Contact Us Links & Resources		AntennaGuide.com » Scanner Antennas Scanner Antennas You bought that police scanner so you could listen in on all the action. There's nothing worse than listening to the "play by play" of a high-speed chase only to have the signals fade off into static as they drive out of range. The solution is a external scanner antenna! There comes a time in every scanning enthusiasts life when they realize that the small stubby or metal telescopic antenna that came with the scanner just won't cut it anymore. That's when most people start looking at scanner antennas. Scanner antennas come in many shapes and sizes. The typical antenna that comes with a scanner is telescopic. This is fine for receiving local signals, but not very effective at bringing distant police and fire action. An omni-directional vertical antenna is one of the best choices. You can buy them for both mobile and base operation. Some people find the discones are good choices. Choosing a scanner antenna isn't difficult, but there are some important points to keep in mind. If you want truly good reception, it is necessary to install the antenna on the roof. This will give you a receive range of about twenty-five miles, which is usually sufficient for most hobbyists. You want to make sure the one you choose has a frequency range of at least 30 to 1300 MHz. This will allow you to receive "low-band" VHF fire frequencies, "high-band" VHF, and trunked UHF channels used by many metropolitan departments. Other considerations when purchasing a scanner antenna include the connection to your radio. Most scanning radios use a "Motorola" type connector. Some may use a "BNC" type so make sure you double-check. It would be disappointing to install the antenna on the roof only to find that you had the wrong connector! That's what they make adapters, I guess.
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