Stridsberg Multicoupler

[billfx]

Is a Stridsberg Multicoupler, such as the MCA204M, worth the cost ($185.00), when hooking several scanners to 1 antenna? Or would a BNC T be just as effective?

 

[SCPD]

The scanners will interfere with each other if you connect them to the same antenna without a coupler. You could always roll your own if you like, Do a google search for creating multicouplers.

 

[Spec]

I've been using a MCA204M for several years now. I am very pleased with it. I've yet to find any problems. Yes, it is worth the money as compared to the cheap stuff. Would I like to see a lower price....but of coarse.

Spec

 

[jastx]

The MCA204M I purchased just over one year ago has given me no trouble (knock on wood) and the scanners work as if they each had their own antenna.

The cost is a personal decision. I did not want to spend the time and money to properly install a second antenna. My wife would not have appreciated the visual appearance of a second antenna. Plus, the MCA204M gives me the ability to add two more scanners in the future - which I would not be able to do if I had installed the second antenna.

 

[Al42]

Is a Stridsberg Multicoupler, such as the MCA204M, worth the cost ($185.00), when hooking several scanners to 1 antenna? Or would a BNC T be just as effective?

Using T connectors messes up the impedence (more than it's already messed up by the scanner's front end having to cover such a wide frequency range). You can use passive multi-set couplers (the kind used on TV cable), but you lose 3db/receiver for every 2 for one split - plus losses due to the fact that nothing is perfect. (3db for 2 receivers, 6db for 4 receivers, etc.) An active multicoupler has an amplifier (the "active" part) to make up for that loss.

Will it cover the entire frequency range you want? Will it handle the signals in your area without overloading or intermodding? (If you live next door to a 600 watt transmitter, you don't want one.) Every situation is different, so you have to see if it works for you. I can tell you this - even a good coupler, like the Stridsberg, isn't worth anything in an environment like mid-town NYC. Your scanner will stop on the first frequency it has programmed into it and sit there, listening to all the noise. Even without a multicoupler, a scanner with an external antenna there has problems.

Your mileage will vary.