Riverside County Antennas

[temfreqhunter]

What is the best all-around antenna for Southwest Riverside County? I am usually monitoring county fire and sheriff, Murrieta Police and Fire, and occasionaly the CHP. I want to find a good antenna that will work decently for all of these agencies, but I'm not quite sure there is one. I am currently comparing two antennas: The RadioShack 800 MHz antenna and the Watson W-881 Super-Gainer. If I had to decide, which antenna would be the best for all these agencies. Obviously, I would like to mount a roof-top antenna, but the home-owner's association disallows mounting anything other than a satalite dish on the roof. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

[Lt51506]

If you already have a dish up there, maybe something like a Laird Technologies Model # ETRA8213 mounted to the dish mast would work. It's low profile and unless you know what you're looking at, it just looks like part of the dish it's self and it's tuned for 821-896mhz.

Tom

[temfreqhunter]

Unfortunately, I have Verizon, not Dish Network or DirecTV. That's a cool idea, though. I just want a portable (hand-held) antenna to use in southwest Riverside County that will pick up 150 - 860 MHz. I reallize that it isn't so cut and dry, and that there is no "perfect antenna", but want to get as close as I can without having to mount a roof-top antenna. I currently own a Radio Shack 800 MHz, Watson W-881 Super-Gainer, and a Radio Shack telescoping antenna (which I have gone through three of becuase they bend and snap so easily). I am considering the Watson W-801, but I'm not sure how it will perform. Any further suggestions or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

Robert

[sp1989]

Howabout something like this?
http://www.ventenna.com/

[Crazydave]

The Radio Shack 800Mhz will do fine for Scanning RSO
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2102525


However, CHP will have to Be VERY close for this antenna to pick it up.

As far as HOA restrictions on an antenna, they cannot disallow or impose restrictions or charge any fees on satelitte dish or television antenna.
this is federal law, and HOA cannot trump this.

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html


That being said, I am not sure regarding scanner / transeiver antenna law. But I think if you were to erect a TV antenna under that law, and then attach a scanner antenna to it, I think you would get away with it. Maybe something like a discone antenna would pick up anything you wanted to listen to.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2103160

[temfreqhunter]

Thanks everyone for the info. I just bought a Diamond D-220 discone antenna and will put it on my roof shortly. I don't care what the neighbors think (or the HOA).