I'm using the 50ft of RG-6U coax sent with the Scantenna. It has
F-conectors on each end, and the kit came with an F-to-BNC adapter.

What would you suggest specifically for cabling? I'm pretty new to
this.

Also, based on the pictures I posted, should I elevate the antenna
more? Typically how much of a benefit would I get out of maybe 6ft
more height?

Thanks

Although people will tell you that you have to use 50 ohm cable for
communications type equipment (including scanners), the reality is that few
of us will notice the difference it makes. Having said that, I have kept
all of my comms tye equipment feedlines on 50 ohm cabling. In a home base
type setup, I run a minimum of RG213, and if playing on the higher freqs, I
use better, typically Belden 9913 or hardline heliax. These types of cables
are typically rather expensive unless you can get it secondhand which can
reduce the costs quite significantly (which is what I do - always on the
lookout for cheap cable even if I don't need it at the time of purchase).
It is up to you whether you want to spend the extra money on the lower loss
cables, but it is not always worth it for the average user.
As to height - well height is might, particularly as the frequencies get
higher, but depending on the type of cable used, the benefits of the extra
height can be negated by the cable loss involved in getting the antenna
higher. For my scanner I try and get the antenna at about 10 metres above
ground (around 33 feet in height), the benefit of additional height will not
always be apparent particularly if you are listening mainly to local
repeater based services, but if you are listening to simplex stations or
more distant repeaters you will notice a difference. If you cannot get it
much higher, at least get it clear of surrounding structures and it should
provide improved performance, particularly with services that you may be
listening to that are currently obscured by your house.

Hi Tempest,

I basically agree with Matt:

50 or 75 ohms will make small difference. The real difference is
in using good quality low-loss cable. One possible source of
reference is http://thewireman.com/ but there are many others.
You don't necessarily want "the best cable around", just look at
the dB /100 ft loss figure for 800 MHz (or close) and find the
loss for your 50 ft. 1 or 2 dB difference between cables won't
make much difference for casual listening. 3 or more dB begins to
reduce a lot your reception. If you buy the cable and conectors
at a real store they should be able to solder the connectors for
you. Mind you, even if this seems simple it is a difficult job to
do properly the first time, and a badly installed connector may
ruin all your gains.

As for antenna height, the said is good: For normal conditions
you want the minimum height that clears the antenna from all
surrounding obstacles. From your photos it seems that the antenna
is too low. A bit more height, just enough to get it above the
roof top, will probably improve reception in that direction.

--
Toni

"Auto" = prefijo griego que significa "no funciona"