Increasing scanner range

[benny919]

new to scanning. Might not understand some advanced terminology.


Does anyone have some recommendations for antennas or methods to increase the range of my scanner. I use a BCD325p2 and would like to pickup trunked frequencies. I also use a diamond RH77CA. I can get a good range outside, but inside I am limited greatly.

 

[ka3aaa]

an antenna mounted outside as high as you can get it will help you out dramatically.

 

[KK4JUG]

Triple A is right. Other than the radio itself, the antenna is probably the most important thing you have control over. Radio signals are susceptible to so many things that you need the best antenna in the best location. So many things inside the home (wiring, lights, appliances, etc.) will eat away at your reception. Being close to a window SOMETIMES helps but likely only in the direction of the window. If you can figure out a way to use an outdoor antenna, it should dramatically help your reception.

 

[dlwtrunked]

new to scanning. Might not understand some advanced terminology.


Does anyone have some recommendations for antennas or methods to increase the range of my scanner. I use a BCD325p2 and would like to pickup trunked frequencies. I also use a diamond RH77CA. I can get a good range outside, but inside I am limited greatly.

Get an antenna for the band you are interested in and get it as high as possible (ouside or an attic if you need).

 

[ladn]

As others have said, an outside antenna is your best investment (also use high quality cable).
However, before you spend time and money on an outside antenna, make sure the trunked systems you want to scan aren't encrypted.

 

[kb5udf]

For most, the best you can do is an outside, band/frequency specific antenna on a tower above the roof of your dwelling. However, you may well get by with less. Experiment: if you can take your scanner as is and go into the attic, if reception is very good, then you can get by with an antenna there, although this now means using your scanner in a more fixed location. Alternatively, you can try a band specific antenna on your trunked system, and keep it in house and see how that goes. For example, a remtronix 700/800 antenna should handily outperform your diamond on the same bands, and may be good enough for indoor use; assuming that's where your trunked system is.

Other options, include finding out where the trunked site you want to listen to is, relative to you, and going near a window on that side of the dwelling. It may also be enough to have a more substantial base mount antenna inside the dwelling. But not being there and taking measurements that's hard to know.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Does anyone have some recommendations for antennas or methods to increase the range of my scanner. I use a BCD325p2 and would like to pickup trunked frequencies.

Hi & welcome to the forums:
Can you please give us what specific agency(ies) you're looking to pick up? need to either pinpoint or rule out simulcast distortion as a potential factor as it normally plagues users of non-Uniden-SDS series scanners. It is often mistaken for a lack of reception problem when in theory it is quite the opposite...

 

[gary123]

The only additional item you may want to consider is a RF amp. There are many factors that come into play when using an amp. The first is too much gain can actually reduce your scanner performance. Second is the bands the amp works on. A general purpose amp is good for everything but a band specific amp will improve performance on the band you choose. Your location is also a huge factor. Using an amp in a large city easily gets swamped by other local signals where as the same amp in the country my perform excellently

Finally the quality of the amp. The higher the quality the better it will work. A $20 amp vs a $120 amp. You would expect the higher priced amp to have overload protection, tighter band pass limits, better connectors, lower noise (internal junk generated but the amps electronics).

 

[west-pac]

If you want to hear more trunked radio traffic, simply run your scanner in ID SEARCH mode instead of ID SCAN. In ID SEARCH you'll hear any and every talkgroup (agency) that uses your local site. If you're listening to a statewide P25 system you'll likely hear your county, every county that surrounds your county, maybe even some counties that are two counties away, plus a lot of state agencies. You'll have plenty to listen to from all over your area, just by monitoring your local site, with the indoor antenna.

 

[KC3ECJ]

A good grounding setup also helps.

 

[bharvey2]

As has already been mentioned, getting an antenna outside and up high will really help you receive better. You mentioned that you're interested in monitoring trunked frequencies. If taking you scanner outside or getting it higher provides adequate reception, an omnidirectional ground plane antenna on your roof should serve you well. If you have a particular system that you're interested in monitoring (and only that system) for instance, your county or city's public service network, then an outside yagi antenna can help you greatly. A yagi antenna provides greater gain (think amplification) in one direction for a particular band of frequencies. For the most part, trunked system transmissions will be coming from one or a few locations depending upon the system and by pointing your yagi antenna at one of those sites, you'll be able to pick up that system. A possible down side to a yagi antenna is that they reject signals from other directions other that where it's pointed. This is often a benefit but is a disadvantage if you wish to listen to varied transmissions around your area.