Ok I have uniden sds100 and it just doesn't do what older scanner did but my questain is for a outside ant. Could I connect to my 25 ft satellite dish that we don't use any more would this be good idea or am I out of my mind I just don't have alot of extra cash right now with all thats going on oh so its known I am in east bay area I know this is a good unit I just rember our older scanner was like non stop with feed back n this one its gone up to like 5 min with not even a squelch so please any help and or advice is most wanted tk u
Question on antennas (dont mind spelling)
- Thread starter fruegie
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WA0CBW
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Short answer is no. Antennas need to be designed (tuned) to the frequencies you want to hear. Others here can help you getting your scanner programmed correctly.
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You would be luck to hear anything at all with the satellite dish--totally wrong frequency (that is even more true if there is an and LNA or LNB on the dish as that would not be getting power and would have filters anyway). *Any* "sccanner" antenna would probably do better. As WA0CBW implied, your scanner may not be properly programmed and you need to look closely at that.
mmckenna
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Make sure you have your scanner programmed for the EBRCS radio system. When you mention your old scanner worked better, it makes me think you are trying to listen to the old frequencies. A lot has changed.
As for an antenna, if you are not using the satellite dish, then you can reuse the coaxial cable. You could buy/make your own antenna. Or, you could just strip back a couple of inches of the coax and expose a couple of inches of the center conductor and try that up as high as you can and see if it helps.
As for an antenna, if you are not using the satellite dish, then you can reuse the coaxial cable. You could buy/make your own antenna. Or, you could just strip back a couple of inches of the coax and expose a couple of inches of the center conductor and try that up as high as you can and see if it helps.
I also live in the East Bay Area region and have being listening to scanners for many decades. As mmckenna stated, much has changed over the years. I'm not familiar with the SDS100 but from what I've read about it, you should be able to import and set up the EBRCS radio system for Alameda County. I use a Radio Shack 688 and did just that. If you can connect your scanner to a computer with the appropriate software, it may be a little easier to do via computer. The EBRCS system is large and quite busy. Once set up, you should hear a fair amount of traffic depending upon the talkgroups. Below is the link to the RR database for the EBRCS system. If you're between Oakland and Fremont, the ALCO Southwest will probably serve you best. If your in Dublin/Pleasanton, the ALCO East will probably be better. Again, I'm not sure how the SD100 presents the EBRCS system so you may need to experiment. I wish I could help you more with programming. If you head over to the EBRCS forum, you may be able to get help with programming your radio by a fellow SDS100 owner.
EBRCS Forum:
forums.radioreference.com
EBRCS frequency database:
With regard to antennas, once you get the correct system for your area, you'll more than likely be able to pick up traffic especially outside. I mention outside because my house has foil backed insulation and sometimes interferes with monitoring depending upon my location in the house. On the same topic, the EBRCS system is a simulcast system. That is, the same signal is being transmitted from multiple repeater sites simultaneously and some scanners have trouble distinguishing which if those signals it should listen to. This can be a case where more isn't better and having an outside antenna creates more problems than it solves. I'm not sure how the SDS100 handles it so again, experimentation is in order. Since the EBRCS system is in the high 700Mhz range, a simple antenna need be only 3" tall or so. Try the stripped back coax as mentioned by mmckenna.
EBRCS Forum:
EBRCS Question Thread
The EBRCS Updates thread keeps getting off-topic chatter and I don't want to delete your posts. So please use this thread to ask questions or post observations not specific to new or changes for the system. How to program your scanner for the system is not a question about the system, it's a...
EBRCS frequency database:
East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS) Trunking System, Various, California
East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS) Trunking System Profile
www.radioreference.com
With regard to antennas, once you get the correct system for your area, you'll more than likely be able to pick up traffic especially outside. I mention outside because my house has foil backed insulation and sometimes interferes with monitoring depending upon my location in the house. On the same topic, the EBRCS system is a simulcast system. That is, the same signal is being transmitted from multiple repeater sites simultaneously and some scanners have trouble distinguishing which if those signals it should listen to. This can be a case where more isn't better and having an outside antenna creates more problems than it solves. I'm not sure how the SDS100 handles it so again, experimentation is in order. Since the EBRCS system is in the high 700Mhz range, a simple antenna need be only 3" tall or so. Try the stripped back coax as mentioned by mmckenna.
Thank you for your help and advive
Thank you for advice im going to figure out the escrow as soon as I can tk uI also live in the East Bay Area region and have being listening to scanners for many decades. As mmckenna stated, much has changed over the years. I'm not familiar with the SDS100 but from what I've read about it, you should be able to import and set up the EBRCS radio system for Alameda County. I use a Radio Shack 688 and did just that. If you can connect your scanner to a computer with the appropriate software, it may be a little easier to do via computer. The EBRCS system is large and quite busy. Once set up, you should hear a fair amount of traffic depending upon the talkgroups. Below is the link to the RR database for the EBRCS system. If you're between Oakland and Fremont, the ALCO Southwest will probably serve you best. If your in Dublin/Pleasanton, the ALCO East will probably be better. Again, I'm not sure how the SD100 presents the EBRCS system so you may need to experiment. I wish I could help you more with programming. If you head over to the EBRCS forum, you may be able to get help with programming your radio by a fellow SDS100 owner.
EBRCS Forum:
EBRCS Question Thread
The EBRCS Updates thread keeps getting off-topic chatter and I don't want to delete your posts. So please use this thread to ask questions or post observations not specific to new or changes for the system. How to program your scanner for the system is not a question about the system, it's a...
EBRCS frequency database:
East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS) Trunking System, Various, California
East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS) Trunking System Profilewww.radioreference.com
With regard to antennas, once you get the correct system for your area, you'll more than likely be able to pick up traffic especially outside. I mention outside because my house has foil backed insulation and sometimes interferes with monitoring depending upon my location in the house. On the same topic, the EBRCS system is a simulcast system. That is, the same signal is being transmitted from multiple repeater sites simultaneously and some scanners have trouble distinguishing which if those signals it should listen to. This can be a case where more isn't better and having an outside antenna creates more problems than it solves. I'm not sure how the SDS100 handles it so again, experimentation is in order. Since the EBRCS system is in the high 700Mhz range, a simple antenna need be only 3" tall or so. Try the stripped back coax as mentioned by mmckenna.
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