GPS external high gain antenna

[nadeem]

Fitted today on my bike and a friend's...with a shortened cable of 0.5m rather than the Garmin 3 metre job...

available from here

mine sitting on the windscreen bracket

friend's sitting on his motorrad concepts sat nav bracket

 

[John Armstrong]

Do you noticed much difference in reception with the external aerial onyours?

 

[nadeem]

Well normally when I switch it on at home it takes 60-90 seconds to pick up a satellite - today it was under 30 secs...can't say more than that till I get a chance to test it properly.

 

[John Armstrong]

Sounds like it helps, having a look at the "GPS Info" page with it in / out (fnarr fnarr) will I guess give an even better impression. At least with the aerial up front the blanking by the body should be less, I guess.

 

[PanEuropean]

Nadeem:

May I respectfully recommend that you try and get that external antenna as horizontal as you possibly can?

If you go to the GPS satellite data page on your GPSR, and observe how the signal bars settle down with the antenna in its present (somewhat tilted) position, then you adjust the antenna so that it is as close to horizontal as you can get it, and have a second look at the signal strength bars, you will discover the reason why I recommend you try to keep it horizontal.

Those external antennas are designed on the assumption that they will be no more than 10° off horizontal. For that reason, no effort is made by the engineers who design them to optimize reception if the antenna is not horizontal.

Michael

 

[nadeem]

Thanks Michael, I realise that...the chap did say that...will need to see what I can do about it when I get back from my weekend trip...what I might do is put it on top of the headlight...

 

[Deleted Member I]

Looks like you need one of those motorrad concepts mounts

 

[Kritou]

Thanks Michael, I realise that...the chap did say that...will need to see what I can do about it when I get back from my weekend trip...what I might do is put it on top of the headlight...

Perhaps even better on top of the brake fluid reservoir

 

[PanEuropean]

Perhaps even better on top of the brake fluid reservoir

Agreed, that's where I put mine. FYI, the only reason I use the external antenna at all is because of the quite significant backwards tilt of the GPSR.

Michael

<a href="http://www.hostdub.com/PanEuropean:Remote_on_Moto_2720:full"><img src="http://www.hostdub.com/albums/PanEuropean/Remote_on_Moto_2720.jpg" alt="hostdub.com"></a>

 

[Greg Masters]

That's precisely where I had mine until I had to rob my bike at Christmas for an antenna for SWMBO's i3 in her heat-shielded screened Peugeot 206.



Greg

 

[HMR]

Nadeem:
May I respectfully recommend that you try and get that external antenna as horizontal as you possibly can? Michael

I've done some testing on this and the importance of the orientation is huge. The internal antenna is designed to have fair reception independent of orientation. The external antenna gives better reception but it works ONLY if oriented perfectly horizontal!