What antenna to buy?

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CVPI

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Hello. Scanner virgin here folks. I'm in Miami-Dade county, FL and I plan on getting a Uniden BCD996XT. I would like to listen to several agencies ranging from 25.0000 - 990.0000 MHz. Police, fire, state, airport ect. My question is which antenna to buy. I have an idea but I would like some info on this antenna from Antenex:

TRAb821-18503.jpg


http://www.arcadianinc.com/files/datasheets/3479.pdf

I noticed some models have ranges like this:

TRA(B)7463 746-796 MHz 3 dBi Phantom ¾ NMO, White Radome (Or, Black by inserting “B”)
TRA(B)8063 806-866 MHz 3 dBi Phantom® ¾ NMO, White Radome (Or, Black by inserting “B”)
TRA(B)8213 821-896 MHz 3 dBi Phantom® ¾ NMO, White Radome (Or, Black by inserting “B”)
TRA(B)8903 890-960 MHz 3 dBi Phantom® ¾ NMO, White Radome (Or, Black by inserting “B”)
TRA(B)9023 902-928 MHz 3 dBi Phantom® ¾ NMO, White Radome (Or, Black by inserting “B”)

Does this mean they only pick up in those ranges and nothing more nothing less?
 

N0IU

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Does this mean they only pick up in those ranges and nothing more nothing less?
Yes! That is exactly what it means. If you read the spec sheet in the link you provided, it clearly says right there at the top of the first page, this antenna is for Cell, GSM (Global System for Mobile communications: originally from Groupe Spécial Mobile), WiFi, 802.11, BT (A broadband provider in the UK) and ISM Wireless (industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands). (I added the parts in parentheses)

You might want to browse through the Antenna wiki here on RR and see if you can get some insight into what kind of scanner antenna might work best for you.

Category:Antennas - The RadioReference Wiki

Merry Christmas!
 

N0IU

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Sep 26, 2009
Messages
802
Location
Wentzville, Missouri
These antennas have a very narrow bandwidth. In other words, they do not cover a wide range of frequencies. No, they will not work for the range of frequencies you are interested in.

The frequency range for each of those antennas is very clearly wirtten in the specifications. With all due respect, you need to read through the antenna wiki and do at least a little research instead of looking for an antenna that might look really cool on your ride.

This wiki is specifically about scanner antennas: http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Scanner_Antennas
 
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