Low Profile Scanner Antenna
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ddoug4uonly
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:49 pm
Low Profile Scanner Antenna
I am currently using a window antenna, but I am looking for something different. I am looking to a good low profile one that will cover as much of the range of my PRO-2055 as possible. Any suggestions?
Re: Low Profile Scanner Antenna
Doug,
So your using a glass-mounted antenna on you car right? Glass mounted antennas look nice, and do ok, but are generally known to not perform as well as other types of antennas.
In my opinion, the best thing to do would be to drill a 3/4" hole in the center of the roof of your car, then install an NMO-antenna mount, and use a VHF whip antenna. This will bring in the VHF frequencies best and will also do well for low-band, UHF and 800MHz frequencies.
If you dont want to drill a hole, go with a mag-mount NMO antenna mount. Stick it in the center of the roof of the car. (I say the center, because it will help provide a better ground-plane and thus a better signal)
~Chad (318)
So your using a glass-mounted antenna on you car right? Glass mounted antennas look nice, and do ok, but are generally known to not perform as well as other types of antennas.
In my opinion, the best thing to do would be to drill a 3/4" hole in the center of the roof of your car, then install an NMO-antenna mount, and use a VHF whip antenna. This will bring in the VHF frequencies best and will also do well for low-band, UHF and 800MHz frequencies.
If you dont want to drill a hole, go with a mag-mount NMO antenna mount. Stick it in the center of the roof of the car. (I say the center, because it will help provide a better ground-plane and thus a better signal)
~Chad (318)
Re: Low Profile Scanner Antenna
Oops, I just re-read your post, and noticed that I missed the 'low profile' part.
Well, going low-pro will limit what you can do. No low-pro antenna is going to perform like a full-length antenna, but anything is better then glass mount as far as reception is concerned. I personally use small VHF NMO-mounted (drilled holes) whips for VHF and low-band, and then Antennex Phantom antennas (go to 'Google images' and look them up) in UHF and 800MHz for those bands. I have nine antennas on top of my F350, and believe it or not, it still looks pretty low-profile. I'll post pictures when I can.
~Chad (318)
Well, going low-pro will limit what you can do. No low-pro antenna is going to perform like a full-length antenna, but anything is better then glass mount as far as reception is concerned. I personally use small VHF NMO-mounted (drilled holes) whips for VHF and low-band, and then Antennex Phantom antennas (go to 'Google images' and look them up) in UHF and 800MHz for those bands. I have nine antennas on top of my F350, and believe it or not, it still looks pretty low-profile. I'll post pictures when I can.
~Chad (318)
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ddoug4uonly
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:49 pm
Re: Low Profile Scanner Antenna
I am currently using a 1988 S10 Blazer 4x4. The console I have setup in the vehicel onlly allows for 1 scanner to be installed because of the allotted space in the vehicle. Although I have CHP programmed in my scanner, my main concern is RSO and the Local PD's which seem to mainly run on the 400 Mhz bands. Any suggestions on band/model?318 wrote:
Well, going low-pro will limit what you can do. No low-pro antenna is going to perform like a full-length antenna, but anything is better then glass mount as far as reception is concerned. I personally use small VHF NMO-mounted (drilled holes) whips for VHF and low-band, and then Antennex Phantom antennas (go to 'Google images' and look them up) in UHF and 800MHz for those bands. I have nine antennas on top of my F350, and believe it or not, it still looks pretty low-profile. I'll post pictures when I can.
~Chad (318)
-- Doug
Re: Low Profile Scanner Antenna
Well actually,
RSO and Murrieta PD are on 800MHz, everyone else, with the exception of Riverside City PD (and FD) which is UHF, is in the VHF range. Riverside PD is the ONLY police department in the county working on UHF or in the 400MHz range. Hemet PD, Banning PD, Beaumont PD, and Corona PD are all VHF.
RSO is easy to hear and an antenna, even for a different band, is still going to work well if it is mounted outside the car. Now you have to look at the other Police departments you want to hear. As I said, they are mostly VHF, so if you go with a VHF antenna, you will hear RSO fine and the VHF good too.
If your looking for low-pro, the 'lowest pro' I reccoment would be a simple 14-inch steel whip made by Motorola with an NMO mount. If you want better reception and don't mind a bigger antenna, I would buy the 48-inch Larson VHF antenna with NMO mounting. Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) in San Diego sells both (and the mounts) off the shelf for a good price. You will not be let-down with the Larson.
Are you willing to drill a 3/4" hole in the roof for a good mount? If not, go NMO with a mag-mount.
~Chad (318)
RSO and Murrieta PD are on 800MHz, everyone else, with the exception of Riverside City PD (and FD) which is UHF, is in the VHF range. Riverside PD is the ONLY police department in the county working on UHF or in the 400MHz range. Hemet PD, Banning PD, Beaumont PD, and Corona PD are all VHF.
RSO is easy to hear and an antenna, even for a different band, is still going to work well if it is mounted outside the car. Now you have to look at the other Police departments you want to hear. As I said, they are mostly VHF, so if you go with a VHF antenna, you will hear RSO fine and the VHF good too.
If your looking for low-pro, the 'lowest pro' I reccoment would be a simple 14-inch steel whip made by Motorola with an NMO mount. If you want better reception and don't mind a bigger antenna, I would buy the 48-inch Larson VHF antenna with NMO mounting. Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) in San Diego sells both (and the mounts) off the shelf for a good price. You will not be let-down with the Larson.
Are you willing to drill a 3/4" hole in the roof for a good mount? If not, go NMO with a mag-mount.
~Chad (318)
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ddoug4uonly
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:49 pm
Re: Low Profile Scanner Antenna
I have no problem with drilling the hole to mount the antenna.. Thanks for the information.318 wrote:
Are you willing to drill a 3/4" hole in the roof for a good mount? If not, go NMO with a mag-mount.
~Chad (318)
-- Doug
Re: Low Profile Scanner Antenna
Woah, you are NOT messin around!318 wrote:Oops, I just re-read your post, and noticed that I missed the 'low profile' part.
Well, going low-pro will limit what you can do. No low-pro antenna is going to perform like a full-length antenna, but anything is better then glass mount as far as reception is concerned. I personally use small VHF NMO-mounted (drilled holes) whips for VHF and low-band, and then Antennex Phantom antennas (go to 'Google images' and look them up) in UHF and 800MHz for those bands. I have nine antennas on top of my F350, and believe it or not, it still looks pretty low-profile. I'll post pictures when I can.
~Chad (318)
Re: Low Profile Scanner Antenna
Dan,
I was a [very busy] freelance breaking news photographer (video) in San Diego prior to moving to the Southwest Riverside County area, and taking a "nine to five" job at KZSW-TV in Temecula. That is why I needed all of the radios in my truck. (Most are Motorola Astro 800's) San Diego communications are much more difficult to monitor then around here, mainly because of the number of dispatch centers and complex radio systems. (SD City TRS, RCS TRS, CalFire, CHP, etc...) At the same time, I was also a auto repossessor. So I litereally stole cars all night (and day) with the truck while listening to all of the public safety dispatches in the area. If I heard something go down while out looking for my cars, I would run over, shoot video of it, sell the story to the seven TV stations down there, then go back to looking for cars and listening to the radios. It was a cool gig. Not good if you have a family at home though, hence the "nine to five" job I now have. I did the freelance and repo thing for six years though.
I also work for the State of California's Office of Emergency Service, T-comm branch. I am the Mutual Aid Region VI Officer.
Go to this website: www.qrz.com and enter my ham radio callsign N6NWZ in the "callsign search" box at the top. (Note: I need to update my QRZ profile, but you'll get the idea...)
~Chad (318)
I was a [very busy] freelance breaking news photographer (video) in San Diego prior to moving to the Southwest Riverside County area, and taking a "nine to five" job at KZSW-TV in Temecula. That is why I needed all of the radios in my truck. (Most are Motorola Astro 800's) San Diego communications are much more difficult to monitor then around here, mainly because of the number of dispatch centers and complex radio systems. (SD City TRS, RCS TRS, CalFire, CHP, etc...) At the same time, I was also a auto repossessor. So I litereally stole cars all night (and day) with the truck while listening to all of the public safety dispatches in the area. If I heard something go down while out looking for my cars, I would run over, shoot video of it, sell the story to the seven TV stations down there, then go back to looking for cars and listening to the radios. It was a cool gig. Not good if you have a family at home though, hence the "nine to five" job I now have. I did the freelance and repo thing for six years though.
I also work for the State of California's Office of Emergency Service, T-comm branch. I am the Mutual Aid Region VI Officer.
Go to this website: www.qrz.com and enter my ham radio callsign N6NWZ in the "callsign search" box at the top. (Note: I need to update my QRZ profile, but you'll get the idea...)
~Chad (318)
Re: Low Profile Scanner Antenna
That sounds awesome !318 wrote:Dan,
I was a [very busy] freelance breaking news photographer (video) in San Diego prior to moving to the Southwest Riverside County area, and taking a "nine to five" job at KZSW-TV in Temecula. That is why I needed all of the radios in my truck. (Most are Motorola Astro 800's) San Diego communications are much more difficult to monitor then around here, mainly because of the number of dispatch centers and complex radio systems. (SD City TRS, RCS TRS, CalFire, CHP, etc...) At the same time, I was also a auto repossessor. So I litereally stole cars all night (and day) with the truck while listening to all of the public safety dispatches in the area. If I heard something go down while out looking for my cars, I would run over, shoot video of it, sell the story to the seven TV stations down there, then go back to looking for cars and listening to the radios. It was a cool gig. Not good if you have a family at home though, hence the "nine to five" job I now have. I did the freelance and repo thing for six years though.
I also work for the State of California's Office of Emergency Service, T-comm branch. I am the Mutual Aid Region VI Officer.
Go to this website: http://www.qrz.com and enter my ham radio callsign N6NWZ in the "callsign search" box at the top. (Note: I need to update my QRZ profile, but you'll get the idea...)
~Chad (318)