tv coax cable for scanner

[adymoe]

I have some white coax cable running to my tv from an outdoor antenna but I still have to figure out what kind of coax it is. If it is RG-6 can I use that for my BCD996XT? Im monitoring in the 100-200 Mhz range. I will have a VHF antenna hooked up in place of my old tv antenna. If your wondering, the cable I have running from my outdoor tv antenna to my bedroom is inbehind the drywall so its not really changeable.

 

[wtp]

try it

it can't hurt. i used my tv antenna until a hurricane took it out.
as long as it does not have a power amp up there, it will work ok not great but ok.

 

[zz0468]

Yeah, it'll probably work just fine.

 

[EC-7]

TV coax will work fine for a scanner.
It only becomes an issue with the impedance mis-match (its 75ohm instead of 50ohm), if you are transmitting, so a scanner wont care. You may have a SLIGHT loss in signal vs using 50ohm coax, but probably nothing you would notice, if its under 150'.

Im actually going to replace all my scanners with RG6 coax, to use my better coax for my radios. I currently use a TV amp/splitter for running 1 antenna into 3 scanners, and I have no issues, except for some junk signal amps Ive tired.

 

[popnokick]

Re-using installed TV coax cable is a GREAT way to enable you to get an antenna outside or up in the attic. Remove the TV antenna and replace it with a scanner antenna, or if you want a high-gain directional scanner antenna, keep the TV antenna and rotate it 90 degrees on the axis to change the RF polarization from horizontal (used for TV) to vertical (used for 2-way comms heard on scanners). When I had satellite TV installed the previous cable TV runs in the house were abandoned and unused by the satellite installer. So I have cable TV jacks throughout the house, all connected via splitter amps to a scanner antenna in the attic. I can connect via a TV cable wall plate in almost any room to a scanner in the attic. Works great, and what little loss is in the system is completely unnoticeable to the ear or the signal meters on my scanners. One caution: If the previously installed cable has been outdoors for some time, ensure that there has not been moisture / water ingress into the cable. If you see signs of corrosion at the outdoor connector(s) then water may have gotten into the cable and that section and connector should be treated as suspect.

 

[Voyager]

It's not ideal, but many scanner antennas actually ship with 75 ohm TV cable, so you will be fine.

Odds are your antenna won't be 50 ohm anyway.

 

[PACNWDude]

This comes up often. Not a big deal and the more your antenna looks like a TV antenna, the less the neighbors tend to complain.

I recommend to people with home restrictions or covenant communities to run PG-6 quad coax and dis-cone scanner antennas. Paint it to match the background and it disappears.

Use the lowest loss coax, the fewest number of splitters and adapters, and it should work fairly well.