Which antenna best for Seattle area PDs?

[gakman]

Hi I am new to this forum and also new to the scanning arena, so please excuse me if I sound ignorant.

I just bought a Uniden Bearcat BCT8 Trunktracker scanner for my SUV and I want to install a permanent mount antenna in the middle of the truck's roof. I know I can use a magnetic mount but I can't stand that cable dangling outside the vehicle.

I read as much as I can on this forum and others for the "right" antenna but I cannot say I am getting it...

I need some recommendations on the best antenna to use for my needs -
1. I anticipate I will monitor the PDs (Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland), WSP, and maybe the government bands when the president is in town
2. I would like the antenna to be as short as possible since I need to go in and out of underground garages a lot. And if I have to use a longer one (say 18"), the whip would have to be fairly flexible so it can take the multiple bending in and out of garages.

I have already purchased a Radiall/Larsen antenna (900 Mhz) but it is long and fairly stiff, and I have no idea if it is even a good scanner antenna??

Would anyone recommend something for me? Whatever I pick would probably be wrong....

Thanks in advance.

(sorry I posted this already in the antenna forum but was advised to ask you local guys since you know which frequencies our PDs use and therefore the best antenna to use)

 

[AtomicTaco]

Post back there with this info:

Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland: 800
WSP: VHF
Government: depends, though it'll be the mid 100s and the low 400s mostly. Air stuff will be in the 300s.

Your 900 antenna will probably do OK for the 800 stuff, but probably crap for the rest.

If you want really good reception, you'll want to invest in multiple antennas. This means either multiple scanners or some way to switch between the antennas. There are also dual band and tri band antennas, but there are none that I know of that do 800. They probably exist, but there isn't much practical use for them outside of scanning. There are, however, "scanner" antennas. They're designed to be decent on multiple bands.

I've got an Antenex ABSCANC. It's a great antenna from what I've heard, but I never got a connector installed on the mount, so it's still sitting inside. Maybe I'll get that done tomorrow...

 

[gakman]

Thanks for the tips. Someone here recommended the tri-band Larsen Tri-Band (NMO150/450/800). What do you think of that?

I am actually hoping to get something that is a bit shorter since I am installing that on the roof of my SUV. A few others here uses this Antenex - ETRAB8063 - NEW ELITE PHANTOM ANT 806-866MHZ, now that certainly is NOT multi-band right? But I kinda like how steathy it is....

 

[AtomicTaco]

Read reviews. 'Course that antenna will work great for 800, but it'll probably suck for everything else. You'll probably pick up WSP on I-5, since that's where they use it.

I know that their Agressive Driver Unit (or whatever it's called) vehicles have on-the-glass on antennas. Apparently they're fine while on I-5, but not so great off.

 

[gakman]

This may sound stupid.... but can I hook up two antenna in parallel? For that matter, three antenna? and they all go to the same scanner? What would happen?

 

[gakman]

Never mind my last post. I saw the "sticky" on the multiple antenna thread. Sorry....

 

[gakman]

Atomic,

This one says "VHF 1/4 wave 132 - 928 MHz"

http://www.antenex.com/index051206.htm

Doesn't that cover all the frequencies I need?

Thanks!

S

 

[AtomicTaco]

I've never seen that one before. The only thing I can think of is you buy that antenna and then cut it to length. Better ask in the antenna forum.

http://www.antenex.com/c_search.asp...LC&txtSubFamily=VHF+1/4+WAVE+BROADBAND+MODELS