If you are looking for the best mobile scanner antennas, then this article is for you. We will review the 10 best antennas that are reliable and have good quality. The best part about these scanners is their compatibility with both analog and digital signals. They work well in weak signal areas as well as urban environments where there might be a lot of interference from other wireless networks.
Here Are The Top 3 Mobile Scanner Antennas To Check At A Glance If You Are In A Hurry:
Top 10 Best Mobile Scanner Antennas Reviewed
Tram 1089-BNC Scanner Mini is a professional scanner for your vehicle. This product has been developed with the latest technology and highest quality components to provide years of trouble-free use. It can help you monitor all kinds of signals from VHF/UHF/800MHz-1,300MHz bands, including FM radio, TV audio, and mobile communications. The antenna has been integrated into the body design to achieve a compact size and good performance.
Bingfu VHF UHF Car Truck Police Scanner is a professional mobile scanner designed to meet the needs of all kinds of users. With this scanner, you can listen to the police, fire department, ambulance, and other emergency personnel when they are in action. You can also listen to the aircraft control tower and air traffic control conversation when flying or taking off. In addition, it is possible to hear local weather reports from your favorite radio station with this high-quality car window glass adhesive mounting antenna.
Bingfu VHF UHF Ham Radio Police Scanner is a new product on the market, it can be used for police radio scanners, ham radio scanners, two-way radio scanners,s, and walkie talkie. It has high sensitivity and selectivity. It is easy to install and operate with magnetic base mounting. You can use it in your house or car.
The Tram Browning 1199 All Band Glass Mount Scanner is a perfect fit for any truck, car, or SUV. This device has an all-glass mount and is designed to be discreetly mounted behind the rearview mirror. The Tram Browning 1199 comes with a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty and is backed by our customer service team.
The Tram Browning 1199 All Band Glass Mount Scanner is a perfect fit for any truck, car, or SUV. This device has an all-glass mount and is designed to be discreetly mounted behind the rearview mirror. The Tram Browning 1199 comes with a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty and is backed by our customer service team.
Bingfu Police Radio Scanner is a new product on the market and it is specially designed for police and taxi drivers. It can receive frequencies from 20MHz to 1300MHz, which covers most of the police, fire department, ambulance, and taxi communication channels. You can also use it as a Ham Radio or Walkie Talkie with your friends. The antenna connector is BNC Male Connector. It comes with 3m / 10 feet cable length.
This antenna is a high gain directional antenna, which can be used for amateur radio and short-wave listening. This antenna is specially designed for the frequency range of 20MHz to 1300MHz, with an impedance of 50 ohms and VSWR < 2.0. The magnetic base mounting makes it easy to install and remove the antenna from your car roof or trunk lid in seconds.
The antenna is a high gain directional antenna that can be used with all kinds of radio scanners, walkie-talkies, and two-way radios. It is made from durable fiberglass and has excellent performance characteristics. This antenna comes with a magnetic base mounting which can easily be mounted to any metal surface such as a car or boat.
The HYS Dual Band Mobile Antenna is a high-quality dual-band antenna that covers both the VHF and UHF frequency bands. The antenna has an omnidirectional radiation pattern with a gain of 3/5dBi. It is designed to be used with any radio that operates in the 136–174 MHz or 400–470 MHz range, including hand-held transceivers, base stations, repeaters, and other wireless devices.
Browning BR-137 Tri-Band High Gain Antenna. The Browning BR-137 Tri-band is a high gain antenna that provides excellent performance on all three bands. This antenna is made of weather-resistant materials and comes with an NMO mount for easy installation. The Browning BR-137 Tri-band is perfect for most mobile applications, including ATVs, boats, cars, trucks, or any other vehicle that needs an extra boost in signal strength.
Buying Guide For The Best Mobile Scanner Antennas
1. Length :
Well, obviously the length is important because it will be attached to your radio. Obviously, the longer it is then the better…right? Nope. While that may seem logical, in terms of performance it can actually make matters worse particularly if there is any type of metal (such as a steel roof) between the receiver and transmitter portions of your radio. This can cause detuning which decreases performance or even cancels out the signal altogether! The best length for an antenna for your mobile scanner depends on a variety of factors, but this is a good place to start. Typically, you can find the best match by dividing your radio’s output frequency in MHz by 4.
2. Width :
In terms of scanner antennas, width is not typically as critical as length because there are no significant spaces between each band segment to detune the antenna. Width simply helps to minimize wasted space and maximize antenna performance within a particular size window. Wide-band scanners have fewer issues with detuning, so having a wide antenna on these models would be ideal even if it were longer than optimal for frequencies that aren’t used all that much. On an 800MHz trunking model, however, where channels are very close together (typically 25kHz apart), then being too wide can cause detuning. Generally, the best match for a mobile trunking scanner is 1/2 of your radio’s output frequency in MHz so that it matches both bands without having to add unnecessary length (like on an 800MHz band).
3. Number Of Elements :
The number of elements is extremely important with regard to antenna performance. As stated above, antennas operate by launching and receiving the electromagnetic waves across their element(s) when transmitting and receiving signals respectively. More elements result in more surface area which in turn allows for better reception and transmission resulting in higher performance. There are some notable exceptions where fewer element antennas like stubby or rubber ducky types outperform larger 2-4 element panel styles but this typically applies to higher frequencies only.
4. Gain :
Antenna performance is not solely based on element count but also antenna design. The more elements an antenna has, the greater it’s surface area which leads to better reception and transmission performance. However, there are other factors that affect these attributes as well such as element spacing, the material used for conductors (of which most are now aluminum), the number of ground plane layers/purchases within the physical structure of the antenna, etc… All of this affects signal strength/quality and efficiency. This is measured in decibels (dB). As with most things, the higher the number the “better” it is however do not let this be your sole basis of comparison when trying to select between two antennas. As alluded to earlier, however, there are exceptions to this where certain frequencies will actually require less gain than others due to the signal propagation characteristics of that particular frequency.
5. Type :
There are many types of scanner antennas including but not limited to base, mobile, mag mount, rubber ducky, stubby, etc. Well, which one do you choose? Well, again it depends on your usage scenario and preference. Of course, if you have an antenna farm somewhere you can just install several types at once for ultimate selection power! But if space &/or other limitations apply then consider your use case first. A base or home antenna should only be used when you have ready access at all times, to begin with, so that goes without saying. Mobile is obviously great for portability and ease of installation as long as you can deal with the trade-offs such as added voltage drop due to the longer cable/whip length needed (which would reduce transmit power output) or reduced range if using a shorter antenna. If space isn’t an issue then go with a mag mount, especially if you are stationary for extended periods of time like at home where this type of antenna typically will outperform any mobile option in terms of reception & transmission performance due to its highly optimized design which includes elements that are 1-2 wavelengths long or more! It may not be ideal however to have it mounted on your car exterior because these antennas usually do not include lightning protection features unlike their base/home counterparts or at least offer them as an option. Rubber ducky and stubby types on the other hand perform similar to a mobile antenna in terms of portability but typically do not include mounting hardware, which is fine if you already have something suitable on your own vehicle (like my truck) but otherwise, they may be more difficult to install without having access to a drill & bits plus they don’t leave enough room for any additional accessories like radar detector/laser jammers, etc.
3 Benefits Of Mobile Scanner Antennas
1. Decrease Antenna Blind Spots
Mobile antennas help solve the problem of ‘blind spots that plague traditional wireless antennas. Blind spots are common when land is at a premium and cell towers or base stations need to be situated high in order to cover as much territory as possible. This means certain areas will have the antenna placed far away from where it’s needed, causing coverage holes in areas directly below the tower/base station. The further a signal has to travel, the weaker it becomes over time – which leads us to point 2.
2. Increase Data Throughput And Improve Signal Strength
Signal strength decreases exponentially over distance. To give you an example of how fast this works, if we assume a -75dBm signal (the edge of usable cellular service) required 3.5 watts to reach the receiver, doubling this distance would mean your -150dBm signal would need 1/32 of a watt reaching it in order for it to be usable. It’s simply not feasible to send enough power over such great distances when you are starting with a very low signal in the first place, hence why line-of-site towers and base stations are set up high where they can send their signals further (and more efficiently).
3. Avoid Interference And Boost Signal Quality
The FCC regulates wireless frequencies in order to prevent interference between different brands, carriers, and technologies. For these reasons, cellular service providers must purchase blocks of the available spectrum from the FCC before turning them into cell phone towers or base stations. Other factors which affect quality and performance include weather, tall structures, trees, or even physical obstacles such as large trucks or cars.
Conclusion
We hope this list has helped you find the perfect antenna for your needs! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comment section below.
