Waldport -- Way to quiet !!

[GerryN]

I live on a hill in town facing the ocean. I have three scanners : Uniden BCT15X - -BCD125AT - BCD436HP. I only hear things when the sirens are running through town when at home . Wondering if an outside antenna would help ? There are trees / hills to the east, north and south.
Ocean is to my west.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Welcome to the RR forums. It would probably help the group if you told us what agency(ies) you're aiming to pick up but are unable to. Looks like your county is VHF analog conventional so having an outside antenna should definitely be an improvement if you're using stock antennas indoors

Lincoln County, Oregon (OR) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Lincoln County, Oregon (OR)

www.radioreference.com

 

[GerryN]

Well thank you for your expert advice. Yes using various stock antennas with the misc. scanners inside home . I listen to Public Safety and EMS / Fire. Everything is NFM it appears in Lincoln County , Oregon. 155.070 Frequency Range Which style of antenna might work best ?

 

[devicelab]

Well thank you for your expert advice. Yes using various stock antennas with the misc. scanners inside home . I listen to Public Safety and EMS / Fire. Everything is NFM it appears in Lincoln County , Oregon. 155.070 Frequency Range Which style of antenna might work best ?

Well if you examine the FCC license data then it shows that Lincoln county has a few transmitter sites; however, the closest to Waldport is in Tidewater on Table Mtn. That site is 5.5 miles NE of Tidewater itself. The other sites are not near you whatsoever so yes, you will need an external antenna.

ULS License - Public Safety Pool, Conventional License - KRY912 - LINCOLN COUNTY, OREGON - Locations Summary

If you have a tall structure then a simple 10ft piece of EMT conduit and a Diamond D130 discone antenna would be a good start. Get it up as high as possible. You'll need a run of coax cable. Use RG8x at the minimum but LMR240UF is ideal. It's thin and flexible and has good low-loss properties.

Height is the key. I've heard of guys sticking antennas in tall trees so just about anything is possible. Also be aware that you may be blocked by surrounding hills. VHF frequencies don't bounce around like UHF or higher frequencies do. They are pumping out at least 100 watts so there's sufficient power to get out. (It looks like the Newport site has been upgraded to 250 watts!)

An external antenna is always a good thing though and if you can get it up 20ft or higher then you're doing good. At the very least, you'll hear scratchy comms from the surrounding sites but I think you'll do fine -- you'll never know for sure until you try.

If the LE comms fail then at least you'll have a great VHF marine radio [coastal] station.

 

[n7maq-1]

The SO, Fire and Roads all are on a simulcast system. You should not be having an issue, but if you are on the east side of the highway and up against a hill that could be an issue. Fire 3 is only a 2 site (Highland and Otter) so you may have issues with it. Newport site is only SO 1, Fire 1 and Fire 2.

Jim

 

[GerryN]

Hi Jim I'm a Rookie at this stuff . Yes I'm in Waldport so there are hills and trees on three sides of my home with the ocean on the west side. It is quite a challenge receiving a signals. I did not know Lincoln County is on a Simulcast System ?
Thanks for taking the time to comment on my poor reception issue. I am on the east side of Hwy 101 on a hill.

 

[Fielder3]

Well, I can tell you that I can hear the countywide fire tapout channel from my house in Salem! Strange that you are having reception issues. Yes, an outdoor multi-band antenna should help. (especially if you want to pick up US Coast Guard Comms,, VHF Marine, the 800 mhz OSRP system and Pacific Power.)

 

[GerryN]

Well, I can tell you that I can hear the countywide fire tapout channel from my house in Salem! Strange that you are having reception issues. Yes, an outdoor multi-band antenna should help. (especially if you want to pick up US Coast Guard Comms,, VHF Marine, the 800 mhz OSRP system and Pacific Power.)

Thanks for sharing your expertise. I am considering a Comet GP-3 Antenna or maybe an Ed Fong Antenna. So many choices ?

 

[sparklehorse]

Thanks for sharing your expertise. I am considering a Comet GP-3 Antenna or maybe an Ed Fong Antenna. So many choices ?

Sorry, I know this an old thread, but I haven’t been on RR for a while. Anyhoo, I just wanted to let the OP know that if you haven’t yet gotten an antenna, the Comet GP-3 (along with good coax) would be an excellent choice for your situation. It will provide some gain on VHF over the discone mentioned earlier, and most everything worth listening to in Lincoln County is on VHF. I’ve had a GP-3 for years and it’s always been a winner.

 

[radiotweester]

The short answer is YES. Just make sure it and the installation is twice as strong as what is used inland.
Granted there isn't as much radio traffic as in some counties, but Sheriff and Lincoln City PD get used. PacWest and Fire might be pretty quiet. I don't believe any new repeater sites have been added in a long time.

 

[Baker845]

Sheriff/Newport and Fire/Ems are pretty busy at any given time. Its not super busy in Lincoln county, but just depends on the given time. I hear stuff all day and evening.