Indoor Discone Antenna ?

[dimab]

I'm looking to get a smaller indoor antenna for a BC780xlt, on all bands, with very little worry for low band. I'm using the stock Uniden antenna now, and I think I can do much better with a replacement.
I've searched the forums w/o much luck here.

I saw what looked to be a discone type antenna that was very small, enough to fit on a desk.
Does anyone know where this size antenna can be found?

And, can anyone recommend a broadband antenna for indoor use, preferably small enough for desktop size.

 

[N_Jay]

I'm looking to get a smaller indoor antenna for a BC780xlt, on all bands, with very little worry for low band. I'm using the stock Uniden antenna now, and I think I can do much better with a replacement.
I've searched the forums w/o much luck here.

I saw what looked to be a discone type antenna that was very small, enough to fit on a desk.
Does anyone know where this size antenna can be found?

And, can anyone recommend a broadband antenna for indoor use, preferably small enough for desktop size.

The size of a discone is DIRECTLY related to the frequency band it receives.

The size of a typical scanner discone is a compromise. You can't get any smaller without losing the VHF band.

 

[DracosIgnis]

Not sure if you’re looking to find an antenna similar to the one in the picture, but since you mentioned you were still using a stock antenna, I’ll make the assumption. Sorry if I’m wrong. Otherwise, it looks to be an exact match to the one Radio Shack sells.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&product_id=20-176

Now, personally I had owned that antenna. It seemed a little flimsy to me and I wasn’t impressed with the reception on just about any band.

Good luck…

Mike

 

[TeRayCodA]

That particular antenna (in the picture)is not a discone.It is only half of a Radio Shack groundplane outdoor antenna,Cat#20-176, missing the ground radials,and the mounting bracket.In that shape,as is,it would perform poorly,without the radials.

 

[md_p97]

I agree with Draco....I have the RS outdoor antenna and it is pretty bad on all bands....but surprisingly, the telescopic whip works suprisingly well for me...and it is adjustable by band.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.a...me=CTLG_008_009_002_000&product_id=20-006

This telescopic used inside far outperforms the outdoor model mounted outside on a 15ft pole (for me, anyways)

 

[Al42]

This telescopic used inside far outperforms the outdoor model mounted outside on a 15ft pole (for me, anyways)

Fed through how many feet of what kind of cable? As N_Jay says, the most important part of the antenna is the feedline.

 

[MacombMonitor]

If you want to go all out on a Desktop Discone, check this out:

http://tinyurl.com/d2ckj

Although I think they're more gimmick than function. They make a great conversation piece! I think they're only sold in the UK, so after you convert the money, and pay shipping, it gets quite expensive. These show up on eBay all the time too, but again, shipping from out of the U.S.