Amplified Antennas

[Ootek]

Has anyone had any experience with an amplified antenna? If so, do you have ane recommendations? I’m considering getting one for our Garmin 76S.

Thanks,
Ootek

[Painter]

Try before you buy!
I have used many different forms of amplified receiving antennas over the years. None have been with a GPSr but some have been close to GPS frequencies.

In some cases, if the antennna connected to the amplifier does not have enough gain, all the amp will do is increase the noise level.

Conditions also change constantly. Some days the results could be very dramatic, some days barely noticable, and on other days the amplified antenna will do no good at all.

If your GPSr has a connection for an external antenna, Google for GPS antenna construction and you will find many articles on making simple antennas that have more gain than you would expect from a good amp.

Painter (a long time radio-guy)

[kbraband]

My Garmin eMap doesn’t have the greatest internal antenna, so a couple of years ago I bought an external antenna that plugs in to a jack on the back of the unit. It works great. If I get into a treecovered area with poor reception, I just reach into my trusty backpack, pull out the external antenna, plug it in and I’m usually back in business. I don’t use it all the time because it drains the GPS batteries faster. I think I paid about $25 for it online somewhere. If you want to know the source I could search my records. It doesn’t have a brand name on it, but it has a model number: GPA-02A.

[Green Bay Paddlers]

Ken – Looks like a company called “EMTAC” makes that particular model. Although, under a GOOGLE search, it looks like Garmin might have slapped their name on that model as well and marketed it with their GPS line.

Hope this helps…

[sbukosky]

Search on eBay. There are lots of the amplified antennas. The one I have for my emap worked nice when I stuck the magnet to the metal button on the top of my cap!

[Ootek]

Thanks for the feedback. I ordered one on eBay and I’m curious to try it out. Lately, our GPS has been getting rapidly varying reception. As the trees leaf out, it’s only going to get worse.

I tried our Garmin 295 last night just to compare to the 76S. The 295 had trouble holding onto a good signal, too, below Lapham Peak on the way to 6 Cousins.

I was thinking about putting the antenna on my head and my hat over it, hoping I wouldn’t look too dorky. OK, so I’m going to look dorky, but, hopefully a discreet dorky. So, if you see a guy trudging over hill and dale, wearing an old fishing vest bulging with caching stuff and with a wire coming out of the back of his head, don’t run in fear; come over and say “Hi!”. It’s only me.

Ootek

[Cachew]

I have had great success using a Garmin amplified antenna with my GPS 5 in the canyons and mountains of Sequioa National Forest.

[Author]

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