tv antenna works great for my scanner!

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seth21w

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I was having problems coming up with the money for a outdoor scanner antenna, and i have several portable antennas but i still had problems picking up a certain freq. i wanted. So i got to thinking and walked around back of my trailor and seen an old tv antenna ( i use satellite now) but i went to radio shack and got the F to BNC connector and plugged it up and voila. I am now picking up everything with full bars! I am picking up VHF and 800MHZ from 50+ miles out! I cannot believe it i am so happy now, and i saved alot of money and made use of a perfectly great antenna. My scanner is a 346xt and also i bought an external speaker that im not afraid to crank up wide open. My girlfriends pissed! lol
 

lmrtek

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The secret is out LOL

I was having problems coming up with the money for a outdoor scanner antenna, and i have several portable antennas but i still had problems picking up a certain freq. i wanted. So i got to thinking and walked around back of my trailor and seen an old tv antenna ( i use satellite now) but i went to radio shack and got the F to BNC connector and plugged it up and voila. I am now picking up everything with full bars! I am picking up VHF and 800MHZ from 50+ miles out! I cannot believe it i am so happy now, and i saved alot of money and made use of a perfectly great antenna. My scanner is a 346xt and also i bought an external speaker that im not afraid to crank up wide open. My girlfriends pissed! lol

I have been pointing this out on this site and others for years.

Those who manufacture the very expensive tv antenna look alike scanner antennas don't want you to know that you can do nearly as well with a $29.95 tv antenna.
RF is RF is cares little what name you put on the antenna.

I have been using a slightly modified tv antenna for years and it easily outperforms anything on on the market.
 

popnokick

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If you haven't already, rotate the antenna so the elements point up and down (vertical polarization). TV signals are horizontally polarized, but nearly everything you want to hear on your scanner is vertical. So don't install the antenna the way you would for a TV (elements parallel to the ground). Instead, turn it 90 degrees so the elements point to the sky and the ground. If you think it is good now, it might be even better when you turn it to vertical.
 

w8jjr

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If you haven't already, rotate the antenna so the elements point up and down (vertical polarization). TV signals are horizontally polarized, but nearly everything you want to hear on your scanner is vertical. So don't install the antenna the way you would for a TV (elements parallel to the ground). Instead, turn it 90 degrees so the elements point to the sky and the ground. If you think it is good now, it might be even better when you turn it to vertical.

Agreed
It will make a difference on DX
 

k9rzz

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Not on a metal mast though. You'll 'shut down' the antenna by putting that big metal bar in the middle of the elements. You'll need a either a wood or pvc mast section or off-set the antenna away from the metal mast.
 

zz0468

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Not on a metal mast though. You'll 'shut down' the antenna by putting that big metal bar in the middle of the elements. You'll need a either a wood or pvc mast section or off-set the antenna away from the metal mast.

Or end mount it if there's enough room at the end of the boom.
 

gewecke

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How about a radio geek.that has a girl friend who's also a radio geek!
n9zas
 
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