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Choosing the right antenna is important. But it might be even '''more''' important to use the right type of coax to connect your chosen antenna to your scanner.
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I'd been hearing this advice for years, but never really understood the impact of using the correct coaxial cable until I took the time to ''actually try'' different cables with one of my antennas designed for 800Mhz.  I had been trying to monitor a particular local (digital) public safety frequency in the 800Mhz range for years without luck, and I had even gone to the length of getting a 7-element Yagi just for this frequency. When even the high-gain antenna didn't work, I just assumed that I was just in a bad location.  Then I got up in my attic with that 800Mhz Yagi and a short length of good cable.  Presto!  90% successful packet decoding.  The same antenna connected to just 25 feet of
 
what was advertised as "micro loss" RG58 good through 900Mhz... 5% successful packet decoding.  Same antenna connected to 50 feet of LMR600 (see [http://www.timesmicrowave.com/ Time Microwave, manufacturer of LMR series cable]), 90% successful packet decoding!
 
 
 
The moral of the story is: Even the best antenna is no good without the right coax.
 
 
 
aka-ramon posted 26 Nov 2005
 

Latest revision as of 23:45, 6 February 2015

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