Mobile question

[wildbillx]

I just bought a new f-150 and wanted to keep a scanner in it. So I got one of the through window antenna's. Now before everyone tells me to trash it and get..... I wanted something that looks sleek and is easily removed when I sell it years from now. The question is, so they make anything to increase the gain? I also wanted to know if grounding the inside part would give me better reception. My chief's car has one and it is grounded inside. Thanks

 

[btritch]

well, I have really found the on glass antennas look good but the reception range is really not that great on them. I had one on my cavalier for years. I used it about three months and just ordered a small mag mount because the on glass would work well for low band and 800 mhz but for anything in between it would work if you were in a metropolitan area but if you got very far away it wouldn't perform very well. I have not heard of grounding them, I don't really know how you would ground them with nothing really to attach wire to, You may try that and see how much better it works and what the differences are.. Listening won't matter that much but if you're going to transmitt I WOULD NOT use it, I could never get my SWR's lower than 4 on mine to TX but to recieve it would perform not great but ok, it was better than the stock antenna and better than nothing. I'd try a few things before I'd trash it. I'd try the grounding you mentioned, I'd try to adjust the SWR setting if you have it on there, Mine did, I'd try it in different areas and on different bands and see what the performing differences are.. If all else fails you could always change later but I'd try the ground first followed by different bands, etc. first... Just some suggestions...as I have had experience with this type antenna before..I will say that once you peel it off It Will NOT stick again, Tried that..

 

[wildbillx]

Has anyone ever used a powered gain splitter in a vehical? If so what ones. ie like the ones that are made for tv cable. I am running one off my discone and get 3-4 better reception than without at home.

 

[rankin39]

On-glass antennas.

I just bought a new f-150 and wanted to keep a scanner in it. So I got one of the through window antenna's. Now before everyone tells me to trash it and get..... I wanted something that looks sleek and is easily removed when I sell it years from now. The question is, so they make anything to increase the gain? I also wanted to know if grounding the inside part would give me better reception. My chief's car has one and it is grounded inside. Thanks

I used one for several years on a Saturn station wagon that had a non-metalic roof. I found that it was quite effective on high band and 440 MHz. It did not require grounding since it was a half-wave vertical, not a quarter-wave. Radials or grounding of the base to the metal around the windshield might increase the gain somewhat though. One thing I did discover was that the coax that came with it was cut to a specific length in order for the antenna to be resonant and have a decent SWR. If you change the length of the cable, you risk a mismatch. If you mount it, make sure it's out of the way of the windshield wipers when they're turned on. I nearly missed that. You can get a "re-mount" kit for most on-glass antennas for when you move it. This said, I also tried an 800 MHz. on-glass antenna with a scanner and had terrible results at those higher frequencies. A mag-mount turned out to be a great improvement on 800. Good luck with yours.
Bob, w0nxn