Antenna Or Not

[+WxGuesser]

Just a thought i'm haveing.. will it make any differance... (really) if i have a clear line of sky? I realize that it would definately work better if i'm under foliage.. but i know for a fact that i'm going to an open field.. should i bother hooking up my antenna? (60cs)

[+briansnat]

In 3+ years of geocaching, much of it under heavy tree cover, I've never need an external antenna. Sure you're gonna get better reception, but is it really needed?

Edited January 18, 2005 by briansnat

[+WxGuesser]

thanks for the help.. out the door i go.. going to go do this one

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...6e-677f0afb6c0a

[+tirediron]

Nice to have? In some situations, yes. Need to have? Doubtful in all but the most extreme.

[+BilboB]

Must be nice. Cant use one on my Vista.

[Phoenix2001]

Must be nice. Cant use one on my Vista.

You can use a re-radiating version.

[+NightPilot]

Your Vista can use this antenna. I have one for my Legand, and it's nice. I can use it on my rooftop, and put the GPS anywhere in the car. Caching, it goes on a 1.5" washer attached to the top of a plastic hardhat. If you don't want to look 'official' you can put it in a pocket in your hat, or under your hat, or on your backpack, or wherever you want.

[+briansnat]

Caching, it goes on a 1.5" washer attached to the top of a plastic hardhat. If you don't want to look 'official' you can put it in a pocket in your hat, or under your hat, or on your backpack, or wherever you want.

 

One guy I know attached it to the end of a 2 1/2 ft length of broomstick and he slips the stick into his pack with the antenna protruding from the top. That seemed to work well for him.

Edited January 19, 2005 by briansnat

[+NightPilot]

The only limit is the user's imagination.

[+JohnnyVegas]

External antennas on a GPS! IMO are a waste of money, I have never needed one. In all the years I sold GPS gear, going way back to the early years way before geocaching, I always told my customers to use there GPS for a few weeks without one to see if they needed it. The only customers I had that ever needed one, (There were two of the). Both of them were using them in Hummers.

 

Save your money and by something that will work for you like Sox, Water bottle, hat, etc.

[+boomhwr653]

I just have to ask, do you really put it on the top of your hat and go out caching? That would really make it hard to be inconspicuous.

[+robert]

I just have to ask, do you really put it on the top of your hat and go out caching? That would really make it hard to be inconspicuous.

you can get fishing hats with pockets in them, tuck it in there.

[+Night Stalker]

There are times when I would like to have one. Some Pontiacs and Buicks have a coating on the windshield that reduces the signal significantly. I rent a lot of cars while traveling and when I get one of these it makes auto-routing very difficult. I have been thinking about buying one for just such occasions.

 

[+JohnnyVegas]

Next time I buy a car I am going to mount my GPS on the windshield to make sure it works. When I bought my Truck I took the contol head for my radios with me to make sure I could install the radios, the sales people thought I was nuts, but I found a truck with room for two radios

 

Radios in my truck

[+The Leprechauns]

This brought back fond memories of my very first post as a newbie in the forums, when I asked the same question. I was glad to have been steered away from buying an expensive external antenna. In the 2.5 years since then, I've shelled out countless dollars for other geo-gadgets, but I've never once regretted not having an external antenna. Somehow I've managed to find a couple of caches without one. The only exception would be for the situation Night Stalker mentioned, when you're in a car that blocks a good signal. I was sure to check for that before purchasing my current cachemobile.

[+geobc]

External antennas on a GPS! IMO are a waste of money, I have never needed one. In all the years I sold GPS gear, going way back to the early years way before geocaching, I always told my customers to use there GPS for a few weeks without one to see if they needed it. The only customers I had that ever needed one, (There were two of the). Both of them were using them in Hummers.

As usual, it depends on how you're using your GPS. With regard to the original poster's scenario (clear field of view) and probably on foot, an antenna wouldn't be of any advantage.

 

But for other things, like mapping a 4x4 trail in the woods, I've found an external antenna to be extremely useful, even in an open-topped vehicle like my Jeep.

 

Even if mapping on foot, I would still use an external antenna so that I wouldn't have to carry my GPS in my hand. Putting the antenna on top of my hat would be much easier.

 

GeoBC

[jeepntj]

Gisson antenna @ gpsgeek.com for my 76cs is $19.49 + tax and shippingt =$26= cheap.

[+YuccaPatrol]

My fiancee told me that she would not go caching with me if I wore an antenna on my head.

[+YuccaPatrol]

My fiancee told me that she would not go caching with me if I wore an antenna on my head. Otherwise, I probably would in dense tree cover

[+JohnnyVegas]

 

But for other things, like mapping a 4x4 trail in the woods, I've found an external antenna to be extremely useful, even in an open-topped vehicle like my Jeep.

 

I am only speaking from over ten years of selling GPS gear,

 

If you are in an open top vehicle and need an exteranl antenna, you must have something wrong with your GPS. I have even treid leavig a GPS on the passenger seat of my truck and it still maintianed a lock and this was not in an open area. Unless there is a problem with the vehicle, why waste the money. It only makes sense you use a GPS without an external antenna for a month or two to determine if one is needed.

 

Extrenal antennas are a waste of money.

[+geobc]

I am only speaking from over ten years of selling GPS gear,

I don't doubt what you've seen, but that doesn't change my experience. Jeep dealers may say there is no problem with the Dana 35C axles but when used in our situations, they have exhibited a bad habit of snapping near the splines. Neither of us is lying (well, ok, the dealers always lie!!)...it is just a matter of using the same product under different situations. We frequently 'wheel in heavy wooded areas where retaining signal lock is very difficult. I'm REALLY cheap so there's no way I'd buy and keep a remote antenna unless I knew it helped my signal reception.

 

If you are in an open top vehicle and need an exteranl antenna, you must have something wrong with your GPS.

My G45, GIII and GIII+ all got better reception with an external antenna mounted on the top of the roll bar on my Jeep. It stands to reason, since there are fewer obstructions up there (windshield frame, roll cage, driver/passenger).

 

I have even treid leavig a GPS on the passenger seat of my truck and it still maintianed a lock and this was not in an open area.

I have, too, and was impressed to see that it retained lock. I have also lost lock by driving into even denser forests, or when the the trees were soaked by rain. If you are using a GPS in situations where you are losing lock, an external antenna might make the difference btwn keep lock or losing it. Obviously, if your usage conditions never result in lost lock, there's no need to improve lock. That's what I was getting at in my first post.

 

 

Unless there is a problem with the vehicle, why waste the money. It only makes sense you use a GPS without an external antenna for a month or two to determine if one is needed.

 

I certainly don't disagree with the recommendation to try without a remote antenna, first. That makes perfect sense. My point is merely that for some of us, an external antenna IS useful and at times, necessary to retain a lock.

 

Extrenal antennas are a waste of money.

For some people. And like I already pointed out, if you're trying to map a trail on foot, it is a lot more convenient to use a remote antenna than to carry your GPS in such a way as to retain signal lock at all times, especially in dense tree cover.

 

GeoBC

[+Team Shibby]

I use a Garmin V with a Quad Helix antenna and rarely lose a lock when in dense coverage, but it does happen whether I would like to admit it or not. I have never lost lock to the point where I would rip out my external and hook it up, but I always have it in my caching bag "just in case".

 

Now, using the same GPS in NYC, I have no choice but to use an external antenna. The quad helix may be a great antenna to use while caching in a dense forest, but it certainly sucks when trying to navigate around a city filled with skyscrapers!!

 

One more thing, just about any map company will not accept trails that have been mapped out using a GPS unless an external antenna has been used to obtain them.

 

The way I see it, using an external antenna for caching is not always practical due to the fact that is shortens battery life due to the fact that the externals are amplified. Afterall, they need to get their amplifying power from someplace.

 

Kar

[+WxGuesser]

I still can't believe there are guys walking around (in public) with antennas on their hats That just cracks me up.. any of you shamless people have a pic so we can all have a good laugh

 

thanks for all your comments.. I allready bought the antenna.. but i was just wondering if it would make any sort of differance in an open field.

Edited January 19, 2005 by WxGuesser

[+NightPilot]

It's not necessarily that obvious, depending on the hat.

 

As to whether it makes a difference, it depends on how you carry and use your GPS. I don't find that many caches in open fields, though; they're generally in thick woods down here, and the foliage really interferes with the signal, especially if it's wet, and it often is. JohnnyVegas may think it makes no difference, and it might not in Vegas, where there are no trees. But Vegas is not the whole world, whether he believes it is or not. His experience is not the experience of everone, and shouldn't be presented as such. Selling and using are entirely different things.

[+Team_T&P]

With the Garmin Emap, it will lose lock sitting on the seat or anywhere without a clear view, front windshield works best. I realize that I am new to this sport but I have used GPSs in my job professionally. I agree that they are expensive if you purchase a OEM model, but as posted, you can get for $25 and what great thing to free up both hands and keep the GPS in a pouch or pocket when climbing or stabilizing or just because without losing GPS lock. I have not decided where I will put mine. I thought of buying a Fiberglass flag staff for a bike and cutting it down. But before I try elevating it, I may try a velcro patch on the shoulder of my hiking vest and see how it works.

[peter]

I sometimes use an external Gilsson antenna when I want to record a good tracklog and elevation profile in very hilly or heavily wooded terrain. It definitely makes a difference in the quality of the recorded data as seen by the elevation profile being smoother and the tracklog plot being more reproducible on out-and-back trips. This isn't often an issue of losing lock or not, just of having one, or maybe two, more satellites and therefore getting a slightly more accurate fix.

 

For geocaching I agree that it doesn't make much difference. When near the cache I'll hold the receiver in a position for best reception anyway. But when hiking or climbing and recording a tracklog it's much more convenient to be able to put the GPS away in a pocket and still have the external antenna in a place with optimum reception. For hiking I sewed a little pocket on the inside of my cap so it's not very conspicuous. The only question I've gotten was from someone who wondered if I was listening to a radio when he noticed the antenna cord going up to my cap. Tilly and Trimble both make caps with such pockets included, but it's easy enough to add to most other caps.

 

I used my GPS for four years before I finally got the Gilsson about a year ago and I feel it was clearly worth the money - just wish I had gotten it earlier.

 

Yes, it does draw power for the amplifier, but it's only 5 mA. My GPS by itself runs for about 12 hours on 2300 mA-hr cells. Adding the 5 mA for the external antenna would drop the time to 11 hours and 42 minutes. The difference is small compared to the normal variation between cells and operating conditions, so I've never explicitly noticed any reduced run times.

[+BilboB]

All very good information from everyone, and thank you for making up my indecisive mind that in the end...I dont need an external antennae.

[+Cache Viking]

I have one and so far the only time it has been handy have been the times that I flew somewhere. It allowed me to keep the antenna near the window so I could leave the GPS on the tray for me and Mrs CV to watch.

[+KYHilltopper]

I'll take the road less traveled on this one. I have and use (at most times) a Gilson active antenna. I have tested the difference on many occasions and my GPS (Garmin 76) always has more sats aquired, and a smaller error distance with the external than without. The ability to put the GPS in the cup holder in the truck, with the antenna on the roof is worth what you will pay in the safety aspect alone. Not having to try and read the unit on the dash close the windshied where the fixed antenna can see the sky is priceless. And yes, I wear it on my hat in dense cover. I am even considering getting another one with a shorter cable so I don't have to wind up the cable and put a rubber band around it so I don't trip on it or catch it on the brush while bushwacking. As far as being conspicuous (sp?) in the deep woods, I don't care, and I don't need or use the external antenna when in parks or tracking down a sneaky lamp post micro in the URBAN undergrowth.

 

Clint