Newbie with a BCT-8 problem.

[xfhp-730]

I recently bought a used BCT-8. I happen to live within a mile of one of the Viper systems towers, and can pick up 800 meg channels great with just a small telescopic antenna in my home. But.. when it's hooked up in my car it will not pick up any trunking channels. It will pick up good in the driveway, but will lose signal when I get a few miles from the tower. When I'm within range the display will show id scan. When I get out of range it will just show scan. The antenna on my car is a large Antenna Specialist antenna, and has always worked good for the VHP-UHP bands. Could my problem be with my antenna? I have all the control channels for all the towers in the county programmed in, but it seems to only be picking up the one near my house. Do you think that a smaller antenna tuned more toward the 800 range will help me pick up further on 800? I guess the only reason I pick it up at all with the big antenna is that I'm so close to the tower. Still trying to figure this trunking stuff out...so any assistance is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[BeerNutz]

After years of poor results with multiple Uniden radios using their mobile antenna, I tried the telescoping one in my truck and BOOM, great reception. This is on a 800MHZ trunked system.