Radio Shack 20-043

[Bentley]

OK, I'm sure this has been covered here already, but I've searched far and wide and cannot find it anywhere.

I just purchased the radio shack 20-043 and will be using it on a 2096 or 2055 (not sure yet) would I need some kind of filter with this antenna? I've hear talk on here about overloading your scanner with an antenna. What is that and what does it mean??? How about if I decided to use this antenna with a handheld pro96?

Also, I will be mounting a 8 foot hollow aluminum pole to a vent pipe on my roof, then attaching the antenna to the 8 foot pole. This will make the antenna the highest point on the roof, any need for major grounding in case of lightening?

This is my first roof-top antenna and I really have no clue as to what I'm doing (as you can tell) So, any help / suggestions are GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks VERY much antenna pros!!!

 

[MacombMonitor]

You won't need any kind of filter, but you might need to enable the Attenuator on your radio.

I would not suggest mounting an antenna of that size on your vent pipe...especially with an 8' mast! What is your vent pipe made of? Under high winds, it might snap it!

 

[abqscan]

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/search.php?searchid=309569

Heres a Bunch of info about it...

 

[RISC777]

tatertot1, as Macomb stated that height, weight, and then add wind load...PVC vent mounting is the best idea. It would work . . . for a while, and probably a very short while. Something will give way. Especially if the the vent pipe is PVC (or that black colored cousin of PVC).

Suggestion meant to be helpful: Do some thread and wiki searching on outdoor / exterior antenna mounting / mounts. Then come back with specific questions pertaining to which way you want to go after some self educating.

Just to throw some thgins at you for thought... there are roof mounts that take home peaked roofs into account, flat rood mounts, various masts including telescoping, hinged, etc., ground mounts, wall mounts, corner mounts, chimney mounts (I'm personally not a big fan of those), grounding (!), etc.

 

[Bentley]

Thanks for your imput guys....I will do some searching and figure out which type of mount is best for me.

 

[FIRE321FIGHTER1985]

Antenna Mount Suggestion

I bought 2 11 foot top fence rails ( chain link ) and bolted them together with 2 stainless steel bolts. I drove metal fence stake into the ground and used metal strapping to hold it. I also used a mounting bracket to attach it to the bottom edge of the roof. You could also buy an extra fence rail and drive it into the ground. You could also cut it down to about 7 feet and drive it about 4 - 4.5 feet into the ground. mine is about 23 feet high and i pick up about 60 miles away.

Mark

 

[drouse3]

Be careful installing that ant, The I had bought keep falling apart before I even got on the roof. For twenty dallors more you can the same ant a Daimond D-130J. This ant is built a lot stronger than the R/S ant and will last a lot longer. Just keep in mind you have thirty days to return it to R/S like I did with mine.

I just purchased the radio shack 20-043

 

[Pipeman597]

In regards to overload it is possible. When I used the stock antenna on my 2096 I didn't have any problems.As soon as I went to a roof antenna a local pager started to cause me problems. I had intermod and the scanner was stopping at frequencies with no carrier. Global attention helped but I could still hear it in the backround on Vhf and some things I listened to were now coming in weak. Tomarrow my Par filter arrives so I am hoping that takes care of it. I know this doesn't happen to everybody but if you are in a high RF environment it can happen.

 

[timmer]

I don't know about the RS discone, but as for the Diamond D-130j, it is defintely well put together. I've had one for 15+ years and it is still my main antenna. It has survived numerous storms, including an f-2 tornado which shredded my Scanner Beam but didn't phase the d-130j. Not to mention 15 winters with a couple of ice storms and countless snowstorms.