Splitter Choice - Senario

[digitalanalog]

The senario is as follows.

You have 1 antenna : AT-197A/GR Military Discone


You have 3 Scanners : Radio Shack Pro-2052


You have 1 Piece of RG6 Coax 50' Long
You have 3 Pieces of RG6 Coax 2' Long (jumpers)

NOW.........

You need to hook up all three scanners using the one Antenna
You are ONLY interested in scanning 200-400MHz.

Which option are you going to use.
Option A: 3 Way Splitter


or Option B: 3 Channel Relay Board

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Of course if choosing Option B you would need a Power Supply.

So which would you Choose?
The 3 Way Splitter or The 3 Channel Relay Board?

I am very aware of CORRECT ways of doing this, but from a low buget
perspective, both of these options are out there, many people use the
3 way splitters, but did anyone consider using Relay's?

Select Option A or Option B and Why.

 

[SurgePGH]

The senario is as follows.

You have 1 antenna : AT-197A/GR Military Discone
View attachment 95342

You have 3 Scanners : Radio Shack Pro-2052
View attachment 95343View attachment 95344View attachment 95344

You have 1 Piece of RG6 Coax 50' Long
You have 3 Pieces of RG6 Coax 2' Long (jumpers)

NOW.........

You need to hook up all three scanners using the one Antenna
You are ONLY interested in scanning 200-400MHz.

Which option are you going to use.
Option A: 3 Way Splitter
View attachment 95345

or Option B: 3 Channel Relay Board
View attachment 95346

Amazon.com: KNACRO DC 12V 3Channel 30A Relay Module Bidirectional Optocoupler Isolation High Low Level Trigger for Arduino, PLC Equipment, Industrial Systems, Furniture Intelligent Control : Electronics

Buy KNACRO DC 12V 3Channel 30A Relay Module Bidirectional Optocoupler Isolation High Low Level Trigger for Arduino, PLC Equipment, Industrial Systems, Furniture Intelligent Control: Power Converters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Of course if choosing Option B you would need a Power Supply.

So which would you Choose?
The 3 Way Splitter or The 3 Channel Relay Board?

I am very aware of CORRECT ways of doing this, but from a low buget
perspective, both of these options are out there, many people use the
3 way splitters, but did anyone consider using Relay's?

Select Option A or Option B and Why.

Neither A or B are designed to do what you are attempting. you'd almost be better off just using the indoor factory antenna for each scanner.

The proper way is option C. 4 Port MCA204M VHF/UHF Receiver Multicoupler - 25 MHz to 1 GHz | Scanner Master

 

[vagrant]

Option D: Electroline 4 Port Drop Amp with either 0 dB gain, or no more than 10 dB gain. Ensure the power supply is included. You would use one of the RG6 Jumpers between the wall wart and drop amp. Also, one would need to have an HN to F-female adapter on that particular antenna. This drop amp keeps the cost down and definitely works. Some adapters will be needed as well from F male to BNC female as well as three BNC jumpers.

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Additionally, I use a 225-400 MHz filter from Par with that antenna. It really keeps things focused on Military Air. While $80 plus $15 shipping, it is worth it for me do to the RFI I have. For anyone else, one step at a time as that filter may not be needed. Actually, before I would purchase that filter I would purchase LMR-400. I use 75' of LMR-400 now and I will move my AT-197A and use 50' of LDF4-50A Heliax, which is almost half the loss of LMR-400.

 

[kruser]

If the only options are truly A and B and you listen to the frequency range mentioned on all three scanners all at the same time, my answer would be A.
The problem though is at least one (maybe two) of the output ports will lose about 7 dB of signal while the other would be a 3 to 3.5 dB loss. At least that's how they worked back in the day.
You could only split two ways for the lower loss. Once you went above two ports, one of the ports needed a second splitter which doubled the loss.
I think Mini-Circuits has splitters that can be built into custom devices that can split 4 ways with a loss of 3 or 3.5 dB on all ports. Really old cable tv splitters are what I was using for my 7dB loss on at least one port of a 3-way splitter.

I don't think that device under your Option B is an RF rated thing. It looks to be a simple relay module geared for power or other switching needs but not RF.

You could build something halfway easy that has RF rated relays but the board would also need to be built for RF plus you could still only monitor one radio at a time somewhat correctly. If you wired the relay thing so all radios saw the antenna signal at the same time, you may as well just get some 3 and 4-way BNC T's and hook them all together and cross your fingers.

 

[buddrousa]

Option 1

Multicouplers

Option 2 catv junk been there done that was not happy.

 

[prcguy]

The AT-197 antenna is an expensive premium antenna specifically tuned for 225-400Mhz with an excellent 50 ohm match and will handle 1,000 watts continuous transmit power. It deserves no less than a run of 1/2" or 7/8" Heliax. On the extreme cheap skate penny pinching side, maybe a run of LMR-400, but I would be embarrassed to admit using that.

At the radio end a good mil surplus multicoupler from MU-DEL, Aiken Labs, Norlin other mil contractor would be appropriate and on the cheapy squeaky cheap side maybe a Stridesberg if your not in a high RF environment. And don't admit to the Stridesberg.

If you must use RG6 (egaaad, barf) then please let me send you another Discone and put the 197 in the closet until we can figure out a trade.

If you do end up using RG-6 on that antenna I hope when you climb down off the ladder someone knocks you to the ground, takes your crimpers away and smacks you repeatedly saying bad man, very bad bad man, so you never do that again.

Any questions?

 

[iMONITOR]

The senario is as follows.

You have 1 antenna : AT-197A/GR Military Discone
View attachment 95342


What happened to your Mil-Air antenna you were designing/building? I liked it.

 

[iMONITOR]

............

 

[digitalanalog]

Neither A or B are designed to do what you are attempting. you'd almost be better off just using the indoor factory antenna for each scanner.

The proper way is option C. 4 Port MCA204M VHF/UHF Receiver Multicoupler - 25 MHz to 1 GHz | Scanner Master

Both ARE capable of doing what I layed out.
Option C was not a choice.

Option D: Electroline 4 Port Drop Amp with either 0 dB gain, or no more than 10 dB gain. Ensure the power supply is included.

Option D was not a choice

If the only options are truly A and B and you listen to the frequency range mentioned on all three scanners all at the same time, my answer would be A.
The problem though is at least one (maybe two) of the output ports will lose about 7 dB of signal while the other would be a 3 to 3.5 dB loss. At least that's how they worked back in the day.
You could only split two ways for the lower loss. Once you went above two ports, one of the ports needed a second splitter which doubled the loss.
I think Mini-Circuits has splitters that can be built into custom devices that can split 4 ways with a loss of 3 or 3.5 dB on all ports. Really old cable tv splitters are what I was using for my 7dB loss on at least one port of a 3-way splitter.

I don't think that device under your Option B is an RF rated thing. It looks to be a simple relay module geared for power or other switching needs but not RF.

You could build something halfway easy that has RF rated relays but the board would also need to be built for RF plus you could still only monitor one radio at a time somewhat correctly. If you wired the relay thing so all radios saw the antenna signal at the same time, you may as well just get some 3 and 4-way BNC T's and hook them all together and cross your fingers.

Someone who actually payed attention to the OP, Thank You for your reply.

Option 1

Multicouplers

Option 2 catv junk been there done that was not happy.

Your options was not a choice.

The AT-197 antenna is an expensive premium antenna specifically tuned for 225-400Mhz with an excellent 50 ohm match and will handle 1,000 watts continuous transmit power. It deserves no less than a run of 1/2" or 7/8" Heliax. On the extreme cheap skate penny pinching side, maybe a run of LMR-400, but I would be embarrassed to admit using that.

At the radio end a good mil surplus multicoupler from MU-DEL, Aiken Labs, Norlin other mil contractor would be appropriate and on the cheapy squeaky cheap side maybe a Stridesberg if your not in a high RF environment. And don't admit to the Stridesberg.

If you must use RG6 (egaaad, barf) then please let me send you another Discone and put the 197 in the closet until we can figure out a trade.

If you do end up using RG-6 on that antenna I hope when you climb down off the ladder someone knocks you to the ground, takes your crimpers away and smacks you repeatedly saying bad man, very bad bad man, so you never do that again.

Any questions?

Failed to pick an Option, I never said this was my installation.
OP said Scenario.

What happened to your Mil-Air antenna you were designing/building? I liked it.

Off Topic



Both options will work, are they the best? NO, but they will work and some on a shoe string budget need to know that you do not need to spend BIG money on equipment to enjoy the hobby, That was my point.

Yes neither of these options will get you the best available receive from Any Antenna, but there are ways of doing things
that do work. Keep in mind, Most people will not say what they are using because they don't want to be made fun of, or mocked
for using NON Top Dollar Equipment, I have a feeling there are a LOT of people using Option A shown above, but would not
come out and say it for the reasons listed above.

No place in the OP did I ask for YOUR Options.
No place in the OP did I say these were MY Options.

I been listening to scanners for over 30 years and for a long time i did so with the cheapest method possible.
and was still able to hear everything I wanted to hear on a scanner.

 

[buddrousa]

Sorry you do not understand YOU JUST LOST A CUSTOMER.
IGNORE

 

[Dan_M]

The AT-197A/GR Military Discone Antenna is a 50 Ohms Nominal Impedance you don't use 75 Ohm cable. Use LMR 400 or equivalent.
I use a STRIDSBERG MCA208M
VHF/UHF Receiver Multicoupler - 25 MHz to 1 GHz - 8-ports and works great.

 

[OldDrunk]

Here is what I use ($45):

Ultra Mini 4

The Ultra Mini 4 distribution amplifier (CM 3414) boosts TV signals, increasing the overall signal strength for distribution throughout the home. Learn more about the Channel Master Ultra Mini 4 distribution amplifier and buy direct from the manufacturer.

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[prcguy]

Sorry if my response was a little harsh, but I still stand by it. If your going to ask a question and give some starting points, even if its a scenario, you have to expect some harsh answers if the scenario starts with a diamond surrounded in cow manure. It would be like saying you have a HUMVEE up on blocks and are asking what brand of retreads you should use on the 13" rims you got for it. Those parts just don't belong together.

Failed to pick an Option, I never said this was my installation.
OP said Scenario.

 

[KevinC]

Of your 2 bad choices I'd choose option #1. Choosing option #2 seems like it would be the same as stripping the ends of all your coaxes and just twisting them together.

 

[vagrant]

With only the two options, I also choose terrible option A versus unacceptable option B.

Still, neither of those options will work without the HN to F female adapter or RG6 with an HN connector...unless you are advocating to strip the RG6 and push the wire directly into the antenna socket...in this scenario...to keep it low cost.

 

[krokus]

Of the two options given, go with the first. To help compensate for the losses, add a bandpass filter and a small preamp, before the splitter. (Those should not be too expensive, they will help avoid some perceived deafness of the scanners, and prevent overdriving the amp.)

 

[Ubbe]

Select Option A or Option B and Why.

How are that $14 relay solution connected and configured?

That control input are optoisolated and galvanic seperated from the power supply so I would have all relays engaged and connect all scanners in parallell. Then the SQ signal from one scanner would disconnect the two other scanners relays thru some diodes in an OR gate configuration. You probably only listen to the audio from one scanner at a time anyhow.

But I would skip the $14 relay and add a $5 CATV splitter and then a $20 preamp at the antenna that would work better than $50 worth of 50ft LMR400 @1,5dB loss, or even more expensive higher quality coax @ 0,5dB loss.

/Ubbe