antenna for scanning ?

[citabria]

Hell yes.

[pks]

Are side mounted dipoles (from RFI) suitable for scanning?

[criten]

Would it be worth spending the cash on a Discone if it would work any better?

Discones aren't all that expensive on ebay - much the same price as a VHF ant in a retail shop.

[ivahri]

Quality discones are quite expensive & the ones on ebay are pretty cheap. I bought one from Polar not long ago & the quality is superb (rated for tx & rx 25-1000MHz). However if you are monitoring a wide range of frequencies (like a few hundred MHz) they are the only practical option. If all you are listening to is one band, say 400-500MHz, then eith er SMDs or even a yagi combined with a rotator should yield the best results.

RFI SMD4s are fine. The new ones are rated at 400-520MHz. Use two with a phasing harness if you want a bit of gain.

Cheers,


Richard

[alphamike]

I've got an antenna i want to get up and have had a look around for bits and pieces i need.
Although i can find any RG213 and am unsure in terminating them with the N-Type connectors.
Is it something i can do myself or best left to a professional installer?

[ivahri]

Alex,

N type connectors come in crimp & solder versions for RG213. Instructions should be available on line, give google a try. The crimps have the least bits but you need the crimping tool. I prefer solder types (the RFI N-07 is my preferred) and is easy to do once you practice a few. All you need is a stanley knife, wirecutters, soldering iron, and two spanners. Just make sure to follow the instructions & they are easy enough for anyone to do.

Cheers,


Richard

[ivahri]

And here is the RFI link...

http://www.rfi.com.au/downloads/wireles ... ns-N07.pdf

Richard