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Homemade GPS antenna

N9VC
N9VC Member ✭✭
edited April 2020 in New Ideas
Here is an idea for a GPS antenna. My supplied antenna quit working with my GPSDO.
So with no spare on hand, I took a BNC chassis mount connector and cut my antenna
element out of 18 gauge copper plated steel wire for rigidity. The element halves are
each 2 inches long and fed it it with RG-6 for lower loss.
Solder one half to the center conductor and the other half to the flange.
Now if you attempt this, just be careful that you do not short out the center to ground
as DC power is fed up to the supplied active antenna. That could damage the unit.
So if you do not feel comfortable doing this, don't.
Here is a snapshot with the homemade GPS antenna locked on to some satellites.
I do plan to get a replacement antenna from Flex, so this is not permanent.
Tim or Mike, if you feel this should be removed for any reason, please do so.

73, Jim N9VC


The element length is arbitrary.

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Comments

  • l plumb
    l plumb Member
    edited March 2020
    JIM
    That is a fantastic idea.  I have a window that slides up and down and i partially cut the existing wire but it still worked with tape etc.  I am going to try your idea.  How critical is the 2 in dimension ??
    and for a **** question what freq am I trying to receive ??
    Larry Plumb
    wa2tly
  • N9VC
    N9VC Member ✭✭
    edited March 2020
    1.57542 GHz (L1 signal) and 1.2276 GHz (L2 signal) are the two common frequencies. I
    borrowed from a QST article published October 2002. Mine is not as elaborate. It was
    more to verify the GPSDO still worked in the Flex.
    My next move is to replace the coax on the antenna in case it was a connector that failed.
    And if that does not work, then a new replacement antenna from Flex is in order.

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