Replaced my GPS antenna...
- Thread starter Sandman1962
- Start date
I read something about it turning into a radiator on another post(bit of a cave man on computers so no link sorry) is it completely safe ?
I have done the GPS antenna upgrade and the copper foil mod. I went from getting a max of 8 satellites to now getting 10-11 satellites on a regular basis. Well worth the money. I think both the mods plus shipping I spent $30. Well worth it in my book!!!
I did the antenna mod because I wasn't getting any satellites. I am still not getting any satellites. I fear there is a different issue. Any thoughts? It was working just fine until the other day and they nothing. I haven't crashed or had any other problems. Thanks for any help!
All mods complete and getting massive differences ty guys very cool forum really helpful [emoji106]
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I have one left.. the only thing is the adhesive had already been taken off.. but its still very very sticky (and the solder also obviously helps keep it in place).
It was sent to someone else, but got lost in the mail, so I sent them another and now this one has just been returned to sender (me)... 3-4 weeks later!! Better late than never though they.
Anyways I'm happy to send it to anyone in Australia for like $8 delivered.
If anyones interested, I will send it first, you can install it and make sure it works / you are happy before handing over the hefty $8. I'm not looking to make a profit, just wanted to break even on the $40 shipping cost to get them from the US
It was sent to someone else, but got lost in the mail, so I sent them another and now this one has just been returned to sender (me)... 3-4 weeks later!! Better late than never though they.
Anyways I'm happy to send it to anyone in Australia for like $8 delivered.
If anyones interested, I will send it first, you can install it and make sure it works / you are happy before handing over the hefty $8. I'm not looking to make a profit, just wanted to break even on the $40 shipping cost to get them from the US
Can someone please explain why a 4mm thick antenna has better reception over a 2mm thick antenna of the same size. I want to understand the physics behind this magic. Thank you!
N017RW
Premium Pilot
It's not just the thickness.
If you GOOGLE search Patch Antenna Theory you'll find lots of info on design parameters vs. performance.
If you do, we probably won't see you around here for a while if you get my 'drift'.
If you GOOGLE search Patch Antenna Theory you'll find lots of info on design parameters vs. performance.
If you do, we probably won't see you around here for a while if you get my 'drift'.
N017RW,
Thank you for the advice. I did look up this topic, and even found a good youtube educational video on Patch Antenna Theory. That was indeed a good exercise for the brain
Now that I know why a thicker patch is better, I'm moving to the next question:
I have RF-V16 GPS tracker, which many in this board have recommended as a way to keep an eye on the aircraft. This tracker responds with an SMS link to either Google maps, or trackanywhere.org. I have figured out that if GPS signal is strong, then it uses Google. Otherwise, it uses the latter, which is far from being precise. I thought that if Naza patch antenna can be upgraded, then RF-V16 can be improved too.
RF-V16 uses 15X15X2mm patch antenna, and I see that Taoglas makes 15X15X4 (so it would be a 2mm to 4mm upgrade, similar to Naza upgrade). I attach pictures of my RF-V16 taken apart.
The existing antenna has slightly slanted corners, but the Taoglas 4mm antenna has well rounded corners:
http://www.taoglas.com/images/produ.../GP.1575.15.4.B.02 15x15x4mm patch 280110.pdf
Should this shape difference be a concern?
The Taoglas datasheet above says:
"Center Frequency 1578 ± 2MHz With 66x52.5mm ground plane"
Does this mean that the PCB has to be exactly 66x52.5mm ?
The existing antenna sits on the metal box (which is about 2mm tall), rather than being attached directly to the blue PCB (see the picture). The center pin of the antenna goes through the metal box into the PCB and is soldered on the other side of the PCB (just like Naza antenna). See the big solder blob just above the flat cable connector in this picture:
Here is the same Taoglas antenna at Digikey:
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?KeyWords=GP.1575.15.4.B.02&WT.z_header=search_go
Does this upgrade make sense?
I appreciate any thoughts and advice.
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