On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 00:19:28 GMT, asym said
in rec.radio.scanner:

than at lower ones. Even "crappy" RG8 only has a loss of around 5db @
400mhz for a 100ft run. 5db is enough that you'd notice, but it's
about the smallest amount that you *could* notice.

3db is 50%, or one "S" unit - easy enough to notice. Actually, the
receiver capture ratio is the smallest amount you'll notice, so the
better the receiver, the smaller the change it takes to make a big
difference.

(If the capture ratio is, say, 2db, if the signal increases from the
noise level to 2db above the noise level, what you hear changes from
quite noisy to dead full quieting - very noticeable. If the capture
ratio of the receiver is under 1db, it takes less than 1db change to
make the above difference.)

BTW, the advantage of a discone is that it's a good match at just
about all the frequencies we're interested in. It's not much of an
antenna - it's more of a matching device between the end of the cable
and space.