Mobile Antenna for HP-2

[jlynch4614]

Have been doing a lot of reading on the Antenna Forum and have concluded that getting a Larsen NMO150/450/800 fixed mount antenna makes sense for the type of monitoring I am doing. My only concern is VHF-Lo band for Maryland State Police. Any suggestions on a low band mobile antenna to mount with the Larsen 150/450/800? Also any suggestions on a coupler for the single scanner?

Also, antenna will be going on the roof of a 2015 Land Rover Sport. Roof is not metal so ground plane antenna will not work. Still trying to figure out if Larsen 150/450/800 is ground plane antenna.

Monitoring in Philadelphia, Pa., Deleware, Chester, Montgomery Counties in PA and Kent, Cecil, Queen Anns County Maryland. Mostly police and fire. Some P25

Thanks

 

[marksmith]

Maryland State Police in the counties you mention, while they may still simulcast to the vhflo band for a while, are all in the process of going to 700mz FIRST Phase II digital. You will hear more of what is going on there than 39mz and you won't need to try and use 2 coupled antennas which is bound to be inefficient in terms of signal. Most of the PA area you mention are also 700-800 mz.



BCD536HP/HP2/996XT/PSR800/396XT/996T

 

[Voyager]

Nearly all antennas require a ground plane. Can you use fender mounts on either side of the hood? For Low Band, I would use a Motorola Low Band antenna cut to the band of interest.

 

[K2KOH]

I've said it elsewhere. The Austin Spectra is a kick *** antenna. Had one on my old Escape, and have one on my new one with the HP2. Works very well low band through 800 MHz. I have mine on a trunk mount and the mounting screws contact the metal for a ground. Low band works very well.

 

[joeuser]

Hustler makes good mobile antennas but for what you want, I think the best bang for the buck is a Radio Shark mobile...

 

[cpfinlay]

Roof is not metal so ground plane antenna will not work. Still trying to figure out if Larsen 150/450/800 is ground plane antenna.

It won't work as well as if it had a counterpoise, but it will still work OK for receive-only.

For my HP-2 mobile unit, I use the Antennex ABSCANC equivalent mounted on a Diamond K9000 motorized luggage rack mount with really good results on all 3 bands. The antenna is a slightly different collinear arrangement, but I think you can't go wrong with the Larsen, either!