Looking for BNC mount, tuned antenna for low VHF, (42Mhz) for handheld scanner

Mongoosmike

Member
Joined
May 17, 2022
Messages
68
Location
SSF, CA
I am trying to find an antenna for my old PRO-92, (collecting dust atm), BNC antenna mount, that will work reasonably well to listen to nearby CHP frequencies, within a few miles, in 42Mhz band. Also maybe listening to VHF aircraft band, from SFO Airport, about two miles away, I think they are on 700Mhz band.
I read just yesterday, from a search on google, about a guy that was using an antenna that they got from Amazon, he called it the Chinese antenna, that worked better than a lot of others, and for the life of me, can't find the article. He mentioned look for an antenna that was tuned for 42 Mhz but it did include VHF frequency range too. I think he mentioned it was about 40"?
I wondered if an 11 meter antenna would work possibly.
The CHP channels that have both mobile and base transmissions are all in the 42 Mhz band, and are rebroadcast from dispatch.
42.080 – 48.940 range. (42.080 42.620 42.120 44.800 42.420 44.940 42.920 42.440 42.500 42.600 42.160), which covers all the 11 bay area counties, and these are actually the only 11 frequencies that I need to listen on for CHP.
I would also be listening to 3 counties, (Alameda, Contra Costa and Dublin Counties), when visiting my friends in San Ramon every week.
I listen to all fire on my SDS-100 for all the counties, but all their low band and other bands are on the P-25 digital system.
The main freeway here at home Hwy 101, is 1 mile away and is a main corridor for CHP from San Francisco, (6 miles north), and Redwood City, (14 miles south) of me.
I have an SDS-100 with a Remtronics REM-820S, that picks up CHP infrequently, on the 700 Mhz band from 34 miles away in Dublin, Alameda County), but it is only rare anad useless since both bas and mobile are not on those together, and I don't hear any sporatic calls on my side of the bay from CHP at all on the 700 Mhz band. The CHP mobile units transmit on 42 Mhz band to the cars, and the base transmits 42Mhz to the car/mobile, and both are re broadcast through dispatch on 42 MHZ. The frequencies to scan for base and mobile together are all in 42Mhz band.
I appreciate any help if at all possible. Hopefully to be scanning low band soon. ☺
 

krokus

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
5,767
Location
Southeastern Michigan
Are you looking for a rubber duck style, to take portable? A vehicle antenna, maybe with a base adapter? Or fixed place, installed option?

Also, you mention listening to different bands. Are you wanting something mostly for low band, and whatever it picks up on the aviation band is a bonus? Do you want multi band?
 

Mongoosmike

Member
Joined
May 17, 2022
Messages
68
Location
SSF, CA
Hi, and thank you for the info.
I would like to have a rubber duckie type, on the pro-92, so I can listen inside my car, or at home, but I have heard that it may have to be 2' or 3 ft long or longer bcuz of the 42-700 Mhz wavelength. I don't want to attach an outside antenna on the car and I can't attach anything to the outside of my building. I am about a mile from hiway 101 and SFO, so I should have close enough range to hear the CHP and aircraft. My SDS-100 is set up for PD, Sheriff & Fire in my county, San Mateo, (P-25), and three east bay counties on P-25 systems. East Bay Regional system is absolutely the worst nightmare since Contra Costa, Alameda, San Ramon, & Pleasanton are all intertwined together in the P-25 system. and it was a mess trying to program the channels. Also, thank you for your help with this problem.
 

Mongoosmike

Member
Joined
May 17, 2022
Messages
68
Location
SSF, CA
Using the 11m antenna as a starting point is not likely to hurt anything, but will not be optimal.
Are you looking for a rubber duck style, to take portable? A vehicle antenna, maybe with a base adapter? Or fixed place, installed option?

Also, you mention listening to different bands. Are you wanting something mostly for low band, and whatever it picks up on the aviation band is a bonus? Do you want mu

Are you looking for a rubber duck style, to take portable? A vehicle antenna, maybe with a base adapter? Or fixed place, installed option?

Also, you mention listening to different bands. Are you wanting something mostly for low band, and whatever it picks up on the aviation band is a bonus? Do you want multi band
I want to use the antenna only on my Pro-92, for at home, or for in the car when I am going somewhere, and only for CHP channels. I also don't want to attach anyting to the car, nor can I attach anything to my building at home. I can always listen to aircraft with the SDS-100. I did run across a couple of antennas that were on Amazon, that have the BNC connector, that say the go from 25 mhz to about 900MHz, but I assume they would be tuned to the middle of the band.
Comet Original BNC-W100RX 25MHz-1300MHz Handheld Scanner Antenna Extended Length: 40": Collapsed Length: 8" BNC Male
Bingfu 20-1300MHz Police Scanner Antenna Radio Scanner Magnetic Base Antenna HF VHF UHF Two Way Ham Radio BNC Male Antenna.
i 'm not sure if they would work well on the 42 mhz band, or as good as an 11 meter ant as you mentioned.
 

Mongoosmike

Member
Joined
May 17, 2022
Messages
68
Location
SSF, CA
I want to use the antenna only on my Pro-92, for at home, or for in the car when I am going somewhere, and only for CHP channels. I also don't want to attach anyting to the car, nor can I attach anything to my building at home. I can always listen to aircraft with the SDS-100. I did run across a couple of antennas that were on Amazon, that have the BNC connector, that say the go from 25 mhz to about 900MHz, but I assume they would be tuned to the middle of the band.
Comet Original BNC-W100RX 25MHz-1300MHz Handheld Scanner Antenna Extended Length: 40": Collapsed Length: 8" BNC Male
Bingfu 20-1300MHz Police Scanner Antenna Radio Scanner Magnetic Base Antenna HF VHF UHF Two Way Ham Radio BNC Male Antenna.
i 'm not sure if they would work well on the 42 mhz band, or as good as an 11 meter ant as you mentioned.
 

kb5udf

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
779
Location
Louisiana
Many years ago I ran a Pro-92 mobile with a mag-mount 800mhz cell antenna. It received 42mhz (MS Hwy Patrol) better than an actual Motorola handheld (MT1000) inside the car with a proper low band antenna. Point being, trying to receive 42mhz inside a car will generally give very poor results such that you will hear only local and very strong signals, given the faraday cage effect of your vehicle at that frequency. In my experience almost any antenna outside of the car may work better at low band than any antenna inside the car.

This is an oversimplification but generally with HT with inside car antenna reception will be:
Low band = poor
VHF/high band= medicore
UHF/450-520= good
700/800/900 = good
 

Mongoosmike

Member
Joined
May 17, 2022
Messages
68
Location
SSF, CA
Good morning, and thank you for the info. I am talking listening to CHP within a few miles, since I am about 1 mile from the local major 101 freeway, also same distance from SFO, and CHP is what I am interestd in locally, OR, if I am visiting friends in San Ramon, then local CHP there as well as they are also close to 580 and 680 freeways. I used to listen to CHP and local PD back in 90's with my first scanner, the Bearcat 4-six with crystals, with the rubber duckie antenna. (inside the car), and the CHP are still using the same frequencies as they were then. also, back then I was living in the next city over at that time, and that was about a mile and a half from the main highway, and that was inside my hoome as well as from the car. So I am talking a very close proximity to where the CHP are. I sure wish i could find a tuneable antenna and at least try that for better results
Thank you for your help b y the way.
 

merlin

Active Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2003
Messages
1,857
Location
South East Idaho
Just about any rubber duck will pick up a low band transmitter a few miles.
Those antennas made for CB walky talkies would work as well as anything.
Radio Shack or Antenna Farm may be a good source.

The only time you need a 'tuned' antenna is if you intend to transmit where SWR is a factor.
 

radiochuck

Traffic Expert
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
406
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I use a telescopic BNC antenna that came with my BCT-15 to listen to CHP with my SDS100. It's not perfect, but it works fairly well.
 
Top