LiveATC Discussion Forums
Air Traffic Monitoring => Listener Forum => Topic started by: ZOTAN on October 28, 2005, 05:17:45 PM
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Hopefully sometime in the next month I can get a feed up for KSDM, a GA field in San Diego. We have a fair share of Biz Jets coming in from Mexico also. I dont have an external antenna yet, but am hoping to get one or one that I can put up in my attic. Im also thinking of trying to start a feed for KSAN, but I cant hear the controllers. Im hoping though that with an external antenna I will be able too.
If you guys have any suggetions for external antennas or one that can be put in an attic that would be great! Also, (I know this sounds cheap) If anyone has any antennas they arent using anymore, I would be willing to buy them off of you for a discounted price.
Thanks!
Matt
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Hopefully sometime in the next month I can get a feed up for KSDM, a GA field in San Diego. We have a fair share of Biz Jets coming in from Mexico also. I dont have an external antenna yet, but am hoping to get one or one that I can put up in my attic. Im also thinking of trying to start a feed for KSAN, but I cant hear the controllers. Im hoping though that with an external antenna I will be able too.
If you guys have any suggetions for external antennas or one that can be put in an attic that would be great! Also, (I know this sounds cheap) If anyone has any antennas they arent using anymore, I would be willing to buy them off of you for a discounted price.
Thanks!
Matt
I have a radio shack, basic VHF antenna I can sell you/give you. I'm not using nor ever will. It's fairly basic.
PM/Email for more details if interested.
Jason
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Ive been looking at the scantenna and am thinking about getting that. I wouldnt be able to mount it outside; it would be in an attic. Would it be stupid to get the scantenna If I can only get as high as my attic?
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Ive been looking at the scantenna and am thinking about getting that. I wouldnt be able to mount it outside; it would be in an attic. Would it be stupid to get the scantenna If I can only get as high as my attic?
Can you post a link? I was fairly sucessful with a discone in my attic, but everyones situation is different.
Jason
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Sorry it took so long to reply.
Scantenna: http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT7.html
Another Antenna: http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT5.html
Which would be the better of the two? I like the second just because its smaller, so If they both would work about the same Ill take the second. Also what connectors would I need to hook that up to a BNC scanner?
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i have the first antenna and it helped but not that much. but if its used in san diego where its flat im sure its perfect. (I use it on the PIT feed)
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i have the first antenna and it helped but not that much. but if its used in san diego where its flat im sure its perfect. (I use it on the PIT feed)
What type of antenna were you moving up from? Im moving up from the stock one that came with the scanner so Im hoping a new antenna will help a lot.
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yes one of those short ones that came with the scanner but, like i said i live in PIT. for those who have been here you know what i mean.
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I have the Scantenna and it was a big improvement from the stock antenna. It's a great antenna. I live here in the Imperial Valley where it's all flat and I can clearly hear planes well past Las Vegas and Phoenix (about 300 miles away) at high altitude. But the Scantenna is pretty big at 10 feet tall, so in an attic it'll have to be mounted sideways, which from what I hear affects the performance of an antenna.
I got mine at AntennaWarehouse (http://www.antennawarehouse.com/Scanner/Scantenna.htm). It comes with 50 feet of cable as well as the connectors required to connect to a BNC scanner.
-pocho :)
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I think im going to go with the second one then. What connectors will I need to hook it up to a BNC scanner?
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I don't know much about coaxial adapters/connectors :oops: . But since that antenna doesn't come with the cable, I'd suggest the Low Loss RG6.
http://www.grove-ent.com/CBL50.html
As it says in the description, if you tell them the antenna and radio you'll be using, they'll provide the cable with the connectors needed.
-pocho :wink:
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I can post specifics later, but I believe RG6/U is satalite cable and won't quite help ya with this.
RG58/U and RG8/U are both good coax cables and can be picked up from RadioShack.
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This site (http://www.radiobooks.com/products/techinfo/coaxapps.htm) talks a little bit about coaxial cables. Take a look at the last section under Scanners VHF/UHF.
Also, here are the coax cable loss specifications.
http://www.radiobooks.com/products/techinfo/coaxloss.htm
Keep in mind that the coaxial cable is the most important thing in scanning! 8)
-pocho
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I can post specifics later, but I believe RG6/U is satalite cable and won't quite help ya with this.
RG58/U and RG8/U are both good coax cables and can be picked up from RadioShack.
Although RG-8 is good, RG-6 will actually work fine for a scanner application. I've used it in the past for non-critical applications and it works just fine. Much better than RG-58, in fact. RG-58 is borderline acceptable at VHF, but not for a very long run. I'd keep in under 30 feet or so if I absolutely had to use it.
To be critical, the impedence of RG-6 is 75 ohms, whereas a radio receiver is 50 ohms. The impedence mismatch is negligible in effect compared to the low loss of the RG-6, and the ease of use and availability versus RG-8.
If you're planning on doing any transmitting, use 50 ohm cable. If you're only planning on receiving, use the RG-6.
Consider these losses (@100MHz/100ft):
RG-58 4.3dB
RG-6 2.3dB
RG-8/U 1.8dB
Remember that every 3dB represents 50% of the signal. When you boil it all down for a home scanning setup, most people can get access to RG-6 quickly (RS) and can put F connectors on without a problem.
Fewer connectors and adapters (ideally just one at each end!) and good double shielded RG-6 in between and you'll be very happy. All this applies to VHF. When 800MHz becomes the primary band of interest all this is out the window.
--Sean
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I have had terrible luck with RG58/U, but I was mentioning the available options.
This website is a great resource:
http://www.fordyce.org/scanning/scanning_info/scanant.html
Thanks for the info as well Sean!
Jason
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Would it be smarter than to just to use something like a 3' coax cable and run 50' of audio cable to my PC?
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Well I was back up in my attic and figured I might as well try the ATIS frequency for SAN. To my surprise, I can faintly pick up the robotic voice. Im hoping with a new antenna mounted high up in my attic I will be able to get better reception from SAN and eventually set up a feed for San Diego Lindbergh. If the quality of Lindbergh is good enough, would you guys prefer that feed over Brown Field?
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Bump
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Anyone? Ill ask the questions again....
Would it be smarter to keep the scanner close to the antenna and then run a 50' audio cable to my PC, or just run the Coax all the way to the PC.
Also, would you guys prefer a SDM feed or SAN. Hopefully, (when funds permit) I will be able to run both.
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Anyone? Ill ask the questions again....
Would it be smarter to keep the scanner close to the antenna and then run a 50' audio cable to my PC, or just run the Coax all the way to the PC.
Also, would you guys prefer a SDM feed or SAN. Hopefully, (when funds permit) I will be able to run both.
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Anyone? Ill ask the questions again....
Would it be smarter to keep the scanner close to the antenna and then run a 50' audio cable to my PC, or just run the Coax all the way to the PC.
Also, would you guys prefer a SDM feed or SAN. Hopefully, (when funds permit) I will be able to run both.
Put the antenna in the best place possible (outside). Run a longer audio cable.
SAN would be great if we could hear the controllers.
-dave
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SAN would be great if we could hear the controllers.
-dave
Hopefully I will be able too. Right now, (This isnt even as high as my antenna will be) I can faintly hear the controllers at Lindbergh. Once I get my antenna set up, Ill let you know If the quality is good enough.