radunn said:
...As of now I'd consider the mag-mount. I assume it's not as obtrusive as the discone. Is it necessary to place the MM antenna on a metal surface? If so, i can devise an object and attach it to a wall platform that's holding large speakers (on its bottom).
Still a bit confused; is a base antenna one that is attached to a desktop scanner? Do they provide more optimum results vs. unit antennas? Is the mag-mount considered a base antenna?
Most of the trunked 800 frequencies I receive are clear with both the stock and 800Mhz antenna; slightly less hiss with the 800Mhz. What about RS's Deluxe antenna - the 9"er? Again, thanks for all input
Welcome to the hobby. After reading through the thread and realizing that you need some clarification, let me add my $.02 here.
A discone antenna is what is known as a
unity gain antenna. It has no advantage over any 1/4 wave antenna cut for a specific frequency, indeed it has a disadvantage in that it will pick up signals equally well for things you might not want to hear. Whereas the 800MHz RS rubber duck antenna is optimized for the 800MHz band (hence why it works better there than anywhere else) it is attached to the radio and not at the end of a coax run which will induce loss of signal (more loss, the higher in frequency you go). If you are talking about any antenna
inside your apartment, that 800MHz Rubber Duck will outperform any antenna you have talked about yet for the 800MHz band. But as I said, it will suffer on lower frequencies, especially in the VHF range.
A discone, as you pointed out, is a bit bulky for inside. Not to mention that it will present a hazard to your eyes if you walk into it by accident. However, if you do decide to get a discone,
do not buy it from RS. They charge $70 (not $60) for a poorly constructed
antenna. It will not last through any rough treatment. Spend an extra $20 or so and buy a real discone made by Diamond (like the
DJ130J) or some other antenna manufacturer. Remember, discones or other ground plane type base antennas are designed to be use outdoors and mounted up above close by obstructions. No base type antenna will work at its best inside a building. (For those of you who want to jump on that, I am not referring to attic installations. :wink: )
Now as to that Mag Mount antenna. It is a mobile antenna, but can be used anywhere. Yes, it should be attached to some metal object, the bigger the better; however, if you are talking about the
RS Mod 20-032 antenna, do not waste your money. This antenna makes a great paperweight or it makes a great antenna if you live next to the tower and need to attenuate the signals. In doing a test on the 800 Mhz band, my scanner picked up the signal better with
no antenna then it did with one of those. There are some good antennas out there for scanners and there are some bad antennas. That RS Mag Mount is one of the worse I have ever had the displeasure to own. In case you think I am
down on Radio Shack, that is not the case. I own several of the 800MHz rubber ducks, I also am a real fan of the
RS 20-176 ground plane antenna. I think it works great, if mounted outdoors and above the roof line. As a matter of fact, I use one for a dual band (VHF/UHF) Ham antenna with good results.
As has been pointed out here (and elsewhere) you need to make some compromises when it comes to antenna selection. Decide what you want to be enhanced the most and buy an antenna that is designed for that frequency range. Any wide band antenna (such as the discone) is at a disadvantage when compared to a single band antenna.
I hope some of this is helpful to you in your decision making process.
