So, I've been setting up a Radio Shack 433 scanner in the basement to
pick-up the local airband frequencies. I bought a proper airband
antenna, and over the last week, I've had it temporarily mounted to the
wall in my basement, and reception has been okay. Today, I finally got
around to mounting it on the roof of the house, and now reception is
worse! I can barely pick up anything at all. Strange thing is, if I
connect my handheld aviation transceiver to the antenna, I can hear
great, even at full squelch. But with the 433 (or the 2055 that my wife
uses to listen to the cops) I can hardly make out anything. I'm puzzled
as to how an antenna-receiver combination that was working tolerably in
the basement can now not be working at all with the antenna mounted
properly! Any ideas???

wrote in message
s.com...
So, I've been setting up a Radio Shack 433 scanner in the basement to
pick-up the local airband frequencies. I bought a proper airband
antenna, and over the last week, I've had it temporarily mounted to the
wall in my basement, and reception has been okay. Today, I finally got
around to mounting it on the roof of the house, and now reception is
worse! I can barely pick up anything at all. Strange thing is, if I
connect my handheld aviation transceiver to the antenna, I can hear
great, even at full squelch. But with the 433 (or the 2055 that my wife
uses to listen to the cops) I can hardly make out anything. I'm puzzled
as to how an antenna-receiver combination that was working tolerably in
the basement can now not be working at all with the antenna mounted
properly! Any ideas???

Your aviation transceiver is better quality than the scanners which are
evidently being overloaded. An FM broadcast filter might help -
http://www.parelectronics.com/scanner.htm

Thanks -- I'll give that a try.

Frank346 wrote:
wrote in message
s.com...
So, I've been setting up a Radio Shack 433 scanner in the basement to
pick-up the local airband frequencies. I bought a proper airband
antenna, and over the last week, I've had it temporarily mounted to the
wall in my basement, and reception has been okay. Today, I finally got
around to mounting it on the roof of the house, and now reception is
worse! I can barely pick up anything at all. Strange thing is, if I
connect my handheld aviation transceiver to the antenna, I can hear
great, even at full squelch. But with the 433 (or the 2055 that my wife
uses to listen to the cops) I can hardly make out anything. I'm puzzled
as to how an antenna-receiver combination that was working tolerably in
the basement can now not be working at all with the antenna mounted
properly! Any ideas???

Your aviation transceiver is better quality than the scanners which are
evidently being overloaded. An FM broadcast filter might help -
http://www.parelectronics.com/scanner.htm



I guess you've checked the antenna cable connectors?

--
Seppo P.
What's wrong with Theocracy? (a Finnish Taliban, Oct 1, 2005)

In message , SeppoP
writes

I guess you've checked the antenna cable connectors?

Also how long a length and of what sort of coax have you used? There
could be quite a loss in the cable.
--
Bill

SeppoP wrote:

I guess you've checked the antenna cable connectors?

Yep, the cable's fine. And it works fine with the handheld, so I think
the overload issue is the most likely culprit. I've got a bandpass
filter on order, so I'll give that a try.

Bill wrote:

Also how long a length and of what sort of coax have you used?

It's about 60 ft of RG-58. Probably ought to be RG-8, but I think it
should be okay.

Jeff Burke wrote:

An attenuator might help

Great, isn't it? I spend all afternoon messing about up a ladder to get
a stronger signal, and then I have to attenuate it to make things work!

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
ups.com...

SeppoP wrote:

I guess you've checked the antenna cable connectors?

Yep, the cable's fine. And it works fine with the handheld, so I think
the overload issue is the most likely culprit. I've got a bandpass
filter on order, so I'll give that a try.

Only problems with a BP filter (aside from its gradual skirts, unless it has
5 poles or more) is you will have to disconnect it to listen to other freqs
and its attenuation on the likely culprit, FM broadcast, will be minimal.

Dale W4OP

Dale Parfitt wrote:

Only problems with a BP filter (aside from its gradual skirts,
unless it has 5 poles or more) is you will have to disconnect
it to listen to other freqs and its attenuation on the likely
culprit, FM broadcast, will be minimal.

The scanners are dedicated to airband (providing feeds to LiveATC.net)
so removing the filter isn't an issue. I installed an AOR ABF-125
filter tonight, and the overload problem seems to have been solved. I'm
still not overwhelmed with the quality compared to what I get from my
airband transceiver, but that's $300 vs. $100, I guess. I might try the
FM notch filter, too, and see if that makes things any better, but for
now, at least I'm up an running. Thanks to everyone for their help /
suggestions...