GPS Antenna

[Muxlow]

I have a tremble gps antenna.. id like to put it to use and wondering how i can connect it to my street and trips antenna.. if that would be possible at all.. Or my little usb wireles internet card.
Im thinking this wont work.. but dont hurt to ask

 

[datainmotion]

Is this just a Trimble antenna with a coax connector on it?

Do you mean connect it to your Streets and Trips software? If so, you'd need a device in between - namely a GPS receiver with an external antenna input and a serial output.

And no, I don't think any of the USB cellular or wi-fi cards/sticks have accomodations for an external GPS antenna.

 

[davidmc36]

I have a tremble gps antenna.. id like to put it to use and wondering how i can connect it to my street and trips antenna.. if that would be possible at all.. Or my little usb wireles internet card.
Im thinking this wont work.. but dont hurt to ask

I gather you have the reciever that came with S&T?

Is it the Pharos GPS 360? I'm looking at mine right now and would say that surgery would be tricky if not terminal. Even if you could get the plastic open the reciever seems to be inside a metal enclosure and it looks to me like the antenna is the peach coloured square thing glued to the top of it. it would likely destroy it to get it off/apart to run an "external" antenna. If you really wanted to stretch the reciever from your laptop I don't know of any reason a USB extension cable would not work, there must be some maximum though I suppose. If you just want to make use of a spare antenna, I would reccomend a different project.

 

[poltergeisty]

From what I gather, the maximum length of a USB cable run is 16'. I'm willing to bet you could go further.

Love to see what the inside of that GPS looks like, I'd make it work!

 

[davidmc36]

Love to see what the inside of that GPS looks like, I'd make it work!

The plastic enclosure on mine is see through. The reciever appears to be in a swaged together metal box with the antenna lying on the top. I would not be surprised if you could get the box apart the antenna is soldered to the board. A very ambitious project at the least I bet. Not likely worth the effort since the reciever works just great sitting on the dash of your car. I consistently get 6 - 8 satellites at 75% or better signal.

 

[Muxlow]

I just may grab one off ebay for cheeps or something. Iv just had this little antenna for ever and wated to put it to use and didnt have anything els to use it for other then cell/gps

But like i said. Didnt think it could be done, but people are smart adn can make things work. But seems not in THIS case

 

[specman]

But like i said. Didnt think it could be done, but people are smart adn can make things work. But seems not in THIS case

Well the problem is that not many consumer-type GPS units need a separate antenna anymore, other than some specialized cases. The GPS that comes with Microsoft Streets & Trips for instance contains a GPS receiver AND antenna all in one package.. no need to connect anything else. That little unit works quite well anyways, I can get mine to work even if it isn't on the dash in clear view.

The other part of your question dealt with using your old antenna with a cell card; the frequencies involved are different and therefore your antenna isn't suitable for that purpose.

You could try selling the antenna on E-Bay.. somebody may need it for their Trimble unit for instance or have something else in mind for it.

 

[rfradioconsult]

A lot of the external GPS antennas are "active" antennas; in other words they contain a built-in pre-amplifier that requires a source voltage fed via the coax for the antenna to function.

 

[Muxlow]

Speaking of all this.. little while ago i saw a bell mobile support unit or something NO it was wireless operations van.. had 3 of these little antennas that looked like mine on the front, and 8 what looked to be 800mhz stubby antennas along the top. 4 per side.. i was gonna go ask the guy what the hell! how is that set up! But.. he was noooo place to be found

 

[N_Jay]

Drive test and other network optimization activities.

 

[w8jjr]

For a project you could pick up a GPS receiver on EBay, add your antenna and you would have a working GPS.

Something like this

 

[rfradioconsult]

Back in the mid 80's I worked for the Verizon predecessor in Houston, I drove an unmarked sedan with 7 cellular antennas for performing drive tests and system optimization. On more than one occasion I was approaced and asked about the antennas or what I was doing, my stock answer was "have you ever heard of the FCC" nobody ever asked a second question.

 

[breadtrk]

The clear plastic square from Streets and Trips cracked open fairly easy in a bench vise. I just soldered the leads from a shark fin gps antenna to the little card inside in the same place the pink one was. Works great but no better than when the "Ice Cube'" slid all over the dash.

 

[poltergeisty]

The clear plastic square from Streets and Trips cracked open fairly easy in a bench vise. I just soldered the leads from a shark fin gps antenna to the little card inside in the same place the pink one was. Works great but no better than when the "Ice Cube'" slid all over the dash.

That's what I would have done. The pre-amp is embedded anyway.

I'm more of a surgeon when it comes to things like this. Would have used a rotary cut off wheel to carve around the sides where the plastic mold made the bond.

I've done this before...

 

[davidmc36]

The clear plastic square from Streets and Trips cracked open fairly easy in a bench vise. I just soldered the leads from a shark fin gps antenna to the little card inside in the same place the pink one was. Works great but no better than when the "Ice Cube'" slid all over the dash.

That's a brave mod. Was the pink antenna removable easily or soldered on?

 

[w8jjr]

Dupe Posting

 

[w8jjr]

Hum Triple Post

 

[w8jjr]

That's what I would have done. The pre-amp is embedded anyway.

Looking at the spec's there is no preamp.in the cube To use the ext ant for better gain you would need to supply voltage to the coax to power the amp in the ant.

 

[W6KRU]

Looking at the spec's there is no preamp.in the cube To use the ext ant for better gain you would need to supply voltage to the coax to power the amp in the ant.

We got it. We got it. :lol:

 

[Muxlow]

And how would i make that little ebay thing work with my S&T?