Will this 800mhz Cellular Base Antenna work inside the house?

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Ryanco

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http://www.antennawarehouse.com/Cellular/Wil_yagi.htm
would this Cellular Base Antenna work inside the house ? can this be use with a Scanner?
i need a 800 mhz only Antenna! for INSIDE the house... i cant have anything outside the house- i have 25ft ceiling inside my house and want to fix up something inside.

using a RS800 now.


i dont want to bring in more (hear more).. i just want to make what i hear now come in more clear.... i monitor only 800mhz on p25..

Any info on 800mhz base Antenna's that i could use INSIDE the house ?
Thank you for any help
 
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andy404ns

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Ryanco said:
http://www.antennawarehouse.com/Cellular/Wil_yagi.htm
would this Cellular Base Antenna work inside the house ? can this be use with a Scanner?
i need a 800 mhz only Antenna! for INSIDE the house... i cant have anything outside the house- i have 25ft ceiling inside my house and want to fix up something inside.

using a RS800 now.


i dont want to bring in more (hear more).. i just want to make what i hear now come in more clear.... i monitor only 800mhz on p25..

Any info on 800mhz base Antenna's that i could use INSIDE the house ?
Thank you for any help

You said you were only monitoring 800 p25. Is it just one system or are there multiple systems you listen to? The yagi is quite directional so it would be best if you were listening to just one system (and thus, just one tower). If you want to listen to more than one system, you'll want to get an omnidirectional 800MHz antenna. Comtelco and Antenex, for example, have many of these (and a lot more yagis too).

Putting any antenna in your house instead of outside will cut down its reception but to maximize in house performance, put the antenna as high as possible, definitely in the attic if possible.
 

delta_p

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I use one in my attic. It works quite well and will receive other frequencies too when directed at the source. I think you can find it cheaper someplace else if you look.

PP
 

andy404ns

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Ryanco said:
i have multiple 800mhz systems i listen to... not just 1..

In that case, if you use a yagi, you'll have to re-aim it every time you want to monitor a different system (ie another tower) since they are highly directional. I would go with an omnidirectional 800 MHz antenna in the attic.
 

andrewccm

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andy404ns said:
In that case, if you use a yagi, you'll have to re-aim it every time you want to monitor a different system (ie another tower) since they are highly directional. I would go with an omnidirectional 800 MHz antenna in the attic.

You could use a yagi on a rotator. I am putting one of my scanners on this type of setup in my attic. Waiting on Yagi (should be here in the next day or so). The rotator is remote controlled and hopefully will do what I intend.

I am located about 25miles SW of Dallas (Arlington) and hope to pick up 800mhz in Collin and Denton Co.. which are just North of Dallas. From my position, generally my Yagi should be pointed NE... We'll see how it works.. Fun to try stuff regardless.

Good luck!
 

andy404ns

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andrewccm said:
You could use a yagi on a rotator. I am putting one of my scanners on this type of setup in my attic. Waiting on Yagi (should be here in the next day or so). The rotator is remote controlled and hopefully will do what I intend.

I am located about 25miles SW of Dallas (Arlington) and hope to pick up 800mhz in Collin and Denton Co.. which are just North of Dallas. From my position, generally my Yagi should be pointed NE... We'll see how it works.. Fun to try stuff regardless.

Good luck!


That's true. The OP stated he had "multiple" systems he wanted to listen to. So really it depends on the tower locations. I'm not saying a rotator won't work. It will if he just wants to listen to one at a time. But if you want to actually scan the multiple systems at the same time, you'll want to go omnidirectional.

Ryan, here's a few links to give you some ideas. Basically it depends on how much money you want to spend. I got one of the Comtelco BNF series but I don't have it up yet so I can't say anything about it yet:

http://www.comtelcoantennas.com/bs_800_900_mhz.htm

http://www.antenex.com/index051206.htm ==> click on "base" ==> scroll to "700-900"
models and take a look at what they have.

The question you really have to ask yourself is "do I want to monitor all the 800MHz systems at once or do I just want to monitor one at a time"
 

andrewccm

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I agree..

For me, most all 800 systems that I want to gain strength in are located in the same general direction. The nearby 800 systems (and in the other direction) are easily received (funny, I can actually pick up all my Arlington channels without an antenna connected). I agree about an omni for sure. I am just experimenting more than anything to get the furthest reception I can get (albeit, from an indoor antenna).
This experiment may be a bust, but for around $100 (Yagi and Rotator) it's a fun thing to play with..

I'll be checking out those links you provided as well.. Still have a bit of room left in the attic. LOL

Gotta say the FG8246 +6db centered around 860Mhz sure looks nice... Bit expensive..but...would love to hear others experiences with one...
 
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Ryanco

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af5rn

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Yes, more gain = better performance. Go for the highest gain you can afford. Those that you liked are good, but that first one is for the 900mhz band. It will work to some extent, but it costs no more to buy one that is cut for the 800mhz band and get better performance.

Wideband is not necessarily a positive for you. If you check the exact frequencies you are monitoring, you'll notice that they are all within about a 15mhz spread. The wideband antenna covers a 154mhz spread. That's 139mhz you don't need, so -- although the performance difference may be small when using these high quality antennas -- the most narrow banded antenna that will cover your spectrum will usually perform better than a wider banded one. They are also usually less expensive for narrow band antennas.

You're lucky to monitor nothing but one single band. I wish I could get by with a single band antenna like that! Although, it looks like it is getting that way pretty quickly in Dallas-Fort Worth.
 
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af5rn

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Ryanco said:
ok my next Question is can i use 1 antenna on 2 scanners at the same time?
Yes. Easiest way = a t-connector from Radio Shack (or anywhere else), with a short coax cable patche from the connector to each radio. A little lossy, but not too bad with short cable runs.

Better way = use a signal splitter, available a the same place as...

Best way = use a multicoupler instead of a t-connector. It splits your signal more efficiently, and adds a signal preamplifier to the mix. Check them out here ---> http://www.scannermaster.com/Multicouplers_s/43.htm

also whats a good coax to use?
Official answer = the best you can afford. LMR400 seems to be the all-round favourite here.

Practical answer = depends on how far you need to run your cable, what bands you primarily scan, and how far away your target systems are. If your cable run is less than 75 feet, it's really not critical. If you're only listening to systems within 25 miles of you, again, it's not too critical. And if you're not listening to 800mhz and above, then again, it's not critical. If any of those three factors apply to you, then consider getting at least LMR 400 (available here ---> http://www.scannermaster.com/Coax_Cables_s/33.htm ) If not, Just get your standard, cheap, RG58, available at any Radio Shack.
 

andy404ns

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Ryanco said:
ok my next Question is can i use 1 antenna on 2 scanners at the same time?
also whats a good coax to use?
Thanks for all the help


Well, like someone else said, that first link is for 900MHz which you dont want. Now as far as db gain goes, that depends. If your tower is within, say, 10 miles or so, you probably don't want to get an antenna with a lot of gain (anything over 3db I would think) because you might start to get interference etc. At least I think that's how it works.

Now some of the antennas will show their frequency range and then a "center tuned frequency". you'll want that center tune frequency to be as close to the majority of the frequencies you listen to as possible.

Yes you can use one antenna on two scanners, you'll just need a splitter. however, in the 800MHz range, signal loss is rather high (compared to VHF for example). A good coax for 800 MHz is LMR-400. It has low signal loss for that band. However the coax really depends on the length of your run. If it's 10 feet or under, it wont make much difference. Anything over 25 feet or so at 800 MHz will probably start showing some loss.

edit: I see af5rn beat me to most of those answers. Oh well.

ps - dont get RG-58. Get RG-6 if anything.
 

andrewccm

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Got my Wilson Yagi installed in the attic this afternoon. So far, so good. The Rotator is very well built and quite heavy. I am using an old tripod that I got with some Home Depot Halogen lights to mount mine.. VERY STURDY. I have plastic up from the rotator to the Yagi. I ran some LMR400 cable to it (as it came with N connectors) with N to BNC adapter to my BCD396T. I am playing with it right now and definitely see some improvement on distant sites (particularly at night). I am at the far southern end of my county and reaching all the counties around me, including some that are 2 away (about 50 miles or more)...(Mansfield, TX to Collin County and Denton County)

It definitely is pretty directional though...Local 800Mhz channels that are close by it has no problem picking up regardless of how it's aimed... However, you definitely notice it for further away sites.

I have a ST2 Scantenna hooked to a Channel Master 13db amp with standard RG6 to my BCT15 (I received yesterday). It's working quite well too...Not great/Not bad on 800Mhz, but very good on all others... I am experimenting with a RS800 rubber duck on a T-connector at the back of BCT15 to enhance it's 800... Seems to be working well.. Still playing around right now.

So far, I am happy with the setup.. I would like to test out one of those omni's sometime just for the heck of it..

I actually stayed up ALL NIGHT yesterday getting both scanners organized how I wanted them. It's still up in the air what I'll settle on though.. Already taking some getting used to making out two simultaneous audio channels and 2 instances of bcTool for computer control. I can only imagine those that have 5 or 6 (or more) running... LOL
 

delta_p

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andrewccm said:
Got my Wilson Yagi installed in the attic this afternoon. So far, so good. The Rotator is very well built and quite heavy. I am using an old tripod that I got with some Home Depot Halogen lights to mount mine.. VERY STURDY. I have plastic up from the rotator to the Yagi. I ran some LMR400 cable to it (as it came with N connectors) with N to BNC adapter to my BCD396T. I am playing with it right now and definitely see some improvement on distant sites (particularly at night). I am at the far southern end of my county and reaching all the counties around me, including some that are 2 away (about 50 miles or more)...(Mansfield, TX to Collin County and Denton County)

Nice. Please take some pics of your shack and antennas and post in the "shack pics forum". I'd like to see how you did it since I just did something similar. http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showpost.php?p=796707&postcount=20

andrewccm said:
It definitely is pretty directional though...Local 800Mhz channels that are close by it has no problem picking up regardless of how it's aimed... However, you definitely notice it for further away sites.
I notice the same on my wilson yagi, but it's pretty forgiving on direction from the front. Most of my listening towers are all off one mountain in the same general direction. When it's aimed within about plus or minus of 30 degrees to the general tower direction it'll pick up anything any frequency coming off the mountain. However, signals from the immediate side and back are gone and I have to rotate around to listen.


PP
 
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andrewccm

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I would post pics... But I am semi-embarrassed by some of the "mounting"...

As soon as I recover completely from my STUPID attic fall, I'll get up there and more permanently mount my ST2...then take some pics..

I am so new at all this but have gone from 1 scanner a month ago to 4... I got the bug I guess.

As soon as I clean up a bit, I'll take a pic of the indoor part of the editing room er.. I mean "Shack". (The room was setup for my photography business but is slowly turning into a Radio/Post Production shack...LOL)

Thanks again!
 
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