Silly antenna question

[noneentered]

I carry a BCT8 scanner at work in my minivan just using the string between two suction cups antenna provided while it really dont work bad i find sometimes the VHF and trunking are lacking in certain areas of the city so i was wondering likely not but how would the AM/FM antenna on the van work anyone try this ? Not like i usr the radio anyway so i wouldn't miss it good idea ? or a waste of time ? Everything i know about antennas says it wont work well but i have been wrong before

 

[mjw357]

What can it hurt? Get a motorola>BNC adapter and see how it does. Let us know!

 

[noneentered]

What can it hurt? Get a motorola>BNC adapter and see how it does. Let us know!

Ya i got one already maybe ill rip the radio out on the weekend and try it out was hoping someone had already tried it but oh well should be interesting to see the results .

 

[crcarter]

Ya i got one already maybe ill rip the radio out on the weekend and try it out was hoping someone had already tried it but oh well should be interesting to see the results .

I used an AM/FM on the car with a splitter for several years that worked very well. At one time Antenna Specialists made a dedicated splitter, but it has been discontinued for several years.

Currently when I travel in another vehicle that I don't have an outside antenna on, I have found that the rubber duck antenna works well when you mount it on the windshield or side window where it isn't surrounded by sheet metal. Garmin makes a remote antenna mount with BNC connectors, a 6 foot cable, and a suction cup. I have had it for years and wouldn't trade it for anything. Here is the link:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=578

 

[prcguy]

eBay has various AM/FM antenna adapter boxes for scanner use and they can work surprisingly well. Not a replacement for a good antenna in fringe areas but certainly better than an inside the car suction cup antenna.
prcguy

 

[fineshot1]

I did this a long time ago with one of those antenna specialists splitters
and the scanner reception did improve slightly but the fm reception
was degraded to a point I found was totally unacceptable so I backed
that out and just got a dedicated scanner antenna on a trunk lip mount
and that worked out much better.

 

[W8RMH]

The adapter is available at Scannermaster

https://www.scannermaster.com/AM_FM_Scanner_Coupler_p/15-540729.htm