prcguy
Member
Since the antenna is responsible for most of your reception, using the highest gain you can and putting it as high in the air as possible is key to distant reception. If you can't find a single antenna to satisfy the gain requirements then using individual single band high gain antennas and a low loss combiner will give you the performance edge.
If VHF is your problem band and UHF is close in stuff then you might get away with a single high gain VHF antenna that has poor performance on UHF, but you will neve know how good or bad it is until you try it. Same with 800MHz, that's a problem band for many that needs a gain antenna up high but if your close to the transmitting stations it might work good enough on a VHF antenna.
If you have space, time and $$ you could make it a multi step process and get a VHF antenna first and see how it does on all bands. If it doesn't work out then supplement with a UHF and finally an 800 with suitable combiners as needed.
If VHF is your problem band and UHF is close in stuff then you might get away with a single high gain VHF antenna that has poor performance on UHF, but you will neve know how good or bad it is until you try it. Same with 800MHz, that's a problem band for many that needs a gain antenna up high but if your close to the transmitting stations it might work good enough on a VHF antenna.
If you have space, time and $$ you could make it a multi step process and get a VHF antenna first and see how it does on all bands. If it doesn't work out then supplement with a UHF and finally an 800 with suitable combiners as needed.
I guess your right nd5y and it makes much more sense to run one cable. I get it, but if not using the correct splitters, diplexers, cable ect than your just wasting your time by not getting the receiving results that you should. To answer your question prcguy, 800mhz not a big deal. I for the most part lock out MSP & Worcester that are all on that state 800 thing. I occasionally listen to state with no problem. Worc little garbled with their voices, but I worked for the city and even their own radios were a little garbled. Isn't it better to have one antenna for vhf tuned to 158-162 that I listen to and one antenna for 460-470 that I listen to as well? Or just cut A Diamond F23H to the VHF 158-162 and hope for the best on UHF?