Signal Amplifier?

[Kjl2005]

Hey everyone, I was wondering if there is a Signal amplifier I can use for my BCD996xt? I was told that I could use an amplifier for a tv to increase my signal.

I have a Discone antenna about15ft in the air and my radio signals still come in really statically... what can I do to get better signal?

thanks everyone, Kenny

 

[N1XDS]

You could always a GRE Pre-Amp to amplify the signal from the local antenna site to your scanner radio.

GRE Super Amplifier Preamp

 

[n5ims]

You may want to upgrade your antenna. Nearly all wide-band scanner antennas are zero or very low gain antennas. If you only listen to one (or possibly two) bands you could get much more signal by changing to a band specific antenna with some gain. There are several for the 800 MHz band (think 700 - 950 MHz coverage here) and many to select from for the VHF-Hi (think 130 - 170 MHz) and UHF (think 350 - 500 MHz), with many marketed to hams covering both VHF-Hi and UHF with good gain values.

You also may want to think about your feedline (aka coax). Using RG-58 on 800 MHz is like a fire truck using a standard garden hose between from their pumper truck and the fire, the loss is huge!. Coax loss is easy to discover (a Google search on "coax loss calculator" brings up many pages like this one as the first link --> Coax Loss Calculator) where you put in a type of coax (try out several to see what within your budget may be best), your desired frequency (pick the highest you use since loss goes up with frequency) and length (you generally can ignore the rest like power-in & SWR). The one with the lowest loss is probably what you want. Don't be worried about small differences since it takes almost 2 dB for you to really notice anything using a meter and even more using just your ears.

Adding an amp can make real gains in your signal quality or make things go from bad to extreamly bad, depending on your specific area, frequencies you use, and what transmitters may be nearby. Remember that most amps will boost everything, desired signals, unwanted signals, and noise. Your scanner needs the desired signal to be significantly stronger than the noise level for it to pick it up. Think of it this way, you're talking to a friend at a library and can be heard talking very softly but talking to that same friend at a noisy bar and you may not hear them even while talking very loud.

 

[JASII]

Yes, like the previous posted stated. Get good, quality coaxial cable like 9913, or better.

 

[Kjl2005]

thank you!

I am thinking i need a new antenna...what would be a good reasonably, low cost, antenna be? that covers from 150mhz to 800mhz

Do you know of any good websites to buy antennas from?

 

[EMT911]

Discone antenna thread

Let's see here, you are using a good antenna for 150-1000 mhz already. The discone is not a bad antenna if broadband coverage is desired. It is flat or nearly flat for ten octaves up from it's low side design point. That is, if it is cut for a low frequency of 100 mhz, it will be useful up to about 1000 mhz with a flat SWR. Now, that said, it is not a high gain antenna.

What I would like to know before you spend any $$$ is: how far away from you these stations you are trying to receive are you in miles? Also, what is the terrain in your area? And what kind of coax you are actually using, how old it is (yeah, it deteriorates over time) and how long it is? Also, how many splices it has or is it one continuous piece from end-to-end with no barrel connector splices?

I have used discones commercially and for scanner and ham use. I currently use one on my PRO2006 (the only antenna I could find that covers CONTINUOUSLY about the same range as that scanner). I use another one on my dual band Icom transceiver (144 and 440 mhz) and it works flawlessly.

Give us some more history and symptoms here and maybe we can come up with more informed answers. As I said, I have many antennas here but use discones daily with good results.

Be careful using just any amplifier. Some have too much gain and you wind up creating all kinds of new "signals" that plague your receiver so much it seems it is defective.

73,

Bob
EMT911

 

[ab3a]

Rule number one regarding antennas: Get it up as high as you can.

Rule number two: use the lowest loss coaxial cable you can afford. If you expect to hear anything above VHF, you'd be wise to use Belden 9913 or preferably some hard-line coaxial cable. If you have friends or excellent scrounging ability, Andrew LDF4-50 cable with connectors is good up to 100 feet or more. The longer the cable, the more important it will be to keep your losses down.

Rule number three: only after you have observed rules 1 and 2 should you consider a remote amplifier.

Remote amplifiers will not fix overload problems. They will not fix an inadequate antenna installation. If you are in an area where there are lots of nearby signals, a remote amplifier can actually make things worse. Broadband, low noise amplifiers are typically effective only in rural situations with antennas up high and something more than 40 or 50 feet of transmission line between you and the antenna.

One other thing: Pay attention to weatherproofing at the antenna. If you do get a pre-amp, weatherproof it thoroughly with several coats of 3M Scotchkote and at least an entire role of electrical tape. Sunlight and water will break down almost everything faster than you would believe.

 

[scottyhetzel]

Yes a tv amp will work great.. 20 MHz - 1000mhz. I used them on fm antenna for my home receiver many times. The amp works best at the antenna side so it can push the signal down the coax. The problem is finding a water proof amp. You will have to mount inside a nema3r box.

 

[davidzimmerman]

amp for the car?

i use a GRE800 in my car with a good mobile antenna do they make one for a pocket scanner to help it?

 

[gunmasternd]

i use a GRE800 in my car with a good mobile antenna do they make one for a pocket scanner to help it?

did you bother to check out the site the guy above you posted?