On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 21:25:08 GMT, "Alex Clayton"
said in rec.radio.scanner:

How much do they cost? Looking over e-bay it looks like there is no shortage
of replacement antennas if I screw one up. If I buy an SWR (what the hell is
this?)

An SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) meter - you need a signal source, like a
transmitter, to feed it.

An antenna noise bridge, a signal source like a signal generator, and
a few weeks of study will work better if you don't have transmitters
available for the frequencies in question.

Or you could just by a "stubby" antenna. They work worse than
standard length antennas, but since rubber ducks work so poorly to
begin with, you aren't losing much.