I just installed a Bct-8 scanner in my truck. I can pick up frequencies but it is not as clear as it was in the house. I currently have the stick on antenna as the current antenna. I know that people will say that I need to have an external antenna on the top of my truck, but is there any other way of getting better reception than by putting an antenna on the top of the truck. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
In Car Scanner Reception Question
Not really. You need to get the antenna out of the metal cage (truck). First off, tell us what you are specifically listening to. Is CHP your primary goal, or an 800 Mhz system? That will make a difference in how you should go about it.
It's really hard to get great performance on Both VHF(lo/high) & UHF and 800 on the same antenna system.
For 800Mhz as your primary target, I would recommend getting an 800 Mhz glass mount antenna.
If you want general VHF/UHF, there's not much you can do to improve it beyond going with an external antenna. The radio shack mag mount all band scanner works pretty well, but it's unsightly. A pretty good alternative is a HAM thru the glass "dual band" antenna (you know, one that covers VHF/UHF aka 220/440) That will work ok.
If you are experiencing scratchy signals and even total loss of signal on an 800Mhz system as you move around the city, I would strongly suspect you are not having a problem with too little signal, but too much. At your house, you are in a fixed location and you hear just fine. However, as you move around the streets, you begin to come near to Nextel transmitter sites. Since the Nextel frequencies are inter-leaved among the City of San Diego's TRS, bleed over occurs by overloading the front end of your scanner's receiver. (You will not notice this effect as much if you monitor RCS as the frequencies are father removed from Nextel) The FCC and Nextel are currently working to rectify this problem, but legal challenged may take years to resolve. I have found that by adding about 10dB of attenuation to the scanner antenna that I can 'weaken' enough of the Nextel signal to keep the receiver on the desired frequency. If you don't listen to the City of SD, the forget about this paragraph.
All in all, I have not found great success with any one antenna covering all of the possible bands to listen to here in San Diego. Post some more details on what your goals are and myself (and hopefully) some others can jump in with recommendations.
It's really hard to get great performance on Both VHF(lo/high) & UHF and 800 on the same antenna system.
For 800Mhz as your primary target, I would recommend getting an 800 Mhz glass mount antenna.
If you want general VHF/UHF, there's not much you can do to improve it beyond going with an external antenna. The radio shack mag mount all band scanner works pretty well, but it's unsightly. A pretty good alternative is a HAM thru the glass "dual band" antenna (you know, one that covers VHF/UHF aka 220/440) That will work ok.
If you are experiencing scratchy signals and even total loss of signal on an 800Mhz system as you move around the city, I would strongly suspect you are not having a problem with too little signal, but too much. At your house, you are in a fixed location and you hear just fine. However, as you move around the streets, you begin to come near to Nextel transmitter sites. Since the Nextel frequencies are inter-leaved among the City of San Diego's TRS, bleed over occurs by overloading the front end of your scanner's receiver. (You will not notice this effect as much if you monitor RCS as the frequencies are father removed from Nextel) The FCC and Nextel are currently working to rectify this problem, but legal challenged may take years to resolve. I have found that by adding about 10dB of attenuation to the scanner antenna that I can 'weaken' enough of the Nextel signal to keep the receiver on the desired frequency. If you don't listen to the City of SD, the forget about this paragraph.
All in all, I have not found great success with any one antenna covering all of the possible bands to listen to here in San Diego. Post some more details on what your goals are and myself (and hopefully) some others can jump in with recommendations.
You're stuck with a big antenna. The wavelength for 39 Mhz are so big compared to 800, for example. You cannot really get great reception with anything less than an external antenna and it needs to be at least a few feet high. (My 39Mhz whip is about 4 feet)
The alternative is a device I have seen that splits your truck's AM/FM antenna and allows you to share the antenna. The trucks antenna is reasonably sized to work with CHP, however, I've never used this device nor used the AM/FM antenna for any scanner reception. I would suggest looking into it if you don't want a mag mount or to drill holes in your vehicle.
The radio shack all band mag mount antenna (with 2 loading coils) really does a good job with the CHP. Although when I switched from that to a real mounted 39Mhz antenna for my CHP radio I did get some improvement, it was not major. I really like that mag mount and currently use it for CHP on my base radio. It is big, about 3 feet tall. You might want to try and see how one would perform in the bed of your truck, if you don't have a plastic liner, or perhaps on a tool box if you have one. It would look a bit odd on the top of the cab...
The alternative is a device I have seen that splits your truck's AM/FM antenna and allows you to share the antenna. The trucks antenna is reasonably sized to work with CHP, however, I've never used this device nor used the AM/FM antenna for any scanner reception. I would suggest looking into it if you don't want a mag mount or to drill holes in your vehicle.
The radio shack all band mag mount antenna (with 2 loading coils) really does a good job with the CHP. Although when I switched from that to a real mounted 39Mhz antenna for my CHP radio I did get some improvement, it was not major. I really like that mag mount and currently use it for CHP on my base radio. It is big, about 3 feet tall. You might want to try and see how one would perform in the bed of your truck, if you don't have a plastic liner, or perhaps on a tool box if you have one. It would look a bit odd on the top of the cab...
Do you think that if I get a 2.5 feet to 3 feet antenna and place it in the bed of my truck that it will get better reception??? I would really not like to place it on the top of my truck. So if anyone has any ideas they would be really helpful. Also if you know of the model of the antenna or have a website that would be nice to have, possibly a store that is open today (Sunday).
Thanks,
Mike
Thanks,
Mike
First off, it's really not good just to talk about antennas in physical size. It's more a matter of matching the frequency and this involves actual whip length and loading coils/matching coils. Size isn't what it seems in antenna land. I have a UHF antenna that's about 3 feet tall and another UHF that's 2 inches tall (Antennx phantom antennas). They both work just fine.
With that said, you asked me in an email for the radio shack part number. Magnet-Mount Mobile Scanner Antenna
$34.99 Brand: RadioShack
Catalog #: 20-032
I don't know how well it will perform in the bed of your truck. Obviously it will be shielded to some degree by the sides. I've never done it that way. I suggested it, but I cannot tell you yes, absolutely it will be good. If I had to guess, I would say it will work very well. The CHP signal in San Diego is very easy to receive. The transmitters are on high peaks with plenty of power. Lo Band propagates exceptionally well over large areas. (CHP has 3 or 4 mountain top repeaters to cover all of the territory that the RCS uses over 20 sites to achieve at 800 Mhz !!) As easy as it is to receive, the small rubber ducky antenna on your scanner is just too small compared to the wave lengths you're trying to get. It works in the house, but the wavelengths are too big to penetrate the relatively small openings in your truck's metal frame. Combine these two factors and you get scratchy reception on the CHP in the truck.
Getting the antenna outside is the most important thing.
I know most trucks have a ribbed bottom, hopefully there is an area that is devoid of ribs to the magnet can get a firm grip and it doesn't blow over with the wind.
I'd give it a try. That antennas also works great in VHF and UHF. I wouldn't expect too much in 800 from it however.
With all of this said, there is a possibility that the San Diego and Oceanside CHP offices will switch over to the RCS system as El Cajon is now. I get mixed reports depending on who I ask. Some say CHP is not happy with RCS and going back to Lo Band and others say they're so happy that the other offices will be switching to it! Go figure...
With that said, you asked me in an email for the radio shack part number. Magnet-Mount Mobile Scanner Antenna
$34.99 Brand: RadioShack
Catalog #: 20-032
I don't know how well it will perform in the bed of your truck. Obviously it will be shielded to some degree by the sides. I've never done it that way. I suggested it, but I cannot tell you yes, absolutely it will be good. If I had to guess, I would say it will work very well. The CHP signal in San Diego is very easy to receive. The transmitters are on high peaks with plenty of power. Lo Band propagates exceptionally well over large areas. (CHP has 3 or 4 mountain top repeaters to cover all of the territory that the RCS uses over 20 sites to achieve at 800 Mhz !!) As easy as it is to receive, the small rubber ducky antenna on your scanner is just too small compared to the wave lengths you're trying to get. It works in the house, but the wavelengths are too big to penetrate the relatively small openings in your truck's metal frame. Combine these two factors and you get scratchy reception on the CHP in the truck.
Getting the antenna outside is the most important thing.
I know most trucks have a ribbed bottom, hopefully there is an area that is devoid of ribs to the magnet can get a firm grip and it doesn't blow over with the wind.
I'd give it a try. That antennas also works great in VHF and UHF. I wouldn't expect too much in 800 from it however.
With all of this said, there is a possibility that the San Diego and Oceanside CHP offices will switch over to the RCS system as El Cajon is now. I get mixed reports depending on who I ask. Some say CHP is not happy with RCS and going back to Lo Band and others say they're so happy that the other offices will be switching to it! Go figure...
Yes, but he doesn't want to drill the holes. (The first one is always hard). That is a good point. Using the same antenna as the CHP. I set up another news guy with just that, but I drilled and installed an NMO mount for the whip. Reefguy could buy an NMO Mag mount base and install a CHP type whip on that. It would cost about double (mag mount appx. $25 and a Larsen 39-40Mhz loaded quarter-wave about $50).etotman wrote:Do the CHP use big antennas on their cars? Seems to me you could use the same length antenna that the CHP use for optimum performance.
I know from first hand experience that the difference between the RS all-band mag mount and a genuine Lo Band whip is negligible. I didn't notice much. It does improve my ability to pull in the LA, Orange and Riverside CHP offices down here.
Decided to put a outside antenna on the Truck
I have decided to place an outside antenna close to where the stock antenna is. I have dropped the idea of putting the antenna inside of the bed. It has a spray liner so it will not be able to stick to the bottom of the bed. The antenna wire is going to be ran outside of the passenger side door onto the hood area where the wiper fluid goes out. I am wondering if when I shut the door for the first time if it will cut the wire. Do I have to put the wire in a special place so that it will not get cut. I would think that they are somewhat heavy duty wire's due to the fact that they are going to be outside of the truck in the sun, and that they will be ran thru the gap in the door.
I have been looking at the antennex antennas. Does anyone have any feedback about this antenna company? Or which model would be good. I am just going to be listening to the CHP.
Thanks, Mike
I have been looking at the antennex antennas. Does anyone have any feedback about this antenna company? Or which model would be good. I am just going to be listening to the CHP.
Thanks, Mike
Re: Decided to put a outside antenna on the Truck
Mike,Reefguy wrote:. It has a spray liner so it will not be able to stick to the bottom of the bed. The antenna wire is going to be ran outside of the passenger side door onto the hood area where the wiper fluid goes out. I am wondering if when I shut the door for the first time if it will cut the wire. Do I have to put the wire in a special place so that it will not get cut. I would think that they are somewhat heavy duty wire's due to the fact that they are going to be outside of the truck in the sun, and that they will be ran thru the gap in the door.
I have been looking at the antennex antennas. Does anyone have any feedback about this antenna company? Or which model would be good. I am just going to be listening to the CHP.
Thanks, Mike
I've often ran the cable thru the door. It doesn't immediately hurt it. The rubber gasket that seals the door absorbs the cable. You might want to look on the firewall. There are often rubber grommets covering pre-drilled holes that, when removed, provide cable routing into the passenger compartment.
Also, if you have power windows, locks, speakers, ect.. there may be a number of wires that run from the frame of the car to the door to supply those devices, probably housed in an accordion like rubber thingies. On a friend's install, I ran a wire from the outside, into the outside of the rubber expander-boot that protects those wires and into the cab.
As far as I know, there is no Antenex for anything lower than VHF-HI. I believe a LoBand VHF antenex using their design would be impractically large (about as big as a tire), so I don't think you'll ever see it.