Multiple scanners feeds with one Antenna.

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Rsmims

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OK you antenna pros, here's one for you;

I have 4 scanners all with BNC antenna connectors
I want to run all 4 of my scanners off a single antenna at the same time. I already have the antenna mounted in my attic and it's less than a 20 foot cable run.
I can't have any crosstalk as I use the scanners to broadcast feeds here.
What do I need?

And thanks in advance for your help.
 

Skypilot007

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You need a multicoupler for your antenna system. This will let you connect 2 or more scanners to the same antenna with no ill effects usuaslly.

If you experience cross talk with multiple feeds the problem will most likely be a ground loop issue related to the audio cables feeding your computer and not your antenna system.
 

rbm

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OK you antenna pros, here's one for you;

I have 4 scanners all with BNC antenna connectors
I want to run all 4 of my scanners off a single antenna at the same time. I already have the antenna mounted in my attic and it's less than a 20 foot cable run.
I can't have any crosstalk as I use the scanners to broadcast feeds here.
What do I need?

And thanks in advance for your help.

I use one antenna for 32 of my scanners, including the one I have online.

You can listen to my feed for a while to see the results.

pm me if you want specific information. It's not all that difficult.

Rich
 
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hvscan

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I use an Electroline 2802, recommended in one of the threads on RR and purchased on eBay. It cost less than a multi-coupler and I am happy with its performance.
 

fmon

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I use an Electroline 2802, recommended in one of the threads on RR and purchased on eBay. It cost less than a multi-coupler and I am happy with its performance.
My Electroline is 4 port 2400 series and has absolutely no cross talk. However, the buy now EBay price has tripled in 4 years but still much cheaper then multi-coupler.
 
K

kb0nly

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I use a PCT drop amp, two port in my case, to feed my two scanners from a single antenna. Works great, and provides just enough amplification to make up with feedline loss and not have a huge increase in noise floor.

I'm plenty happy with my $20 amp/splitter i got off eBay.
 

Rsmims

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I appreciate all the help here. Keep it coming please.

So far, I have a question;

All these drop amps your recommending are for cable TV and require F connectors,. Not a problem as I have seen BNC to F converters out there, but what about coax? What do you recommend from scanner to amp and then from amp to antenna?

Thanks again for all this help.
 
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kb0nly

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Get some screw on BNC female to F male adapters, problem solved. From antenna to amp the best you can get, it also depends on what frequencies your monitoring, but the lowest loss the better. Quad shield RG6 is favored by many scanner owners for cost versus performance.

Otherwise a good quality RG8 sized cable, LMR400 or similar.

As for amp to scanners that depends on the length of the run, in my case the amp is mounted to the wall behind the scanners so i made a couple short RG-58 jumpers, only about 5-6 inches long, and the jumpers are more flexible and easier to deal with than the main feedline. But again you could make some RG6 jumpers and install F connectors on the end for the amp and put BNC's on the other ends for the scanners, eliminate some adapters also.

For connecting the feedline you can get F to BNC, UHF, N, whatever you need for an adapter. But just remember if you use larger RG8 sized cable your going to put a lot of stress on the adapter unless you provide for strain relief, strapping the coax to a support or such to keep it from moving. Or you can also make a short flexible jumper with a F on one end and whatever you need on the other end for the larger feedline.

Lots of ways to do it! If you have a coax connector crimper like i do then the sky is the limit, otherwise just buy whatever you need.
 

Rsmims

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Get some screw on BNC female to F male adapters, problem solved. From antenna to amp the best you can get, it also depends on what frequencies your monitoring, but the lowest loss the better. Quad shield RG6 is favored by many scanner owners for cost versus performance.

I'm looking around my garage and it turns out I've got a 100 foot roll of Quad-Shielded RG6U. What is the difference between RG6 and RG6U and will the U series work for this application?

If so, I'll go the Lowe's and get a good set of crimpers and some quality F connectors and I'm GOLDEN!

Thanks again for all the input of this. I really appreciate it.
 

Rsmims

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(U)nderground

Are you sure about that. I did a quick search on Google and found this in a forum called Satelliteguys.us

"U means unbalanced, which refers to capacitance, not universal.

For highly technical purposes, it might not matter,


But, for most of our applications, most all coax is unbalanced. Since the other stuff is ultra expensive."


This was a forum question that asked what the difference between RG6 and RG6U was.

I don't know myself, I'm just throwing this out there.

Doe anyone else have an opinion on this?
 

Flatshovel

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I have sort of the same situation going on and would like to post a question in reference to this as well. I have 3 scanners currently hooked up to a Scantenna about 60feet up. I have the coax coming into the house and hooked onto a 3 way splitter (tv type). Was considering a multicopler as discussed in another post but can see putting out that kind of cost at the moment. I do however have a old UHF/VHF distribution amplifier laying around not doing anything. It has one input and 4 outputs. I hooked all my radios to this earlier and was able to increase signal on my radios as before i was only getting static. I know it is not ideal but it seems to work ok for my situation. Main question is by using this distribution amplifier would it harm any of my radios by using it?
Amplifier is made by Winston Model 1800

Thanks,
Joey
 

KE5TLF

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Ok then, sounds good to me. Thinks me got my wires crossed so to speak. lol

Stridsberg multicouplers are worth their weight in gold. Seriously what's 200 bucks compared to frakking up $1000 or more worth of radios hobbling together a bunch of cheap junk.
 
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kb0nly

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Are you sure about that. I did a quick search on Google and found this in a forum called Satelliteguys.us

"U means unbalanced, which refers to capacitance, not universal.

For highly technical purposes, it might not matter,


But, for most of our applications, most all coax is unbalanced. Since the other stuff is ultra expensive."


This was a forum question that asked what the difference between RG6 and RG6U was.

I don't know myself, I'm just throwing this out there.

Doe anyone else have an opinion on this?

U = UV Resistant. At least thats what it means on all the Belden and other brands of TV/Satellite coax and other stuff i have dealt with over the years.

All coax is unbalanced feedline by design. Balanced feedline like twinlead or open ladderline type is the only balanced examples i can think of.
 
K

kb0nly

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Ok then, sounds good to me. Thinks me got my wires crossed so to speak. lol

Stridsberg multicouplers are worth their weight in gold. Seriously what's 200 bucks compared to frakking up $1000 or more worth of radios hobbling together a bunch of cheap junk.

Stridsberg couplers are nice... But seriously they are WAY overpriced for all that they are. I have seen the guts of one, nothing special in there, just your basic low loss splitter. Argue all you want, but after seeing inside one i wouldn't waste my money on one.

I have a two port drop amp that is made to prevent damage to the connected equipment. Sure if you use to high of a signal level into a receiver you can kill it, usually a diode protecting the receiver. But the same could happen transmitting nearby as well.
 

kb9hgi

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I just got a cheap splitter running from my scanners and St-2 and mine seems to work fine. I was hear 60 miles away and I'm not on high ground and antenna is only up 25 ft
 
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