poor reception 2

[rolocome]

OK I changed to the RG6 cable with the 20-176 antenna on the roof and still only get local frequencies. I can put the 800mhz rubber antenna on and depending where in my house I can pickup the channels I want. The channels I want to monitor is a 800 mhz motorola type II smartnet system, about 25 miles away. Like I said with a standard factory antenna on the radio I can go outside and pick it up but with the external nothing. What's up? I have hooked it up to my BC 246T and my Pro 96, same results. Any help appreciated.

 

[Al42]

1) The 20-176 is not an 800 MHz antenna.
2) Have you checked your cable? At least continuity from end to end and lack of shorts?
3) Have you tried to listen to any distant (like 25 miles) VHF-hi or UHF signals?
4) Are you trying to receive a signal that your base antenna can't see? (Like a NYC transmitter from Suffolk county, and the transmitter isn't in the "Route 110 notch"?)

 

[LarrySC]

The 176 has an SO-239 connector for the PL-259 plug. It's only rated thru UHF 600MHz.

 

[K5MAR]

The 176 has an SO-239 connector for the PL-259 plug. It's only rated thru UHF 600MHz.

Not even that high, actually. From the Radio Shack website:

Features: • Covers 108-1300MHz with peak performance in 152-470MHz range

Note the part I underlined, that's the useable effective range.

Mark S.

 

[Junior08]

Get rid of that antenna, and get yourself a Scantenna, preferrably from here;

http://www.starkelectronic.com/acantena.htm#ST2

Excellent service, as I have ordered 2 Scantennas from them!

 

[Al42]

Get rid of that antenna, and get yourself a Scantenna, preferrably from here;

http://www.starkelectronic.com/acantena.htm#ST2

Excellent service, as I have ordered 2 Scantennas from them!

If all he wants is 800 MHz coverage he can make a perfectly usable ground pland for around $10, if he has to buy everything. It'll have at least the same gain as a Scantenna - maybe a bit more.

 

[loumaag]

OK I changed to the RG6 cable with the 20-176 antenna on the roof and still only get local frequencies. I can put the 800mhz rubber antenna on and depending where in my house I can pickup the channels I want. The channels I want to monitor is a 800 mhz motorola type II smartnet system, about 25 miles away. Like I said with a standard factory antenna on the radio I can go outside and pick it up but with the external nothing. What's up? I have hooked it up to my BC 246T and my Pro 96, same results. Any help appreciated.

When you first posted this problem you were using 3 sections of coax strung together amounting to about 50ft. Assuming you are still using 50 ft but now using RG6 you are still losing almost 2/3 of a 860 Mhz signal (4.539 dB) at the antenna to the coax alone (no connectors considered). The person who responded to you in that first thread was using Beldon 9913 (RG-8) cable with a very short piece of RG6 to get through the wall, had you used that instead, you would lose just about 2 dB on the line and losing less than 40% of the signal in the line.

 

[rolocome]

Ok do I need a different antenna or try to make a shorter run on my coax?

 

[crazyboy]

A shorter run and/or better quality cable would help.

 

[Al42]

Ok do I need a different antenna or try to make a shorter run on my coax?

Unless you're using a high-gain (or special in some way) antenna, the main variable is cable loss, so make the cable run shorter and use a single piece of low-loss cable. At 800 MHz, 3" of the end of the cable isn't much worse as an antenna than something you paid $50 for.