NS9710
Member
Is there any way to improve reception on the Uniden SDS100 or an antenna that won't risk damaging my scanner. I have everything set with no filters, NFM modulation.
An antenna tuned to rail frequencies will help, depending on how far you are from the tracks. A Smiley Slim duck 5/8 at 160 MHz performed better for me than the Diamond everyone recommends. An outside antenna is the gold standard, mobile or base.Is there any way to improve reception on the Uniden SDS100 or an antenna that won't risk damaging my scanner. I have everything set with no filters, NFM modulation.
Would that be a standard SMA Male, or the Motorola or Vertex version be the best fit, since the SDS100 has a unique fit?An antenna tuned to rail frequencies will help, depending on how far you are from the tracks. A Smiley Slim duck 5/8 at 160 MHz performed better for me than the Diamond everyone recommends. An outside antenna is the gold standard, mobile or base.
I use a BNC for simplicity (easy on and off). I don't know if their SMA male connector would fit the SDS100 properly.Would that be a standard SMA Male, or the Motorola or Vertex version be the best fit, since the SDS100 has a unique fit?
I use my SDS100 for RR monitoring in situations where I can only tote one radio; it does a pretty respectable job monitoring railroads with the REMtronics antenna (better with a Smiley 5/8 duck RR antenna); I found that placing railroads in a separate system and increasing the hold time to around 1.5 seconds on that system made a considerable improvement in the radio being able to catch the stuff.
If I can carry more than one radio I'm more likely to use my Icom F3161 or Motorola XTS5000 for monitoring rail; for general rail and air monitoring a Uniden BC125AT works great.
I have the BNC adapter for the SDS100 sold by jonweinke on this site, so I use the BNC base with the antenna. Smiley antennas can be ordered with different bases, so I have a selection of them to suit various radios I own.What connection do you use, straight SMA Male, or one of the variants?
YMMV. The Smiley 5/8 duck specifically cut for 160 MHz makes a noticeable reception difference on any radio I use it with.The Smiley "5/8" wave duck antennas may have a slight advantage when transmitting, but they don't really improve reception.