Hi All!
So I recently purchased a SDS200.
Still learning how to program the thing beyond just the database for my area. It's a different animal. Come a long way from banks and channels of 30 years ago. But I do know how to quickly narrow it down to scanning just rail freqs when I want to. Like Sunday I drove over to the Cherokee Yard in Tulsa. It was fun. But I digress...
So for mobile use I ordered a Smiley 5/8 duck for 161 MHz. I've read mixed reviews. That said, I've never seen all glowing reviews for any duck, really. So I'll presume the Smiley is at least "ok" for my intended mobile purposes.
Now to the real crux of this: I would like to replace the stock telescoping piece of scrap with 'something' better. I'm thinking seriously of the DPD Productions Traintenna.
Question is: if mounted outdoors, though not much above the roof line, would it outperform the stock telescoping antenna in other bands as well?
Mainly, I just listen to local cops, fire, ambulance and then area rail comms. The chips, etc are fine on the stock antenna. Rail not so much. Pretty quiet from 30+ miles away. The nearest rail yard of note is probably about 30-35 miles northwest of me (Tulsa Cherokee). I'm not going to cry that I can't hear the OKC cops 120 miles away using a VHF Traintenna. But if I could pick up an area defect detector or two (I can't right now), and yard traffic with little noise, I'd be thrilled!
I really intend to focus on radio band listening. Just curious what I might expect aside from an improvement in rail receptive over the stock antenna, will it help or hurt other bands (compared to the stock antenna).
All responses appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
--Pete
So I recently purchased a SDS200.
Still learning how to program the thing beyond just the database for my area. It's a different animal. Come a long way from banks and channels of 30 years ago. But I do know how to quickly narrow it down to scanning just rail freqs when I want to. Like Sunday I drove over to the Cherokee Yard in Tulsa. It was fun. But I digress...
So for mobile use I ordered a Smiley 5/8 duck for 161 MHz. I've read mixed reviews. That said, I've never seen all glowing reviews for any duck, really. So I'll presume the Smiley is at least "ok" for my intended mobile purposes.
Now to the real crux of this: I would like to replace the stock telescoping piece of scrap with 'something' better. I'm thinking seriously of the DPD Productions Traintenna.
Question is: if mounted outdoors, though not much above the roof line, would it outperform the stock telescoping antenna in other bands as well?
Mainly, I just listen to local cops, fire, ambulance and then area rail comms. The chips, etc are fine on the stock antenna. Rail not so much. Pretty quiet from 30+ miles away. The nearest rail yard of note is probably about 30-35 miles northwest of me (Tulsa Cherokee). I'm not going to cry that I can't hear the OKC cops 120 miles away using a VHF Traintenna. But if I could pick up an area defect detector or two (I can't right now), and yard traffic with little noise, I'd be thrilled!
I really intend to focus on radio band listening. Just curious what I might expect aside from an improvement in rail receptive over the stock antenna, will it help or hurt other bands (compared to the stock antenna).
All responses appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
--Pete