I'm running the Uniden BCD996P2 and I am curious on what would be the best antenna to use. The area I'm in, I have three possible sites to use since I'm smack in the middle of all three. Out in the open or when I'm parked I usually don't have any issues. But when driving through town and listening to something it picked up on trunking, it will cut out, kind of like a house or a tree breaks the signal. Just curious on what everyone else uses.
The perfect antenna for a veichle
- Thread starter slvdyke76
- Start date
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
What frequencies/bands are you interested in listening to?
There are a number of options, and none of them are "best" for all applications. Getting the right one will make a big difference.
155 - 162 mainly for trunking
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
OK, if that's all you need, you can get a basic 1/4 wave VHF NMO mount antenna for a few bucks and it'll work well.
If you are on the fringes of coverage, you can try a half wave or 5/8th's wave and get a bit more gain. But you probably don't need that.
That'll work well on VHF.
It'll also give you some performance on UHF (1/4 wave VHF is 3/4 wave on UHF)
If you want to play around with the VHF, UHF and 700/800MHz capabilities of your scanner, you can try one of these. Both are good antennas and I've used them myself.
Larsen NMO150/450/758 Mobile Antenna Tri-Band 150-165,450-470,700/800MHz
150/450/700/800 Antenna, Gain (dB) Unity, 100 Watts, Whip Length 16.5"
theantennafarm.com
EM Wave EM-M43002 - Triple Band Mobile Antennas
EM-M43002 Tri-Band IP67 Rated Roof Mount Antenna, 150-162/450-490/763-870 MHz
theantennafarm.com
You'll also need an NMO mount. And then it depends on how you want to mount it.
Permanent mount is best, but not everyone wants to drill holes in their car.
You can do a magnetic mount:
Magnet Mount NMO 12' RG-58 BNC Male TE Connectivity GB8BI
Magnet Mount NMO with 12' RG-58 and BNC Male connector installed
theantennafarm.com
Fast1eddie
Member
Do it right. Drill the hole.
Got the hole already
Thanks for the infoOK, if that's all you need, you can get a basic 1/4 wave VHF NMO mount antenna for a few bucks and it'll work well.
If you are on the fringes of coverage, you can try a half wave or 5/8th's wave and get a bit more gain. But you probably don't need that.
That'll work well on VHF.
It'll also give you some performance on UHF (1/4 wave VHF is 3/4 wave on UHF)
If you want to play around with the VHF, UHF and 700/800MHz capabilities of your scanner, you can try one of these. Both are good antennas and I've used them myself.
orLarsen NMO150/450/758 Mobile Antenna Tri-Band 150-165,450-470,700/800MHz
150/450/700/800 Antenna, Gain (dB) Unity, 100 Watts, Whip Length 16.5"
EM Wave EM-M43002 - Triple Band Mobile Antennas
EM-M43002 Tri-Band IP67 Rated Roof Mount Antenna, 150-162/450-490/763-870 MHz
You'll also need an NMO mount. And then it depends on how you want to mount it.
Permanent mount is best, but not everyone wants to drill holes in their car.
You can do a magnetic mount:
Magnet Mount NMO 12' RG-58 BNC Male TE Connectivity GB8BI
Magnet Mount NMO with 12' RG-58 and BNC Male connector installed
