[time-nuts] Re: New GNSS Antenna Splitter Available

[John Ackermann N8UR]

Hi Neal --

Prices have come down in the last year or two.

u-blox has a multiband mag-mount antenna for about $60:
https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/ann-mb-series

If you search eBay for "cors rtk antenna" you'll find a bunch of 
base-type antennas from China for about $60-70 that claim to be L1/L2 or 
L1/L2/L5.  A couple of years ago I got one that I think is the same as 
some of those for about $150 and it seems to work OK (but that's not an 
endorsement -- I haven't tested it thoroughly).

I suspect the difference between the <$100 ones and the more expensive 
ones is what kind of bandpass filtering they have.  Using multiple SAW 
filters to cover two or three bands is expensive.  As with the GUS, 
whether you need that filtering depends on the kind of environment 
you're in.

John
----
On 6/27/23 17:04, Neal Pollack wrote:
> John,
> 
> You mention low cost multiband antennas?  When I google, it seems that 
> L1, L2, L5 antenna's are in the $200 - $400 range?   Are there other 
> sources that you found?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Neal
> 
> 
> On Tue, Jun 27, 2023, 11:05 John Ackermann N8UR via time-nuts 
> <time-nuts at lists.febo.com <mailto:time-nuts at lists.febo.com>> wrote:
> 
>     Dual-frequency GNSS receivers are becoming more common, and you can now
>     buy low cost L1/L2/L5 antennas.  But it's hard to find a GNSS antenna
>     splitter that handles multiple bands; most of them have SAW filters for
>     L1 only.  I ran into that problem and designed a solution: the GUS, or
>     "GNSS Unfiltered Splitter", which is what it says it is.  TAPR is now
>     offering it for sale.
> 
>     The GUS has four output ports with SMA connectors and covers L1, L2,
>     and
>     L5 (in fact, it's usable from 1 to about 1.7 GHz).  Its LNA makes up
>     for
>     splitter losses and provides a net gain of about 7 dB.  The outputs
>     have
>     equal time delays within a handful of picoseconds, but are not phase
>     matched.
> 
>     It does not have any bandpass filtering, so might not be suitable for
>     use near high power transmitting sites.  But in most applications,
>     filtering beyond that provided by the antenna isn't necessary.
> 
>     The GUS can be powered from a receiver, and voltage is passed
>     through to
>     power an antenna LNA.  In addition, it can use external power and can
>     handle inputs from 3.3 to 15 volts.  An on-board regulator is available
>     if the antenna requires lower voltage than the power source, and
>     antenna
>     power can be disabled.  In short, the GUS tries to support just about
>     every receiver/power/antenna combination that's out there.
> 
>     The GUS is available from TAPR now:
>     https://tapr.org/product/gus-gnss-antenna-splitter/
>     <https://tapr.org/product/gus-gnss-antenna-splitter/>
>     It's fully assembled except for the RF connectors (which are included),
>     and a matching extruded aluminum case with endplates is available.
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