Derbie.... the discone antenna is great for what is was designed for but it doesn't have "gain". It's broadbanded (able to receive a wide range of frequencies) and therefore you have some sacrifice in performance. With a monoband (designed and tuned for one particular frequency band) antenna you will more likely have some gain (better/stronger) receive capabilities than with the discone. If the 800mhz trunked system in Savannah is all you want to monitor then it's a no brainer that you want a monoband antenna.
You answered your own question too..... the RG-58 is horrible coax for higher frequencies. You'll hear the term "loss" when referencing coax, that essentially means that the radio signal will get "absorbed" by the coax as it travels from the antenna to your scanner. In effect the signal "loss" is so weak that the scanner can't do anything with it. You'll hear some people say that if they only had $100 to invest in a radio system they would invest $10 in the radio and $90 in the antenna, coax, etc. Good quality coax connectors can make a big difference as well. That's how important it is
You answered your own question too..... the RG-58 is horrible coax for higher frequencies. You'll hear the term "loss" when referencing coax, that essentially means that the radio signal will get "absorbed" by the coax as it travels from the antenna to your scanner. In effect the signal "loss" is so weak that the scanner can't do anything with it. You'll hear some people say that if they only had $100 to invest in a radio system they would invest $10 in the radio and $90 in the antenna, coax, etc. Good quality coax connectors can make a big difference as well. That's how important it is
