"Outdoor" antenna indoors

[Bolt21]

I live in a townhouse with no options for external mounting of any kind. If I were to have an "outdoor" antenna (such as a Scantenna) inside on the 2nd floor, would this be a waste of money/time? I guess my question is, does an "outdoor" antenna actually have to be outdoors to be effective?

My main listening interests (for listening with a Scantenna) are Civil/Military Air and RR.

 

[GrayWolfSA58]

they have indoor antennas ,,, I have listen to radio japan off a indoor s w antenna while working on the radio

 

[N_Jay]

The antenna does not care that it is indoors (However, you wife might).

It will not work as well because it general is not as high, and the building attenuates the signal.

(Note: These both have to do with how much signal gets to your antenna, not how well the antenna "works")

 

[DaveH]

It will not work as well because it general is not as high, and the building attenuates the signal.
(Note: These both have to do with how much signal gets to your antenna, not how well the antenna "works")

Not only that, indoor antennas close to computers, routers or other sources
of interference can be a problem. Getting the antenna outside and away from
these helps, but if you can't do it, physical separation indoors helps.

Dave

 

[Barney6]

JRMARLOWE, I'm in the same boat you are, but alot farther north. I have a BC780xlt hooked up to an Antenex 8246 omnidirectional 800 antenna on my balcony using 25" of LMR 400 cable. Works great for Citrus and Hernando Cos. But only when the conditions are right can I get Hillsbourough, Pasco, Pinellas & Polk Cos. Great antenna and cable, but wish I could get it on the roof. By the way, my BC296 with an RS 800 antenna can also pick up those Cos., when conditions are right. Hope this helps, Chuck.

 

[Declared_Hostile]

I used a scantenna that I put in an upstairs closet which worked surprisingly well. Yeah, I had the maddening issues with household and scanner generated interference but I separated the radio room and the antenna as much as possible. I also did a lot of amateur RF shielding on offending appliances and even my radios. Even went as far as learning to tune the TVs in the house to certain channels on certain tuners or video inputs to alter the RF noise they generated to keep the noise off selected milcom freqs. You may also find that you may want to completely ditch some appliances or even radios. I stopped using my old Uniden BC-210xlt and BC 800xlt radios. For some reason they would spew so much stray RF they would lock up radios even if they were on the other side of the house. Noisy little devils. Even now with outside antennas and sheilded cables and such they will lock up other radios. RF spewing demons they are! Oh and routers and ethernet cables are a pain too.

No, it isn't optimal but it is better than using a whip on the back of the radios that's for sure. I also liked the fact that I didn't have to sweat lightning strikes on my antenna

 

[hsdtech]

I guess my question is, does an "outdoor" antenna actually have to be outdoors to be effective?

No. People put them in attics all the time and can work very well.

Good Luck.

 

[kf4lne]

Simple answer: No.

The antenna doesent care if it is inside, in the well, on the car, upside down, backwards, pink, cold or mounted on the outhouse. The antenna will pick up whatever amouont of signal is available to it.

 

[sony]

How about that vent antenna? It is on the roof but looks like a vent.

 

[wjf]

How about that vent antenna? It is on the roof but looks like a vent.

What is a "vent antenna"?

 

[durango5550]

http://www.ventenna.com/ventsec.htm

here is a link to the ventenna

its really a nice way to disguise an antenna but im unaware how well they work since i have no restrictions where i live.

 

[sony]

I would be very curious as to the performance of this antenna too. What freqs. does it cover? Is it primarily for scanning or transmitting?

 

[Turbo68]

Hello,The bands that you listen would receive signals better with an Outdoor Antenna due to the fact that you will get a lot of hiss if the Antenna is indoor and thats speaking from experience because I listen to the same bands.

Good Luck Lino Mlbourne Australia.

 

[Turbo68]

Gday,Well today I put a Diamond-D150 inside the roof and it was a surprise that it works so well and I will definetly put some more antennas inside the roof and it picks up the Airband signals very Good.

Lino Melbourne Australia.

 

[fuzzymoto]

I had a Radio Shack 20-176 in my attic for months. It was mounted on an old ski pole in an old telescope tripod and it worked great. Way better tha anything I tried on the main floor or on the back of the scanner. By the way I experienced no interference at all and my scanners sit ON my computer wireless router.

 

[jcecklund]

I have a scantenna in the attic hanging on a nail and I am pulling signals in as far as 90 miles.

 

[sony]

I have a scantenna in the attic hanging on a nail and I am pulling signals in as far as 90 miles.

That's great you must be up in an ideal location on a hill because I can't even do that and mine are up on 10-ft. masts above house. What freqs. are you getting that far?

 

[jcecklund]

Scantenna in the attic

Yeah, my nieghborhood sets up fairly high, there are no real hills or mountains around so I get pretty good reception, on the scanntenna in the attic, I am pulling Missouri Highway Patrol Troop B on 42.38 mhz with no problems they are at least 100 miles away , I also hear Cameron MO, 60 miles away on Vhf 155.xxx Also hearing Emporia Ks, if its not raining. , I did put on LMR-400 Coax which did make a big difference for me and my scanntenna barely fits in the attic standing straight up hanging on a nail.

 

[sony]

Yeah, my nieghborhood sets up fairly high, there are no real hills or mountains around so I get pretty good reception, on the scanntenna in the attic, I am pulling Missouri Highway Patrol Troop B on 42.38 mhz with no problems they are at least 100 miles away , I also hear Cameron MO, 60 miles away on Vhf 155.xxx Also hearing Emporia Ks, if its not raining. , I did put on LMR-400 Coax which did make a big difference for me and my scanntenna barely fits in the attic standing straight up hanging on a nail.

I was on top of a hill this weekend with a handheld with 16 inch Wilson Y-881 super-gainer antenna and I picked up alot up there most of it I'm sure can be attributed to the location up high even though it was just a small handheld antenna.

 

[kc8zdf]

I have a 800mhz raised feed line antenna by antenna spechilist and it is a mobile trunk lip mount but i dont use it in the mobile i use it in the house. And since it has its own ground i just mounth the trunk lit to a piece of wood bored buy the window and it picks up Livingston county apco 25 no problem and surronding counties most all the time at about 80% on the radio shack pro-96 handheld with a bnc connector. And for the car i just bought and testing the antenex 800mhz antenna the flex whip nmo and so far it works really good. Hopefully that might be a cheap but good way to get signals in to your house.

73 kc8zdf