SDR Antenna options???

I have a SDRPlay and would really like to monitor the CB and 11m DX channels. Is there a preferred scanner antenna that members use? Looking at the Scanmaster HF Active, any good? Or what would be a better option??

Hi Duncan,  I don't have SDRplay at Home but do have a Icom IC-R30 Scanner, for this I have a Scanmaster D1300 at the Home QTH on a pole. Also in the car I use a Skyscan MK2 which has a Magmount base but can be used as a desktop antenna also. I have had good results with both, and as they are very Wideband RX will cover your SDRplay Frequencies. I suppose if you are just monitoring HF Bands then a more specific antenna like the one you mention, may out perform a very wide banded one? Cheers Tony

Hi Duncan,

Just checking on unanswered postings and came across yours and although not an expert on SDR I'll do my best to provide whatever help I can.

I see you have a 6900 CB radio listed on your equipment so do you have this setup as a home base unit or mobile? 
The reason I ask is that if you have a home base antenna you could try hooking it up to your SDR and see if you get any improvement on reception compared to whatever antenna you currently use for it.

You're bound to come across arguments that it will 'overload' the front end of the SDR, (signals too strong), but others will argue the resonance of such an antenna will improve reception to those frequencies of interest. I'm with the latter argument only because most of the web based SDR sites that tune CB frequencies tend to utilise a CB antenna for such activities. (A simple half wave CB antenna seems to be popular.)

You don't state as to why you want to make such a setup but I have seen examples where a SDR is used to scan the bands on home base antennas and when activity is found they use an antenna switch, (manual or automatic), to switch over to their transceiver to then broadcast to what they were hearing. Sort of like putting a pan-adapter onto a radio that doesn't have one. I can also see it as a handy thing to check the CB bands for activity due to propagation as the 'mid-band' or often used European frequencies see activity way before the usual 'triple 5', (27.555MHz).

You'll probably find a CB antenna setup will improve your SDR reception on other frequencies too compared to the tiny antennas usually used on such setups.

Anyway, 'batting it out there' for you more than anything else. I hope you find a solution for what you are trying to do.


If anything it's peaked my interest in giving me thoughts on a SDR to scan Amateur 2m VHF activity on my own setup. That way I won't have four radios on the go checking two repeaters, FM and SSB calling frequencies!!!  


All the best,
Victor

Ah, so much for 'unanswered'

Well done Tony.