Low Profile Mobile Antenna

[Uttoxeter]

Apologies in advance if this has already been beaten into the ground elsewhere on the Forum...

I'm looking for some recommendations for a low-profile mobile scanner antenna for my BC785D. I'm primarily listening to 800MHz TRS with a handful of UHF and VHF-High freqs. Right now I'm using the Radio Shack mag-mount POS with the top coil and whip section removed. It doesn't work that badly, but I figure I can do better. Thanks!

 

[RolnCode3]

Antennex (Phantom and Discadoo lines), Larsen, and Antenna Specialists all make low-pro 800 antennas commonly used by PS.

Waltel.com carries a few of them.

 

[N_Jay]

Antennex (Phantom and Discadoo lines), Larsen, and Antenna Specialists all make low-pro 800 antennas commonly used by PS.

Waltel.com carries a few of them.

UHF will most likely be bad, and VHF worse.

You will probably have just as good luck with a regular 800 MHz 3 dB whip.

 

[RolnCode3]

Yeah, I didn't see his interest in VHF until after I put up the 800 antennas. They will not work very well with anything but 800 (and even then you'll get a debate about their effectiveness...see other threads).

 

[astrodanco]

Yeah, I didn't see his interest in VHF until after I put up the 800 antennas. They will not work very well with anything but 800 (and even then you'll get a debate about their effectiveness...see other threads).

Yup, I have both of the following and they both pull in CHP on 37Mhz fairly well. Probably because CHP is using powerful transmitters on mountain tops:

1. Antenex ABSCANC Public Safety Scanner Antenna, 150/450/800 MHz, Rx Only Closed Collinear Radiator, Black Model.

2. Antenex AB8063S Low Profile Base Antenna, 806-896 MHz, 3 dB Gain, Open Collinear Radiator. Spring Option. Black Model.

The second one is quite low profile too. BTW, they both stink equally well on the civil airband.

 

[N_Jay]

. . . . they both pull in CHP on 37Mhz fairly well. Probably because CHP is using powerful transmitters . . . .

It is statements like this that cause confusion.

If the signal is strong enough, then the antenna does not matter.

 

[astrodanco]

. . . . they both pull in CHP on 37Mhz fairly well. Probably because CHP is using powerful transmitters . . . .

If the signal is strong enough, then the antenna does not matter.

(Sure, I know. I can pick up the local 800mhz RCS system around here with no antenna at all.)

However, note that my 800mhz rubber ducky is totally deaf to that same 37Mhz CHP signal mentioned previously. Perhaps the ground plane makes the difference for those other two antennas.