Scanner Antenna

[youngpilot]

I have a Radio Shack Pro-94 handheld scanner. I live about 12 miles away from a large international airport and I always here the pilots but not the controllers. What kind of antenna can I buy for the scanner so I can here the entire conversation?

Thank You 

[KMSY]

See this post by Dave, from the FAQ section. You can start your research there.

http://www.liveatc.net/forums/index.php/topic,1000.0.html

There are few other alternatives, if you still can't decide after reading that, let us know. I have a J-Pole and it's working fine for me. They're rugged and do a great job.

If you are in a hilly area, with lots of obstructions, it makes sense that you can't hear the controllers. If you can get an antenna up above any major obstructions, like large buildings or large hills, you should be able to get the controllers.

[edro20]

It's all about terrain and other interference. Read all the posts here that you can stand before you make a big (read expensive) decision. Cheers.

[KMSY]

It seems like I go to RadioShack every week now. I'm always buying new cables, connectors, and trinkets to try to experiment with my antenna and feed. I always thought I'd one day hook up a scanner to a computer a provide a feed and that was it, no money spent at all. But, it does start adding up when you buy stuff you don't need. Make sure you know what you want before you race of to RS.

If you know what you want, you can easily set up your scanner/feed for optimum reception for under $50.