+SBPhishy Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 (edited) I was curious if anyone has used these before. It is an external antenna, that can be used for GPS's that dont have the external antenna port. I was just curious if they work well, and any other info would be great. Re-Radiating Antenna Thanks Edited February 22, 2004 by SBPhishy Quote Link to comment
+JDan150 Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Yes, we have one. Works great. 1 set of batteries lasts a long time. Shipping time was good considering coming from Hong Kong. BNC is better than MCX if you don't already have an external antenna. It locks in place and stays connected in a backpack or hip pack. Quote Link to comment
+blindleader Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Works great. 1 set of batteries lasts a long time... Ditto. Down side: Coax cables are a tangly pain in the arse. Requires some work for use in the field. On my To Do list: -Sew a pocket into my hat for the antenna. -Remove the magnet from the antenna. (Compass is unusable) -Sew an elastic sock to fit over GPSR antenna and hold re-radiating loop in place. Quote Link to comment
+SBPhishy Posted February 22, 2004 Author Share Posted February 22, 2004 (edited) One more question. Is that the website you guys ordered yours from? And if the BNC is better, does that mean I should get the 2nd kit? Code:GARATB which is $44.90 on that web site Thanks! Oh yeah, I have a Meridian Gold Edited February 22, 2004 by SBPhishy Quote Link to comment
+blindleader Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Yep. That's the one I got. Quote Link to comment
+SBPhishy Posted February 22, 2004 Author Share Posted February 22, 2004 If you do not intend to use the Active Antenna for other GPS we suggest you buy the MCX version is is smaller/lighter Thats a quote from the web site. Why is one better than the other? Quote Link to comment
robertlipe Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Tomato tomahtoe. BNC is a bayonette connector. It achieves a positive lock by an outer collar that rotates and locks. MCX is a fricton connector. It saves weight and manufacturing cost by having a springy external connector that just slips over the mate. (It looks sort of like the RCA jacks you've probably seen in audio/video land.) So they're both right. MCX is smaller and lighter. BNC won't pull loose as easily. (The cable will break before that connector lets go which may or may not be a good thing.) Signed, Never seen the specific products in question, but an electronics geek... Quote Link to comment
+Poindexter Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Their saying that if your only going to use the active antenna with the re-radiating setup, then get the MCX version as it is smaller and lighter than the BNC version. MCX is fine and is also locking, just not a "twist-lock" like the BNC. If your going to also use the antenna with other receivers you might want the BNC version as many fixed mount receivers use that type of connecter. Handhelds that have the external jack generally use the MCX type. I install my own MCX connecters because the antenna cable supplied with the ones I have bought are way too long to use when hiking. Quote Link to comment
+Poindexter Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 MCX is a fricton connector. It saves weight and manufacturing cost by having a springy external connector that just slips over the mate. (It looks sort of like the RCA jacks you've probably seen in audio/video land.) It's not a friction fit like an RCA connector and looks nothing like that connector. The outside shield part of an MCX "snaps" inside of it's mate and will freely rotate about the mate but takes considerable force to pull it back out. Here's a pic of one I recently installed. Quote Link to comment
+SBPhishy Posted February 23, 2004 Author Share Posted February 23, 2004 Ah I see. Thank you for all your replies. So, just to wrap this all up, for my Meridian Gold, which is probably the only GPS I will use this for (unless I buy another one) Which would be the best for me to get? Sorry if this has already been explained, I just dont want to make a mistake. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
+Poindexter Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Well, I would go with the MCX version because it's so much smaller and lighter. Here's a pic of both together. The BNC is about 5/8 inch in diameter. Quote Link to comment
+NightPilot Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 I have the mcx version, and I'm happy with it so far. I like the magnet in the antenna, because I stick it on top of my car roof, so I can put the GPS anywhere in the car, and don't have to keep it in the windshield, thus no mount is required. The downside is that magnets are heavy, so there is some weight on top of your head. The small connector is much lighter than a BNC, and I've had no problems with it coming loose. I would advise some sort of cable management system, though, since there is a lot of it. Velcro works, just coil the cable and secure it with double-sided velcro. You can get velcro cable ties at many places, and that works fine. Tie-wraps will also work, but they're harder to adjust if you need to rearrange the cables. Quote Link to comment
+SBPhishy Posted February 23, 2004 Author Share Posted February 23, 2004 Wow, thanks for that pic pointdexter. That one is WAY bigger than the other! Thanks for all your replies. I guess I will go with the MCX version when I get around to it. Quote Link to comment
appletree Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 I bought their antenna and re-radiator combo to use with my Vistas and GPS V and I have been very impressed. The signal strength is so strong with the Vista and the set-up is so simple that I really do not miss having an external antenna port on the unit. I also have a Garmin external antenna that I had bought for use with the GPS V. It does work with the re-radiator, but the signal strength is much weaker than when I use the antenna that came with the re-radiator. It really seems to be a much better antenna, except for the fact that the magnet cannot easily be removed. Quote Link to comment
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