stevelup - I suppose a teleprinter is out of the question?

I think the problem was the numpty holding the scanner :) having spent more time on it I am getting the hang of it. I might have a look at a better aerial though.

What would he do with a teleprinter????????????/

get the messages he couldnt hear on the head phones

I can hear them, it's you that can't :)

Seriously, you'll get used to it - once you understand it better, you fill in the gaps automatically and it all makes sense.

<<get the messages he couldnt hear on the head phones>>

And how do those messages get on to a teleprinter (if such an object is available nowadays)?

On my AOR8000 handheld I purchased about 9 years ago I had not choice but to purchase a notch filter as I had a powerful outdoor, high mounted discone antenna attached to it with high quality 1.5cm thick coax.

I did the trick perfectly and I had no breakthrough and was able to hear Manchester ground quite easiily from my bradford base even though the big pennines were between.

No probs using a notch filter with a handheld at home.

So what form did the notch filter take? Did it plug in to the audio output or was it professionally fitted much farther back in the receiver? If you have interference on audio a notch filter is of little use unless the interference is a single tone or some sort. I suspect your improved receive performance was derived more from the outdoor antenna and good co-ax. However, a simple vertical dipole would work as well, if not better, than an expensive discone, which is trying to be a "jack of all trades".

Heathrow Director - teleprinter comment was my attempt at humour

I don't usually have trouble understanding the radio, but some military (MATZ) controllers seem to have some very poor quality microphones or something. Mareham is one of the worst - changing controllers does not seem to make a difference. Cambridge approach/radar, on the other hand, is like listening to radio 4.

http://a.imageshack.us/img201/9787/260820101122.jpg


Solid State Electronics in line notch filter. Just goes between the antenna and the antenna input on the scanner. You are then able to "notch" the powerful FM broadbast band (or any other one causing problems) out. Worked very, very well.

that looks interesting and straightforward thanks.

Ahhhh.. I think it's misleadingly termed "notch filter". I believe it should more accurately be termed a "band-pass filter". A notch filter is usually employed to remove, or attenuate, a narrow interfering signal but a band-pass filter allows through the range of frequencies you require and attenuates those you not. Anyway, it obviously works so the precise terminology is immaterial.

SSL address

Solid State Electronics (UK) RADIO COMMINCATION & SCANNER ACCESSORIES