What is a good antenna for all around use?

[Cashanova48]

I am currently using an old radio shack pro-89 and a UV-5R, I am wondering what would be a good antenna for picking up all the first responder bands and some airband without costing an excessive amount of money but doing a relatively well job. I am planning on switching to a Motorola XTS3000 sometime soon and some time later to a Motorola base station, so it would need to be digital capable. Any response is appreciated.

 

[Ubbe]

Does your digital antenna needs to sit on the scanner and later on a Motorola, using adapters, or can it be an external one and how a big size can it be, like a fullsize 1 meter high discone or perhaps even a 4 meter vertical? For general coverage a discone always works for VHF airband and up thru the frequency ranges, even if it starts to fall off above 500MHz but local 700-900MHz systems are perhaps of a good signal strength so probably no issue.

/Ubbe

 

[FFPM571]

an antenna doesn't matter if its analog or digital its more about what bands it covers

 

[Cashanova48]

Does your digital antenna needs to sit on the scanner and later on a Motorola, using adapters, or can it be an external one and how a big size can it be, like a fullsize 1 meter high discone or perhaps even a 4 meter vertical? For general coverage a discone always works for VHF airband and up thru the frequency ranges, even if it starts to fall off above 500MHz but local 700-900MHz systems are perhaps of a good signal strength so probably no issue.

/Ubbe

Thanks, I was thinking about an external antenna. Is a diacone or vertical normally better for long range?

 

[merlin]

For base, a discone antenna will serve you well.
For mobile, about any of the tri- band antennas.
Portable is hard to fit but a VHF rubber duck works OK.
XTS series, just get the antenna made for the radio. It will be band specific.
Base radios are usually XTL mobile in a desktop case. That you can plug in to the discone.
You won't be transmitting on the Moto's (very bad omen if you do) So no biggie there. No such thing as a digital antenna.
Cheers

 

[Rt169Radio]

This antenna might be a good choice, I have it and it seems to pick up signals better then my discone.

OmniX Scanner Base Antenna

Specs Gain: 3 VHF 4 UHF dBi Pattern: Omni-directional Wavelength: 1/2 Elements: 3 Tuned: 118-137, 148-175 & 225-900 MHz Band: UHF & VHF Connector: N Female Cable: RG8X Cable Length: 16 Inches Height: 45" Width: 30" Weight: 2 lb Features Multi Band-Wide Coverage: The uniquely...

dpdproductions.com

 

[Cashanova48]

This antenna might be a good choice, I have it and it seems to pick up signals better then my discone.

OmniX Scanner Base Antenna

Specs Gain: 3 VHF 4 UHF dBi Pattern: Omni-directional Wavelength: 1/2 Elements: 3 Tuned: 118-137, 148-175 & 225-900 MHz Band: UHF & VHF Connector: N Female Cable: RG8X Cable Length: 16 Inches Height: 45" Width: 30" Weight: 2 lb Features Multi Band-Wide Coverage: The uniquely...

dpdproductions.com

Ok, thanks

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

What's your budget? Consider the Austin Spectra. I once owned two, solid performance on everything from VHF on up to 800

 

[Brales60]

This antenna might be a good choice, I have it and it seems to pick up signals better then my discone.

OmniX Scanner Base Antenna

Specs Gain: 3 VHF 4 UHF dBi Pattern: Omni-directional Wavelength: 1/2 Elements: 3 Tuned: 118-137, 148-175 & 225-900 MHz Band: UHF & VHF Connector: N Female Cable: RG8X Cable Length: 16 Inches Height: 45" Width: 30" Weight: 2 lb Features Multi Band-Wide Coverage: The uniquely...

dpdproductions.com

Ok, thanks

I have that antenna and it's outstanding. Blows away my Discone.

 

[Ubbe]

Is a diacone or vertical normally better for long range?

Discone have no gain so not for long range monitoring of weak signals. Vertical antennas can have gain by flatten its radiation pattern from where it does no good, up in the sky, and from down into the ground, to focus on the horizon.

/Ubbe

 

[GadgetGeek]

Another thing to mention is you can transmit on some discone antennas if that's important to you.

 

[scanmanmi]

I have that antenna and it's outstanding. Blows away my Discone.

Outstanding on a pole? I'm glad to hear this. I'm looking at a new antenna now and would never consider a discone and that's all I read about.

 

[Brales60]

Outstanding on a pole? I'm glad to hear this. I'm looking at a new antenna now and would never consider a discone and that's all I read about.

Lol. Yeah, it's on a pole that can be extended from 10-20'. Made out of fence posts.