Need your input on antennas for new shack

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radio10-8

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I'm setting up a brand new listening shack that is about 15 miles away from main town I monitor and slightly surrounded by hills. I listen to Air 118-136AM, 155-156 local govt, 163 for Feds, Mil-Air 136-141AM and the 220 range also 460-465 for other local govt agencies. What type of antenna or antennas should I consider installing. If you want to suggest cable I'll take that advice too! No height restrictions. I primarily used handhelds because I was always mobile and I never needed to set up a shack before. Also if you could suggest some base scanners. This will be a first so any advice will be greatly appreciated.
 

ke5lvt

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plaquemine la
any good vhf and uhf antennas used for 2 way radio would be best. however if you are only scanning 1 area from 1 direction i would use a vhf and uhf beam antennas. they would give you very good reception.
 

kb2vxa

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Hi Radio and all,

Since I'm seeing your screen name for the first time I'll repeat myself one more time for your benefit. Such a question begs a plethora of opinions and the only one that matters is your own. There is no "one size fits all" solution making all those "answers" quite useless. Do your own research to narrow the field, only YOU know the fine details of your operating conditions and only YOU can decide what you need. Once you have boiled it all down I'm sure you'll still have questions BUT they'll be a lot more specific and answerable. Sorry, I know better than to try to catch a black cat in a coal mine at midnight, it helps to turn on the lights first.

Lash, if that's the case there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with your beam.
 

radio10-8

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Thank you to all that have PM'd me with what scanners and antennas they are using. It was very helpful to me to hear everyone's opinion. I will be buying 4 different antennas and trying them this weekend.
 

RISC777

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radio10-8 said:
Thank you to all that have PM'd me with what scanners and antennas they are using. It was very helpful to me to hear everyone's opinion. I will be buying 4 different antennas and trying them this weekend.

:) Too bad the rest of the world didn't get to see the suggestions. :) But maybe that's best so that the thread doesn't / didn't get side-tracked.

So, radio10-8, since I've always used Uniden products, I can't help but say you wouldn't be disappointed with a BCD996T. And not just because it's the latest and greatest and a digital trunker, but due to how I've seen it receive. It picks up signals better than anything I've used, regardless of the antenna it's on.

Antennas are antennas, so make the best informed decision you can and have fun.

`Doug
 

StevieB

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Jan 28, 2006
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Bloomingdale Illinois
The coax you use on an antenna that is used for VHF and UHF monitoring is so important and often overlooked.Do not consider anything other than LMR-400 or higher with solder type connectors properly terminated.Do not let people tell you it will not make a diffrence for receiveing only .It will.I use a 25 foot run to a Cushcraft AR-270 in my attic hooked up to a RS PRO 2005 and am simply amazed at how well it performs.
 
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