Ok so I just got my first scanner, a BCD396T, and I am loving it. I bought the RS 800 duckie and everything works fine except when I am in my car. So now I need a good antenna for my SUV. The problem is my SUV is leased so I can not drill any holes and I would prefer to mount the antenna on the roof to get the best reception but I only have about 14 inches of clearance to get it through my garage. I first bought the Valor PMM3B mag mount from Universal Radio. The web site that I ordered it from along with the package stated that the antenna is only 13.5 in tall. When I receive the antenna I could instantly tell that it was longer. A quick tape measure later and it is 17 1/4 in long. I called and thinking that they had sent me the wrong one only to find out they Valor had changed the specs of the antenna but didnt bother to change printed specs. They suggested that I could cut off 2.5 to 3 inches from the top of the antenna and it would work fine for what I listen to. (150's,460's,and 800's North Dallas area PD and FD) I opted to return it since it had a pretty short cable of only 9tf. So i order a Maxrad MAXSCAN1000 (website states it is only 15 in long) and the lowest profile mag mount I could find ( a Larsen NMOMMRPL about .5 in high)from The Antenna Farm thinking I could drag it through the garage opening. When the package arrived today I pulled out the antenna and you guessed it, it is over 18 inches long plus the mount. The Valor antenna would have worked since it was very flexible but I just sent it back today. The Maxrad is very heavy duty and not flexible at all. So now I don't know what to do. I have been told that due to the high power that every thing is transmitted on, that I don't really need anything that special to pick up what I want to hear, only that it needs to be mounted outside. I am thinking now that a roof mount is out of the question and I would have to settle for a universal lip mount and attach it to my hood or rear hatch. Any other ideas before I have to pay for return shipping again? If the lip mount IS my best option should I get a different antenna since I am no longer height restricted? I do want something that is easily removed. Please help!
Mobile antenna frustrations
- Thread starter adrenalyn
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1979lee
Member
sound like you might want to mount your antenna on your rear bumper,assuming you have a metel bumper, these days w/ all the plastic and such....
or (i know i'll get heat for saying this) put the mag mount on your hood preferabaly on the passangersside, or buy one of those splitters that use your cars am/fm antenna
http://www.scannermaster.com/AM_FM_Scanner_Coupler_p/15-540729.htm
or try one of these antennas
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/0876.html
http://www.scannermaster.com/Through_The_Glass_Scanner_Antenna_p/15-540721.htm
best of luck
or (i know i'll get heat for saying this) put the mag mount on your hood preferabaly on the passangersside, or buy one of those splitters that use your cars am/fm antenna
http://www.scannermaster.com/AM_FM_Scanner_Coupler_p/15-540729.htm
or try one of these antennas
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/0876.html
http://www.scannermaster.com/Through_The_Glass_Scanner_Antenna_p/15-540721.htm
best of luck
Get the Valor back again. Even at 17 inches tall, it's extremely flexible and will bend almost to its own length before the magnet comes loose. It works great and you can extend the cable with a jumper from RS if need be. I was in a parking garage yesterday with an overhead clearance of 6'2". I have a Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV and the Valor banged the overhead beams about 20 times. Never came loose and didn't harm the antenna at all. If you can't drill a hole in the roof, at least get a mag mount you can mount in the center of the roof and take advantage of that nice ground plane.
ampulman
Member
SAR2401 said:
Just curious: can you comment on your reception, i.e., bands, fading (Valor vs. duckie). Also, what scanner is it teamed with?
AM
SAR2401- I have been thinking that an inexpensive small antenna in the middle of the roof would be better than a expensive longer lip mount mounted to either the front hood or rear hatch. And it would look a lot better. If the Valor had a longer cable I would have kept it but I was so anxious to get something that I just returned it. Plus I have a 396t with a bnc to sma adaptor and didnt want to add anymore adaptors between the antenna and the scanner. i just found this
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/0466.html
which looks like it will work depending on how flexible the whip is. I am guessing that the whip itself is 15.5 in plus the 1.5 for the base. I am gonna call them now.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/0466.html
which looks like it will work depending on how flexible the whip is. I am guessing that the whip itself is 15.5 in plus the 1.5 for the base. I am gonna call them now.
LordJ
Member
I would think you could get an antenna mounted and then when your lease is up, go back to the shop and have them plug it...? Just a thought... It shouldn't be a problem..
ampulman said:
No comparison - the Valor is orders of magnitude better than any rubber duck. It's at least as good as a unity gain whip on high VHF and excellent on 400 and 800 MHz. If you want to listen to low band, this is not the antenna for you. Otherwise, I don't know how they do it with such a tiny antenna and magnet but it's amazing, especially for the price.
adrenalyn said:
Here's the problem. Those antennas all appear to be standard unity gain VHF antennas. Regardles of the mount, they don't bend well and when they do bend, the bend tends to be permanent and the antenna will fall over because the magnetic base isn't strong enough to withstand the bending forces when you hit a low object. I've tried a lot of antennas and, if I'm not going to drill a hole, the Valor would be my #1 choice.
Sti-Co
You can tie the thing into a bow knot.
http://www.sti-co.com/flexi.asp
I run these on my SUV when I visit the city and have to park
in parking garages.
BTW you didn't say what frequencies you primarily monitor.
You can tie the thing into a bow knot.
http://www.sti-co.com/flexi.asp
I run these on my SUV when I visit the city and have to park
in parking garages.
BTW you didn't say what frequencies you primarily monitor.
Do you think it would be easy to replace the whole cable run to something longer with maybe 16ft of lmr-100a cable for the Valor? OR should I just get a fender mount for my Maxscan100? I like the valor for the fact that I can put it on the roof and get the full ground plane and it would look the best but the cable is too short and I dont want to add a jumper to the end. Am I just making too big of a deal of attaching another cable to the end of the 9ft rg174 cable. I know the cable is pretty short so I dont know if there is much loss anyways.
Would I get better reception with the maxrad on the front fender or the Valor on the roof with the jumper cable. Do you think Universal radio would change the cable for me for a price? If so, that is what I will do.
Would I get better reception with the maxrad on the front fender or the Valor on the roof with the jumper cable. Do you think Universal radio would change the cable for me for a price? If so, that is what I will do.
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