Re: An Antenna Question

Hi Joe,
Grove Enterprises used to market an active duck-style antenna, but no longer carries it. Mine worked well, although the VR-500 is not quite the DX hound that a a good table-top receiver will be. Stronger ute stations could be heard. The active duck also allowed me to pull in local AM broadcast stations that I couldn't otherwise hear inside steel framed buildings.

If anyone can suggest a similar item to replace my old active duck, I'd much appreciate it.

I also have used a long wire soldered to a BNC connector with my VR-500. This gives better reception, although you can't walk around with it. Adding a short counterpoise wire to the ground side of the BNC helps even more. Fiddling with lengths to tune in freqs of most interest will provide better reception, of course.

You do want to use the narrow AM mod that can be done for best results in ute monitoring. Search in the files area of this group or in old messages. I think using TK500 software is the easiest way to turn this on, but there's a button combination that can also do this.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL

-----Original Message-----
>From: Joe <[email protected]>
>Sent: Mar 21, 2008 4:21 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [VR-500] An Antenna Question
>
>Just got my VR-500 a few weeks ago and am really enjoying it.  Been 
>mainly listening to the local VHF-Lo/VHF-Hi/UHF public safety bands and 
>the local railroads.
>
>The main reason I bought the VR-500 was because it is a hand-held 
>receiver that can do USB/LSB, as well as listening to everything else 
>in the radio spectrum except cellular.  I've always wanted to listen to 
>the USB utility stations but I didn't (or couldn't) want to spend the 
>money on a desktop receiver.  
>
>So now I have this great little radio and am wondering is there a 
>favorite brand of aftermarket antenna that will work for USB receiving 
>or would it be better to concoct my own homebrew long wire?
>
>Thanking you all in advance,
>Joe
>
>
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