Homemade antenna booster?

[xusmarine1979]

Hello all. Does anybody know how to make just a simple antenna booster for an old uniden base scanner. I just have the stock telescopic antenna, also will it effect the different bands by doing anything, I listen between 42 MHz and 460MHz. Someone told me that by sticking some tin-foil on the tip may help, but I don't know how much is too much. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks all.

 

[Al42]

There's not much you can do woth the stock antenna (sticking foil on it won't do much), but you can make a ground plane for 42 MHz with just 3 pieces of wire tacked or taped to the wall. Make them about 5 feet long each, one vertical, the other 2 horizontal at the bottom of the first one. Connect a short piece of coax to them, center conductor to the vertical piece, shield to the horizontal pieces. For 150 MHz, add a vertical piece about 18 " long, connected to the bottom of the 5 foot piece. For 450 MHz add a 6" piece. (Look at http://www.radioshack.com/product.a...010_001&product_id=20-176&site=search for an idea of what it should resemble. 2 horizontal pieces instead of 3.)

 

[SAR923]

The best booster is a better antenna. If you're stuck just using a back of set antenna, check out the one at http://www.radioshack.com/product.a...me=CTLG_008_009_010_001&product_id=20-161 . As long as you don't need 800 coverage, you'll find this antenna does a much better job in the 30-512 range than the stock telescopic antenna, and it's reasonably cheap at $13.

 

[xusmarine1979]

That looks like the one I'm using SAR2401. It's working good, just wondering if there is room for improvement. Thanks all.

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi X Marine and all,

Tin foil on the antenna? That reminds me of my TV repair days when I saw people putting it on the "rabbit ears" thinking they could do better than the RF engineers had done. Now that my hysterical laughter has subsided...

Nothing beats a good antenna topside but whatever you do PLEASE avoid agrivation from the start, don't use some "booster" to amplify signals. Without getting all technical on you, they're the best source of intermodulation interference ever devised by the mind of Man. If you must use an indoor or back of set antenna there's rather little you can do to improve reception all things considered.

You're satisfied for the most part so follow the first rule of plant maintanence, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Try all the antennas you like, you might hit upon something better for your purpose but don't try to out-do the engineers, save the tin foil for the hat. (;->)

 

[xusmarine1979]

I know what ya mean. I am not having any problems for this area in particular and the scanner is in my office here so I really don't want to be putting a bunch of wires everywhere. I'm not really looking to amplify, just looking for room for improvement for the agencies that are not using repeaters, (OSP's low band, and ODOT).

 

[xusmarine1979]

I just notice that with my telescopic If I fully extend it, it hurts the UHF band but helps the VHF. If I close it some, it helps the UHF but hurts the VHF. Is there a way to balance it out some? I have that one from RS that goes into the back of the base.

 

[Al42]

I just notice that with my telescopic If I fully extend it, it hurts the UHF band but helps the VHF. If I close it some, it helps the UHF but hurts the VHF.

Just like it says in the user manual. The one you did read, right?

Is there a way to balance it out some?

Not really. A single element antenna is a single band antenna.

 

[xusmarine1979]

I just notice that with my telescopic If I fully extend it, it hurts the UHF band but helps the VHF. If I close it some, it helps the UHF but hurts the VHF.

Just like it says in the user manual. The one you did read, right?

Is there a way to balance it out some?

Not really. A single element antenna is a single band antenna.

And as you quoted my question. The point of that post was to help balance that out, not that I read the manual from a USED antenna that I've had for 10 years.

 

[SAR923]

That RS center loaded back-of-set antenna is still the best one I've found if you can't go to an external antenna and you don't need 800. It is set up to perform better on a single band depending on how many section are extended. My experience is that having two sections extended above the center load section gives the best compromise between UHF and VHF-High. On a weak VHF-Low frequency, you need the antenna fully extended, which will hurt reception in the higher frequencies.

 

[N_Jay]

I just notice that with my telescopic If I fully extend it, it hurts the UHF band but helps the VHF. If I close it some, it helps the UHF but hurts the VHF.

WOW!!!!

You mean that THEORY stuff realy works???

 

[xusmarine1979]

What theory stuff are you talking about N_Jay?

 

[N_Jay]

What theory stuff are you talking about N_Jay?

I was being sarcastic. (as always)

Just general antanna design stuff.

 

[xusmarine1979]

Ok then. Just thought I'd missed something there.