Chris wrote:

i'm after a cheap outdoor aerial for my old scanner, nothing special
just something to use to listen around the 450mhz range,

If it is just that one range, you might try making a J-Pole for that
frequency. You get a couple of db gain over a 1/4 wave whip.

http://www.packetradio.com/jpol.htm

Since you're not transmitting you don't need to worry about any fine
tuning.

-D
--
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy
enough people to make it worth the effort." -Herm Albright