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Boxcar
Intermediate Member
Username: Boxcar
Post Number: 289
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 3:24 pm: | 
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Hello all. I know this is pretty much a cb/amateur radio site but is there anyway we could hear some related topics on scanners? I recently got a new handheld and was curious what coax would be the best for this? I need to run about 75 feet. I was thinking RF-9913 or RF-9914. I heard that LMR type coax was pretty good also. Anybody got any idea's?? Thanks!! |
Dindin
Intermediate Member
Username: Dindin
Post Number: 198
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 8:56 pm: |
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Boxcar,tried to give you an answer couple hours ago but power dropped out.lmr is good coax but for scanner use I have always used good quality rg-6 or preferbly rg-11 and suffered negligable loss to 1.2 gigahertz.type of antenna could offset any loss in the cable.you could also use a line amp made for sat tv for more gain.most all scanners i have used were sensitive enough to do very well under most circumstances.worst case would be a handheld with a uhf rubberducky trying to pull in lo band.a good all band scanner antenna for outdoor mounting is a discone type antenna.spent several years trying to recieve space shuttle communications and had no luck till i used a discone.noticed the newer ones available now have a lo band vertical mounted on top,dont know if that helps or hurts them.well thats a few of my ideas on the subject.if I can think of any thing else relevent I'll post again. |
Boxcar
Intermediate Member
Username: Boxcar
Post Number: 290
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 10:53 pm: |
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Dindin,
I appreciate the info a great deal. I have been doing some reading around on the net and found that the rg8(mini grey) that I use now is pretty bad in its loss per 75-100 feet. I also seen that heliax coax is supposed to be top notch stuff. But the good stuff you always pay more too. If you get a chance, type in on google "heliax coax" and see what comes up and let me know what you think. The scanner antenna I'm actually using right now has 3 45 degree angled radials that face the bottom and 3 horizontal radials for the top that are about a foot long each. Not sure of the brand right off hand. I've had it for about 2 years now and seems to work fine. I just want to get it up in the air a little more and get some good coax because in order to route the coax up to the radio room, I have to go through a window in the basement, clear across the floor and up the heating duct. It's a pain but can't drill or mount anything right outside the window. Well sorry for the long speech and thanks again!!!
BoXCaR
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That ELCO Guy (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 7:23 am: |
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@boxcar
Loss on the coax cable tables works both ways. It is a two edged sword. The loss as shown on the cable tables will be experience receiving as well. Remember that you will be receiving mostly in the VHF and UHF regions of frequency were coax loss is very bad for most coax.
Thus heep the run of cable as short as possible and you might check into the possibility of a broad band preamp for your favorite band.
The good news is that you probably will not have to worry too too much about it. You see VHF and UHF are line of sight aka very close to you. So the loss will probably not matter as you will hear those close transmitters lossy coax or not.
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