of the channel pair.

 

[trentbob]

I, too, used a coupler/splitter with my AM radio in my '66 Mustang and a couple of other vehicles. Worked decently for VHF lo/hi. UHF was horrible so I switched to a "real" external scanner antenna, but a lot of scanners still used the Motorola pin connector, which was really lossy at UHF and above. I think my first scanners to use a better connector were my BC-760XLTs.

I can't get my hand and arm up behind the dash to even reach the back of the radio in my 2001 4Runner, not to mention my old bones don't like to be contorted. My 2018 4Runner is even worse for access behind the dash, and that vehicle uses diversity antennas (one on each back side window).

I'd avoid the Bingfu. I use a small footprint magnetic mount antenna from Amazon (not Bingfu) on my '18 4Runner. Adequate, but not great for VHF low, decent for VHF Hi and above. The only VHF lo agency I routinely monitor is Calif. Highway Patrol, and then only the base or repeater side of the channel pair.

Hey Rodger, how are you? We should catch up on what's going on on the West Coast...

I first had a used 1965 Ford Falcon Woody and that was very easy just to reach in the back of the radio and pull the plug. Worked great on the 39.xx and we had a great VHF repeater system in my County. Never any complaints. It got a little more difficult when I bought my first new car in my senior year of undergraduate school in 1974, I was already shooting for the Philadelphia Bulletin, I had one of the death traps, a pinto, but by that time they had repaired the exploding gas tank, it did get harder though to reach that mot pin. It would be nice to have access to the car radios today and use a splitter... Nice to see you on RR...

 

[hvytrucker]

I tried one of those Binfu type antennas and it wouldn't seat all the way and not really making a good connection thus giving crappy reception. If you're using a portable scanner either get yourself a good external antenna or if you don't want to do like I did just use just use the remtronix or Amazon.com: AEcreative Long Wide-Band Scanner Antenna for Uniden Bearcat BCD396T BCD436HP BC346XT BR330T Icom IC-R5 IC-R6 IC-RX7 Alinco DJ-X11T DJ-X3 DJ-X7T DJ-X30T SMA : Electronics. Both are decent performers and way better then the stock antenna.