What type of antenna?

I just got an old Uniden 100XLT on ebay for 30 bucks, which i thought wasn't bad for a starter. Thing is it doesn't have an antenna and the person i got it off of doesn't know anything about scanners. they just came across it and put it up for sale. What type of antenna and where could I get one for this model? Or what kind of antenna is compatible with it and such. I just want a basic antenna so i can start my scanning experience. Any help is appreciated.

Ben

http://www.uniden.com/products/index.cfm?cat=Scanners look under customer support, I only found battery and charger under parts but give them a call, I am sure they can get you antenna.

if not try http://www.scannerworld.com/

Hey thanks man! One review i just read said it was "blessed with a BNC connector". So really all i need is an antenna with a bnc connector correct? with the correct ranges of course too.......

Get a Diamond RH77CA. By far the best antenna I've ever used.

antennas... well, basicially they are all the same...
1. there is no such thing as a good small antenna, bigger is gooder, but there are some cavets, too much bigger may not work as well, an antenna is a resonant device and frequency sensitive. Beyond discussion here.
2. go to Radio Shack,, get the silver collapsable antenna fer <$20. Buy a ruler and adjust the antenna to about 18". It will outpreform ANY other "rubber ducky".
3. "I heard this from there" with "this antenna" is so location sensitive that it is just beyond foolish.
4. once upon a time I used to measure antennas fer a living
5.enjoy...
Ed

I'd like to build on this thread since I have a similar question.

I recently received a Radio Shack Pro-82 scanner as a gift. It is my first scanner. I also have an old CB radio in my attic, with a tall mag-mount antenna. I don't know what standard antenna lengths are, but this one is a meter long or so. With an appropriate adapter, I can use it with my scanner.

My question is: For stationary use in my house, is this antenna likely to get better reception than the rubber ducky my scanner came with? I know reception is very location-sensitive, but all else being equal I just want to confirm if this mag-mount antenna will tend to perform better overall. I don't really have a good ground plane to mount it to, just a painted metal radiator in my room. So...is bigger better no matter what, or is this antenna not the right type for it to really matter?

Thanks.

antennas are frequncy sensitive devices.. CB is 27 mHz, RR is 162 mHz. Your best antenna is about 17-18" long on a mag mount on your refrigerator or file cabinet. Longer is NOT (necessarily) gooder! Since the radio is the rest of the antenna, standing your HT on a frig or file cabinet with the rubber ducky will help.. enjoy.. Ed k2lck

Thanks for the reply. So...since neither the rubber ducky nor the CB antenna are the correct length, are they equally bad or is one of them slightly "less bad" than the other? Generally speaking, I mean.

your best antenna is 17" or so, please read previous posts. The rubber ducky is coiled making it think it is longer. The adjustable RS, adjusted to about 17" is the best you are gonna do. Various brand antennas may or may not be as good . Since most HT's are less than 17" long, parking one on a file cabinet or frig will imporve reception, as the verticle 17" (or rubber ducky) is only trying to emulate 1/2 a dipole. Ed

Whats the best ant. for a radio shack pro-82 scanner with/bnc connection?

The 6" rubber ant. that came with it seems to have very little range(compared to a desk model i have).

I will be using this in my car and/or field, and i am not interested in any "roof mount" ant.

I am getting a little confused with types and lenghts described so i found a web site with a bunch of defferent ant.'s and i was wondering if someone could take a look at to see what ant. you would suggest.

Thank You!!!!

http://www.scannermaster.com/Portable_A ... lick=34675

Once again, the Diamond RH77CA is the best I've used. For me at least, it more than doubled my reception over the "rubber duckie" antenna that comes stock with many radios and scanners. Hooked up to my Motorola radio, it has no problem hearing 5 watt detectors 20 miles away...granted, using a scanner, you probably won't even come close to that.

One thing I will note is that you're already very limited right out of the gate by using a scanner. To get optimal reception with a scanner, you'd have to use a setup such as this (http://www.railfanreading.com/Scanner.htm). A friend of mine tried that and was getting pretty good reception, though he later spent $100 (less than he paid for his scanner) on an Icom IC-V8 radio, and ended up getting far better reception than the $750 or so he spent on that entire setup...

Thanks conrail

3. "I heard this from there" with "this antenna" is so location sensitive that it is just beyond foolish.


Really guys, honestly....

Don't trust me? with an antenna (any antenna) mounted on your car, listen to any VHF station, roll your car down your driveway and watch the s meter on your receiver go up and down like a yo-yo... The differances between similar manufactured antennas are so slight that they are difficult to measure in an anechoic chamber..
I used to measure antennas for a living and for several years ran a 1008" anechoic chamber with a 20 ft square quiet zone that was good down to 100 mHz. (before the cones started to fall down)

Antennas, to work well, must be the correct physical length, and work best when mounted free and clear of adjacent objects and bestest when mounted high. There is no silver bullet, or blessed manufacturer.. Any compromises will degrade, and somethings called multipath cancellation or adjacent frequency amplifier capture will muddy the hell out of all common sense waters..

ed

I would get a Railcom antenna. That antenna is awesome. I have a Radio Shack Pro 76 scanner hooked up to my Railcom Antenna, and I have picked up some unreal stuff over the years....like hearing the Cleveland Terminal Dispatcher talking on 160.800 when I was at Lake Avenue in Buffalo.

Cleveland to Buffalo on 161 mHz is a result of abnormal propagation. You could have used a wet noodle for an antenna that day. As I have said before, I heard this from there is more of a statement of unknowns and any conclusion reached from it is more likely to cause confusion than fact. Antennas and radio propagation for the novice are well covered in "The Radio Amateurs Handbook", written and updated annually by the American Radio Relay League, and available at just about all local librarys. To buy an antenna as result of observation of an occasional (probably e(layer)- or other) event is just plain foolish.
Ed K2LCK, 22 states and 61 grids on 144.... 55 countries and 380 grids on 50... antennas on QRZ.com