GPS antenna is a device that helps boost the reception signal to a GPS unit, whether it is a standalone or an embedded unit. Often The GPS antenna is used in a situation where the GPS unit itself is somehow removed from a line of sight to the sky, as in a car, to help the GPS “ see ” the sky no need to be moved. GPS antennae can be purchased for a range of budgets, or cheaper home versions can be made with fairly common components.
Originally GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite system developed by the United States Department of Defense. It utilizes more than two dozen satellites orbiting the Earth to allow receivers in the sky or on the ground to tell exactly where they are, by receiving heads off of multiple satellites. Using this location, devices can detect not only longitude and latitude, but also altitude, and even speed and heading.
Civilian GPS contains certain restrictions, imposed by the US government to make sure hostile forces don’t use the technology in missiles. So consumer GPS can’t operate when moving at more than 515 m/s at more than 60,000 feet (18 km). Throughout the eighties and early nineties GPS was used primarily in commercial avenues, such as in airplanes, on fishing boats or for geographic surveying. In the late nineties it began gaining popularity for consumers for driving or for hiking, and cell phones began having included GPS for directions and location, and by the new cars were being equipped with built-in GPS to give driving directions.
A GPS unit has a built in antenna, which is usually located inside of the unit and quite small. While this maybe function in ideal circumstances, such as when in a desert staying still or moving at slow speeds.it may cannot work as well as one would like in more trying circumstances. A GPS unit likes to have a clear and unobstructed view of the sky to best receive the microwave signals that allow it to communicate with satellites. This can be problematic for GPS units inside of cars, so an external GPS antenna will be needed and used, mounted to the outside of the car with a magnet and connected to the unit itself by a cable assembly.
The small GPS antenna built into a consumer unit also may not be able to ideally communicate with the satellites in situation such as heavy canopy cover while hiking. In this case, a larger and more advanced GPS antenna can helps the unit overcome the environmental challenges and give a clear signal. Similarly, moving at high velocities can overwhelm the smaller and less sophisticated antenna, and an external device can boost the signal.
There are many different types of GPS antennas, with the quad helix styles and patch being the most popular. Both of them are roughly equal in efficacy. Other types of GPS antennas include microstrips, of which the patch is one configuration, planar rings, and spiral helices.
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