Best multiband scanner antennas

Top pick: Tram 1411 Wideband Discone — it receives 25–1300 MHz, which covers low-band VHF, high-band, UHF, 800 MHz trunked systems and most airband in one antenna, and it's a proven base-station workhorse. Mount it high and outdoors and it will out-receive any handheld whip.

Who the others suit:

• Diamond D3000N Super Discone — the step up for a serious listener: better build and a wider, more even pattern, but no coax included.
• Sirio SD2000N — reaches up to 2000 MHz, so it's the one for 1.2 GHz and microwave-adjacent listening.
• OmniX Scanner Base Antenna — a compact, purpose-built scanner antenna with real VHF/UHF gain when a full discone is too much metal.
• Tram Broad-Band Discone / SIGNALPLUS discone — budget base options that still cover the whole scanner spectrum.
• Tram 1185 Mag-Mount — the mobile answer: sticks on the roof, 12 ft of coax, no drilling.
• Nagoya NA-771 — a cheap telescopic whip to improve a handheld's rubber duck.
• vwvwave magnetic kit — plug-and-play with BNC and SMA adapters if you want one box that fits any scanner.

Rule of thumb: height and a good coax run matter more than the antenna's price tag.