rkdF250
Pre-takeoff checklist
I recently purchased a sporty's sp-400 radio and would like to hook it up at home for monitoring. Does anyone have any ideas regarding the type of antenna I can use?
I recently purchased a sporty's sp-400 radio and would like to hook it up at home for monitoring. Does anyone have any ideas regarding the type of antenna I can use?
Directional or omni?
I use a discone antenna which works over a much wider bandwidth than you need but it would still work pretty well for omnidirectional reception. They can be had for as little as $60. A Google search for "discone antenna" should turn up a few choices. I think that even Radio Shack sells them.Whatever is in Sportys...
Next best option is hitting up the local HAM radio shop or HAM radio club and ask for pointers on where to look..
As long as you aren't transmitting, and only monitoring, you should get adequate reception with a HAM antenna of the VHF/2 meter 1/2 wave variety. It would be inefficient for transmitting compared to a properly tuned element, but doable. I dont have the charts in front of me, but it might need to be an inch or so longer to be optimized for air band.
Make you own from a piece of RG-58 Coax.
attach it to a rafter in the roof or something simliar.
http://www.soaridaho.com/Antenna/
Brian
CFIIG/ASE
What Lance said. Best idea and best price for what you want.I use a discone antenna which works over a much wider bandwidth than you need but it would still work pretty well for omnidirectional reception. They can be had for as little as $60. A Google search for "discone antenna" should turn up a few choices. I think that even Radio Shack sells them.
I've had one of these up inside my steel hangar for about a year now. It works well enough that I can talk to anyone within about a 5 mile radius and hear planes at neighboring airparks.Make you own from a piece of RG-58 Coax.
attach it to a rafter in the roof or something simliar.
http://www.soaridaho.com/Antenna/
Brian
CFIIG/ASE