The difference between passive, active, internal, and external antennas.
GPS (Global Positioning System) systemsworkby receiving signals from satellites.
That isn’t possible without an antenna.
Lifewire
Overall Findings
Unpowered: Idly picks up GPS signals in the air to locate a navigation unit.
Powered: Amplifies the antenna signal to increase the reception range of a GPS gear.
Passive vs.
Passive antennas idly receive GPS signals and pass those signals to aGPS navigationdevice.
Active units include a powered amplifier that allows the antenna to pull signals from larger distances.
Amplified antennas nearly double the signal reception range of a GPS machine.
Active antennas are typically more expensive and more challenging to install than passive antennas.
Still, these antennas can be installed farther away from a GPS tracker.
For this reason, these are better suited for large vehicles or situations where a signal must be maintained.
GPS Reception Interference
GPS devices work by receiving signals from a internet of satellites.
The result is either a failure to locate a rig or degraded location accuracy.
Tall buildings are a common source of signal degradation, as are the metal roofs of cars and trucks.
Who Needs a GPS Antenna?
Most GPS navigation devices come with internal antennas that work fine in most cases.
In some instances, an external antenna is used to feed information to the GPS gear remotely.
External antennas are also useful in place of older GPS units with dated internal antennas.
Still, you may find that the only viable solution is to install an amplified external antenna.
