Spider Antenna location and performance on sds100

[wtrubelasr]

Recently assembled a Spider Antenna which I purchased previously.
wish to learn the best location and if there is a way to check reception quality.
any advise will be helpful

 

[donc13]

I don't know what a spider antenna is, other than I presume, since you had to assemble it, it's an antenna designed to be mounted outside.

If so, best location would be as high as reasonable, outside, as close to the scanner as reasonable and using high quality coax. AND PROPERLY GROUNDED!

If you prefer it mounted inside, then as high as possible in your attic.

And if you live in a condo or apartment, then near a WINDOW that faces where majority of the local stations, you are interested in, are located.

 

[dave3825]

Look into nano VNA Shows where it resonates

 

[wtrubelasr]

Yes It is for outdoor use .I ordered it when I purchased the scanner and it came with a 50 ft coax cord.
I wish to test locations before permanently mounting it

 

[nessnet]

Yes It is for outdoor use .I ordered it when I purchased the scanner and it came with a 50 ft coax cord.
I wish to test locations before permanently mounting it

Is the antenna froom these people?
Which one?
Spiderbeam© High Performance Lightweight Antennas

Please know that all coax is not equal.
Cheap coax (lots of signal loss) may negate any signal gain you get from the antenna - especially 50 ft of it.
Look closely at it, there should be printing on it - what is it?
Lastly, the shorter the coax is, the better (especially if it lossy).

 

[mmckenna]

That Spider Beam is an HF antenna. If that's what the OP has, probably not a great choice for an SDS100.

You want the antenna up as high as you can safely get it.

 

[Ubbe]

Yes It is for outdoor use .I ordered it when I purchased the scanner and it came with a 50 ft coax cord.
I wish to test locations before permanently mounting it

Configure the SDS100 display to show RSSI signal strength in values for analog systems and digital error values for digital systems. Then try different locations where you can install that antenna. You probably should get som sort of pole to put the antenna on to simulate having it on a mast pole a bit higher up if that will be needed.

If you have no obstacles in the way for the radio signals then the location are not critical for the antenna if it is up high enough. But if you have to receive signals the reflects and bounce off objects then it probably matters a lot if you move the antenna 5-10 ft. For me I get different signals from antennas that are on the same chimney but at opposite sides of it, a 2ft distance. I have to use 4-5 antennas at different locations connected to different scanners to be able to receive different systems as best as possible.

I guess it is the antenna from Bearcat Scanners, the Spyder Maxx.

/Ubbe