Indoor antenna vs thru-glass antenna

[PluckyPleco]

I can have a scanner in my office, however there is no way to open the window.

Would you rather have an indoor antenna or a thru the glass mount antenna?

Why?

Most of my listening is in the 150-155 MHz and 440 MHz (ham) bands.

Plec

 

[comsec1]

glass mount

keep in mind the thickness of the glass, if this is a modern office building the glass might be too thick causing an incorrect match and it may also have a metallic tint making it not work at all. what is the construction of the building, what floor are you on?

 

[SAR923]

If you can't open the window, how would you propose to mount a through glass antenna? You have to be able get to both side of the glass to do this. I think a small mag mount like the Valor PMM3 stuck to the top of a filing cabinet as near to a window as you can get will probably give you the best results consistent with an office environment.

 

[jon_k]

If you can't open the window, how would you propose to mount a through glass antenna? You have to be able get to both side of the glass to do this. I think a small mag mount like the Valor PMM3 stuck to the top of a filing cabinet as near to a window as you can get will probably give you the best results consistent with an office environment.

Perhaps he is on the first floor, or knows the window cleaners enough to ask them a favor? I doubt he would ask if he had no way to get to the outside on the 30th story.

Most of my listening is in the 150-155 MHz and 440 MHz (ham) bands.

The biggest problem is finding a 2 meter/70cm through the glass antenna. Do they even make these? The wavelength of these bands requires a longer antenna which I'm not sure the adhesive/mount can support.

 

[af5rn]

Yes, they do make high band through-glass antennae. I think even Rat Shack carries them. You can get them either single band, or dual banded with UHF.

Comsec1 asks very relevant questions. If this is tinted glass, you're going to have to cut a square out of the tint to mount your antenna. The building owner will not be happy about that, I would suspect. And the thicker the glass, the more the loss. It would definitely not be my first choice.

SAR2401 probably has the best solution for you. A good quality maggie mount on top of a metal filing cabinet should get you satisfactory local results. The Valor PMM3B is a good choice on the cheap, that is small, easily portable, and not too obvious or geeky looking. If none of those are important factors, then a higher quality 2m/70cm ham antenna like the ANLI AT-2, stuck on a mag mount, would get you much better reception than the Valor without being a whole lot bigger.

 

[N1BHH]

Most modern construction glass that is installed today is at the very least double the thickness of a car window. There are also double pane type windows which sometimes have a film, usually conductive, or reflective, which will make any antenna mounting, no matter what type, a real pain in the receiver and your butt. Sometimes the windows sandwich the film , while others have a slight air gap, for ventilation purposes and reduction of fogging.

The best I can suggest is a quarter wave or any cheap mag mount for VHF/UHF placed on a file cabinet or, if you have an air conditioner/heater unit mounted below the window, then that may be the way to go. The file cabinet or A/C unit will give you a decent ground plane and at least allow for some scanner listening. The mag mounts suggested by others should do you some good.

 

[tilleyhat]

PluckyPleco,
Me too, i have chance for allowing to listen the scanner in my office, a second floor of modern building. the glass is thick and lightly tinted. I use a Diamond RH77CA with GRE ampli. And i simply put my 396T right closed to the window glass. the reception is excellent for 150-155/ 400 Mhz bands.

 

[DickH]

... Would you rather have an indoor antenna or a thru the glass mount antenna?

Normal clear window glass will not impede radio signals, tinted might. Just put your scanner antenna as near the window as possible and TRY IT. You'll be the first to know and you'll know for sure. Anyone here is just guessing about results.