Why no GPS Navigation Unit Aerials

Shaker replied:

You can get a soft visor for them, which makes the display easier to see.
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Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) replied:

You can fit one to most units..... Michael Thumbs UpThanks 0

snailbait (Blue mntns) replied:

hi
Yes there is a x xsernails aerial available which has a boster run by 12 volt
see the people who have the knowledge not the people who sell GPS
send me a pm and i will tell you who does the this.
snailbait Thumbs UpThanks 0

Member - Tony V (NSW) replied:

Imstat

I have an external antenna for my Garmin mounted on the top of my snorkle.

Garmin has a MCX connector. works exceptionally well. Got it on eBay about $10.00 Thumbs UpThanks 0

Member - Allan B (QLD) replied:

Ian there are dozens of them. Try a Google search for "GPS Navigator Antenna"

Or click here

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bruce replied:

I have an external aerial for my TomTom...got it from Ebay , reasonably cheap as well...has a magnetic base and sits up on the front of the bonnet when the boat is on the wagon....plenty of them about...cheers Thumbs UpThanks 0

Gone Bush (Mandurah WA) replied:

The earlier releases used to be able to take an external antenna, eg the Garmin 660.

But if you mounted them out of the sun they were difficult to adjust without taking your eyes off the road.

Catch 22 Ian. The internal antenna is so good now that an external one is superfluous.



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The Fox replied:

I use a Reradiating gps antenna, bought at a map shop in Parramatta, can't remember the name.

A reradiating antenna system consists of two antennas. The receiving antenna has a magnetic base and is outside the vehicle. In my case, the transmitting, or "reradiating," antenna is inside the cab, on the pass side, taped to the end of f250 dash, and sticks up above the dash. Very small - maybe 5mm dia and 100mm long. The two are connected by a coaxial cable and the system is powered by the 12 volt vehicle supply.

The outside one picks up the signal, and the inside one re-transmits it inside the car. My outside one is flat on the roof and has huge viewing area for satellites, even behind the car to some extent.

A reradiating antenna is necessary if your GPS does not have an external antenna jack, but also handy even if it does have a jack. You can mount the gps anywhere in the vehicle, mine is flat on the dash, down low out of the sun.

Trevor Thumbs UpThanks 0

Member - Mike DID replied:

You don't need an external aerial to mount it in the dash - a dashboard these days is mainly plastic.

The latest GPS are so sensitive that they'll pick up signal coming in through the side windows. Thumbs UpThanks 0

Member - Phil G (SA) replied:

Ian,
Does it not work inside the car?
We also have a Tomtom XL and it works fine inside the car. We do have a sunroof that we never open. Thumbs UpThanks 0

obee1212 replied:

I put mine in the glovebox out of the sun and close the lid when not using it. Out of sight. These days the air bags would preclude this. It easily clips in and out and I am hard pressed to find a better place for it in my hilux.

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Member - Cantiva Clay (NSW) replied:

I have a Tom-tom XL as well, basically for about a week or 2 after the ephemeris data table (satellite tracking data) has been updated on the internet reception is excellent but as you get further and further from an update its ability to track becomes significantly weaker next to literally useless by about 3 months. This suggests that in fact a low quality read cheap receiver is used in the tom-tom. As a comparison my 7inch gps from ebay with a claimed sirf3 seems to pull lots of satellite's reliably with out updates. I thought the TT was broken and spoke to the Australian service desk who was really helpful, and basically confirmed "the TT is reliant on regular updates"....normally not a problem in the city but can be a problem when your on the road for a few weeks without updates and you go into the heavily wooded Victorian high country when reception is challenged at the best of times.....saved by good old fashioned paper maps! (Pre topo gps) (The phone gps was also useless) Anyway, back to the point I fitted one of the ebay re-radiating aerials the differance is rather subtle vs dramatic, going by the detailed reception meter in the TT, it mean you get a 4~5 satellite fix instead of a marginal 3 - which is enough to get an accurate road location in difficult conditions (high overcast/trees/buildings/long while since update/quicker fix on turn on). here's the one I have but there are lots of others available - the prices seem to vary a bit. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/GPS-Re-radiating-antenna-works-w-Garmin-TomTom-SBG-190_W0QQitemZ230429300509QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a6a8171d I think the only caveat with them is that the reciever aerial needs to be as removed from the transmitter as possible - to minimise feedback, eg have the receiver at the rear of the vechicle roof, transmitter around the dash so that the roof metal acts as a sheild. Not also that in the backcountry the tom-tom is not really a replacement for a topo gps - see the gps articule and book. Thumbs UpThanks 0

DesF replied:

Hi , I have a TomTom One V3 and it does not have a antenna connection , I also have Garmin Nuvi 760 which has but I do a bit of trail bike touring and they work fine in my jacket pocket, mainly used to track our travels , but the 760 has a earphone socket and it give you voice guidence in you helmet if needed,
The Nuvi seems to work just as good laying on the front seat or console.
Seems to me they dont have to actually have to see the sky, but the Nuvi needs to when you first fire it up.
Battery lasts about 4 hrs of tracking, Mate has a lighter socket mounted on his bike and charges it in his pocket while travelling.
Cheers Des. Thumbs UpThanks 0