NOAA is killing me!

[Chaos703]

I have a Regency M400 (which I know is an old piece of junk but I keep it because I love it) attached to a good, high quality multi-band antenna on a 20' mast. I live near 244 and Yale. The NOAA station out past BA breaks into everything on every band. Just little half-second blurbs. Sometimes not so bad. Sometimes, like today, it makes monitoring unbearable.

Any advice?

 

[muddy mudskipper]

use a highly-directional antenna on that mast.

like a Yagi-Uda.

or, install filters on the line to block out that frequency range.

 

[ka3jjz]

Yes, I'm pretty sure Par Electronics sells a filter specifically tuned to that range (162-HT I THINK). A quick call to them should confirm it. I think Grove is an authorized retailer for Par.

73s Mike

 

[Spec]

Try this :

http://www.grove-ent.com/ftr162ds.html

Spec

 

[LarrySC]

You can program some VHF freqs [-5] or [+5] like: 155.160 would be 155.155 or 155.165. Some times that helps. You may actually have more antenna than you need. Insert coax ATT's that can be found at SAT TV installers. Standard "F" and usually marked 3,6,12db ATT. Good Luck

 

[DaveH]

I understand your attachment to older scanners, I have a few myself, but wonder how much expensive hardware you will have to add to make reception bearable. Why not consign it to local use that doesn't require such an antenna...that is a big part of the problem. Try adding a cheap attenuator. That may reduce your signal by (say) 5-10dB, but may cure the problem. See if you can still hear what you want to hear.

My suspicion goes up a bit when I read of a notch filter that can be tuned clear from 0 to 950MHz. Other signals near the notch frequency (you tune it to) are going to be affected. The curves show in one case you get 2dB degradation at 1.5MHz below the notch frequency, but on the high side you have to go 6-8MHz above to get down to -2dB. Suggest you look into this before spending a lot of money.

Dave

 

[K5MAR]

If you go the Par filter route (I highly recommend them, top quality and great service), you can specifiy the exact frequency to be notched out. They will custom-tune it for you at little or no extra charge. I've had custom work done on filters I've bought from Dale, and he is willing to make the extra effort to satisfy the customer's needs.

Mark S.

 

[Chaos703]

These are all wonderful suggestions. Thanks so much.

Let me ask one more question, please: I generally use this scanner solely for monitoring the OHP low band network. Occasionally I use it for broad band sweeps during ducting events. Both uses require it to be as sensitive as possible. If I get a filter for that specific NOAA freq. (162.55), will it hurt the overall sensitivity?

 

[K5MAR]

The Par filters are what is known as "notch" filters, they filter very sharply at the specified frequency, with fast recovery to either side. I thought Dale had the charts for the filter on his site, but I don't see them. Imagine a very steep valley centered on the frequency, this is the "notch". To either side the signal rises quickly back to normal. Down in the lowband OHP area, there should be little to no effect. BTW, I recommend that you ask for a filter with female BNC connectors on both sides. After using my pager filter on my mobile scanner, hanging on the back of the radio for 3-4 years, the pin in the center of the male BNC broke. Dale made the replacement filter for me with female BNCs, and I connected it to the scanner with a short BNC jumper cable to eliminate mechanical stress. Works like a champ! I was using the 158-HT filter, and the effect on the local/area fire frequency of 154.130 (state fire) was negligible, certainly much preferable to the way the pager transmitter was wipping out this frequency before I bought the filter.

Use the email link on the website to specify your needs, and he'll shoot you back a price and delivery time. I have no connection except as a very satisfied customer. I can't recommend them highly enough. Oh, BTW, with the filter he will supply a graph showing the actual effect of the filter. You'll be able too see just where the filter kicks in and where it returns the signal to normal.

Mark S.