Help with a recieve antenna or tower

dbfd588 · Post by **dbfd588** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:55 pm

We recently bought a farm and Im wanting to put up a long range recieve antenna and or a tower. I feel like a mobile 5/8 wave mobile antenna mounted atop a pole or tower would improve over a portable. Im looking for advice and suggestions as to how to get really good reception without spending a fortune. I do have access to some metal (tv) antenna type poles. Also have a barn the I may be able to mount to. Need some suggestions. Thanks

Tom in D.C. · Post by **Tom in D.C.** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:57 pm

A high-mounted permanent antenna will always work better than the antenna on an HT.
To give you any kind of worthwhile advice we'd need to know more about what it is you're
trying to do, such as receive only?, receive and transmit?, what band you're on?, how far
away is the signal source you need to receive?, etc. etc. etc.

Jim2121 · Post by **Jim2121** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:32 pm

Tom in D.C. wrote:A high-mounted permanent antenna will always work better than the antenna on an HT.
To give you any kind of worthwhile advice we'd need to know more about what it is you're
trying to do, such as receive only?, receive and transmit?, what band you're on?, how far
away is the signal source you need to receive?, etc. etc. etc.

Tom has a Good Point as always! If I had a farm, I would mount a base antenna on a tower. also it would help if we know if your in flatland? hills? mountains? and good hardline to the antenna is going to cost you over a buck a foot! (but thats another story) LOS & the band you want to recieve? The signal you want to receive is how far away? Anything blocking the path? and transmit?

dbfd588 · Post by **dbfd588** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:19 am

Mostly 155mhz band. I want to recieve the neighboring county. I recieve all the time on my ht on the repeater channels. But our EMS transmits to dispatch primarily on simplex. So most of the time it barely breaks the sqeulch. So since we have a little more room Im wanting to get a base antenna a little higher. Im in middle TN and we have lots of trees but also lots of clear farmland. A few mild hills but no major mountains between me and the source. Also our THP is on lowband and on a regulat scanner antenna its not to great. Get dispatch pretty well but the cars are faint and usually cant even be heard. Im just wanting to have a really good recieve antenna. I almost know that if I but a highband 5/8 ontop a pole it would help drastically. I have lots of ideas but Im still trying to sort thru all them. Im wanting to build a fire tower or silmilar to get me above out trees. I just think it would be cool. And then I could mount my antennas to it. I think it would be cool to have my own tower with radios such in it. I may eventually get my ham lic. but for now it would be for recieve.

W3MOT · Post by **W3MOT** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:44 am

dbfd588 wrote:Also our THP is on lowband and on a regular scanner antenna its not to great. Get dispatch pretty well but the cars are faint and usually cant even be heard.

I can help you with the Lowband part...

Radio Shack makes a CB Antenna that is 102". (Catalog Number 21-903) If you were to purchase this along with a base mount (which has an SO239 connector on it), you can cut the antenna from 102" to 49", and should you mount it on a good mast or tower, you'll get pristine reception. I have about 100 fire departments by me that operate on Lowband, and when I did this, I was able to receive about 75-80% of them. (Some of them are about 40 miles away.) As for the units, you should be able to receive them with no problem if you mount the antenna the right way. I'm thinking you'll have no problem getting some hight on that tower being that you have what sounds like a good piece of property.

For antenna cable, you can get LMR400, or CA400. You're going to have to put on your own connectors though. It's not hard, so I suggest you learn how to do it. This will be a big project, and you're going to need a lot of tools!

Good luck!

Jim2121 · Post by **Jim2121** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:16 am

that will work for starters! LMR400 is good Hardline. How far is your receiver from where the antenna is going to be? but if its just for recieve, you can get away with a RG cable, you want a good ground also! Since your on a farm, you can drive a (copper if you can) rod down in the earth.

dbfd588 · Post by **dbfd588** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 12:53 pm

yea its just for recive for now. I have my ht for the dept Im on and have really no use for a base mounted radio with TX capabilities. May later on if I get my ham. Im just wanting to have a good scanner antenna setup. If I put up a pole or tower more than likely ill get me a ground rod and put in the ground. We are building a new house and Ive already exprienced putting in a ground rod for our temp electric access. Its a chore but I think its a must for a tower or base antenna. Anyone have any light to shed on a decent multi-band scanner antenna. Im not sure where Im putting my antenna so I cant say the distance between RX and the antenna

Jim2121 · Post by **Jim2121** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 4:52 pm

dbfd588 wrote:yea its just for recive for now. I have my ht for the dept Im on and have really no use for a base mounted radio with TX capabilities. May later on if I get my ham. Im just wanting to have a good scanner antenna setup. If I put up a pole or tower more than likely ill get me a ground rod and put in the ground. We are building a new house and Ive already exprienced putting in a ground rod for our temp electric access. Its a chore but I think its a must for a tower or base antenna. Anyone have any light to shed on a decent multi-band scanner antenna. Im not sure where Im putting my antenna so I cant say the distance between RX and the antenna

Multi Band Scanner Antenna! I like the Diamond Discone, I think Radio Shack makes them also. Do a search for Discone Antenna.... the coverage is from 50Mhz. to 1.3gig --1300Mhz.
I had a fun time with that in Mesa, AZ. I used to listen to the fighter aircraft in the 220 band leaving the Yuma area. It has no gain, but will do 60 watts max on transmit. Great for receive! As for your Ham Ticket, start now.... take the Technician test.. http://aa9pw.com/
and if by chance you pick up the radio shack book to study with. make sure you are aware of the test pool questions may have an expiration date. Don't get a book that will expire in a few months. anything else you can search the ARRL, or post a question. good luck

PS: heres a post on the Discone: http://www.radioreference.com/forums/sh ... post973601

Jim202 · Post by **Jim202** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 8:13 pm

Problem with using most mobile antennas on a tower, is that they were not designed for that type of operation.
Most of the mobile antennas require a ground plane under them to function properly. I know you said that your
intentions was to use this antenna for RX. So it won't be a problem with a high reflected power from a poorly
matched antenna.

You might take a look at some other types of antennas before you go spending money on a mobile antenna.
I briefly scanned down through most of the comments, but missed if you needed a directional or omni coverage.
Shame on me, but it does effect the choice of antenna best for your application.

Jim

dbfd588 wrote:We recently bought a farm and Im wanting to put up a long range recieve antenna and or
a tower. I feel like a mobile 5/8 wave mobile antenna mounted atop a pole or tower would improve over a
portable.

Thanks

Help with a recieve antenna or tower

Help with a recieve antenna or tower

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