treerun

I'm using the external cellular antenna on my AR with my police/fire/wx scanner and it's performance seems to be poor. When I attach a tiny cheap rubber duck (type of antenna) to the scanner it picks up alot more traffic than using the "nice" externally mounted AR antenna. I'd continue to use this "rubber duck" if the A/C system in the AR didn't put out so much dammed RF interference - it makes using the scanner impossible. You might ask yourself how I know it's the A/C? I turned off the A/C and the interference went away. That said does anyone use the external antenna on the AR for anything other than a cell phone? What's your experience with it?

Nebuchadnezzar

I posted a while back that the standard (and only one I could find) Fuba Betaflex-D antenna is an AM/FM amplified antenna. My post regarded the fact that all VWs have this same antenna, and there is no cellular option for VWs... just AM/FM.

Also, if indeed it is a cell antenna, it may not be working well with your scanner because the Fuba antennas are meant to be amplified... or maybe it is amplified, but your scanner doesn't want amplificiation.

Did this make any sense? :-|

treerun

I'd really like to use this damned thing. I hate the idea of having a little wire antenna stuck to my windshield. It really doesn't pick up much, as you say I think it's meant to be amplified.

I'm just hoping I can find some sort of filter/amplifier I can attach to it to make it work.

treerun

Transcript of email discussion with Raul from Antennaworld.com (start at the bottom and read up)

That cell antenna is not amped. But its only good for 800-900 mhz. And there is nothing analog there any more for your scanner.

I have a betaflex D amfm/420-470 mhz combo. 17602 you can see in online store. You can that at below cost $100 or. Its the last of real german Fubas.

Otherwise a magnetic antenna on the roof will have to do it.

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So let me ask you this - when I use the provided little rubber ducky I get terrible rf interference from the A/C in the car (I can tell b/c it goes away when the a/c is off) - and this little antenna DOES have better quality reception (ignoring the a/c issue) than the Fuba.

My Audi's Bose head unit uses antennas that are integrated into the > windshield and an A-Pillar one - the Fuba, I believe is for the cell kit. I found it's mini-uhf style connector sitting unused in my trunk, is there a way to tell if it is powered? If so is there a way to kill power to the amps and use it bare?

I know I'm reaching here

Eric

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Assuming the amplifier is getting power, then you wont do any better with that antenna.

1. The feedline impedance is way off what your scanner wants, 50 ohms.
2. The Fubas are the best at rejecting out of band signals because the amps are well designed. It wants to receive 0.5-1.5 and 88-108 mhz only.

3. You will have better performance with a non-amplified antenna.

No antenna will work great across the whole band span of a scanner. so you should decide where you want best performance and select an antenna close to that band.

Or ham radio VHF.UHF dual band gives a nice starting point.

Raul

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Hi there-

My Audi Allroad has a Fuba Betaflex-D style antenna that I would like to use with a mobile scanner - while I have all the adapters I need to make the connection the signal quality is VERY poor. Are you folks aware of any filters or amplifiers I might be able to get to make my scanner work properly?