Hooking up my external scanner antenna

[joedanas]

Thank you in advance for anyone who's interested in helping. I have a Realistic Pro-57 scanner that I use to listen to emergency channels and local farms, but mostly I use it in the winter when my husband is coyote hunting with a group of friends. I salvaged a discone antenna from my rooftop when we got rid of our tv antenna. Now I want to hook it up and I don't know where to start. I will probably extend something (I was thinking an old water pipe?) off the second story escape ladder. Off of the antenna I took a piece that says PL-259 on it. What kind of cable should I use? How to attach the cable to the PL-259? What kind of adapter do I need on the scanner end? Do I need to ground the antenna? Is this a dumb idea? I can hear them for a few miles when they're close (it's very flat here), but once they get further away I can't hear them, and I can't hear people with weaker radios.
Thanks

 

[mciupa]

Hi joedanas,welcome to RadioReference

I'd make up a shopping list and head over to RadioShack.

What kind of cable should I use?

Either RG8 or RG58.

How to attach the cable to the PL-259?

You can buy twist on PL-259's

What kind of adapter do I need on the scanner end?

Probably a PL-259 to BNC adapter.

Do I need to ground the antenna?

That is always a good idea.

Is this a dumb idea?

No, the height will help your reception and you are blessed with flat terrain, so the signal will be unobstructed.

Have fun!