GPS Antenna Wire Cut

Jim KJ3P · April 2020

My landscaper accidentally cut through the (buried) GPS antenna wire (my fault for not telling him about it). i carefully spliced and waterproofed it, but now GPS Status: Not Present.
Question: If the wire was cut, it may have briefly shorted the "phantom" DC power for the GPS. Could this have done damage to the actual GPS module in my 6600?
I'm ordering another antenna just to sure.

N9VC · April 2020

You should be able to check with a voltmeter
on the connector. It should show 5 volts. If
the voltage is present, that should be okay.
Check the voltage before you order the antenna
since if the voltage did disappear, then a new
antenna would not fix anything.

73, Jim N9VC

Clay N9IO · April 2020

Off the the top of my head I think it a reasonable assumption you should be able to read +5vdc across the point you spliced.
I seriously doubt it damaged the active antenna but very easily could have killed the 5 volt source in the radio.

If it is in fact dead an outboard GPSDO might be a cheaper replacement. That's what I am using.

73 and good luck
Clay N9IO

Clay N9IO · April 2020

Jim I am apparently slower responding one finger on this cell phone. Sorry for the repeat OM.
Clay

Jim KJ3P · April 2020

Jim, thanks for the idea of measuring for +5v at the GPS jack. Shoulda thought of that myself....Duh-h!
Got 5v! Gonna order a new antenna. Thanks again.

HCampbell WB4IVF · April 2020

Replace the coax. Splicing underground coax is problematical, especially at those frequencies.

Howard

GPS Antenna Wire Cut

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