Mount USB antenna inside or out?

vxcarpc · 03-21-2005, 12:49 AM

Just wondering I'm about to get my first USB GPS mouse reciever and wondering if it's any more worth mounting the antenna outside or inside the window of my car.. Will it make much of a diff in signal strength?

0l33l · 03-21-2005, 01:09 AM

You just have to test it. Some windshields have a coating that prevents signals from penetrating it.

sfay93 · 03-21-2005, 01:20 AM

Mount it outside if you can. It will have a greater field of view and get faster satellite locks.

Bugbyte · 03-21-2005, 01:51 AM

It will get better reception outside, hands down. However, you may be able to find a location inside the car that will work good enough. Mine is mounted on the dash and gets decent reception. However, it got BETTER reception before I changed to a Xenarc screen and found that it interferes with the GPS.

In fact, my original location was to mount it on the back shelf of the car. I tested this with my laptop and ran the antennae to the back shelf. It worked superbly. I then installed the PC underneath the back shelf (in the trunk) and the RF rendered it incapable of getting a lock.

0l33l · 03-21-2005, 01:25 PM

Some people mount it in the mirror

vxcarpc · 03-21-2005, 07:30 PM

is there software you can get to test the signal strength? Can you get a % figure on signal strength?

Chris31 · 03-21-2005, 09:55 PM

http://www.visualgps.net/VisualGPS/default.htm

I use it for setting up, also tells you which sat number the GPS is picking up. Operating on WAAS or not by looking at the locked sat number above 31 (not 100% sure, maybe 32?)

eleventh · 03-28-2005, 12:38 PM

I have my GPS antenna mounted not only inside the car, but UNDER the dash.

The reception is very good, it routinely sees 6-7 satellites. While I agree that from a signal strength perspective, mounting the antenna outside the car would be better, I think in most cases mounting inside (and under the dash) works quite well. Plus, I think the stealth look is a big plus.

This picture shows (in red) where I ran the USB cable from the USB hub behind my LCD, to the GPS reciever/antenna under my dash.

I would of course reccomend testing your GPS/car combination, but I think this will work for most people.

vxcarpc · 03-28-2005, 11:37 PM

I have a part 2 to the question. What's the maximum recomended length of a USB cable with a GPS reciever that anybody in here's got? I am thinking of mounting it on the back of my car up on the roof which is about 3 or so meters from the back of the pc..

Curiosity · 03-28-2005, 11:56 PM

Mine is under the dash too and I usually get 10 sats. There just happened to be a 1" high space between a metal thing and the top of the dash, plus a little double-sided tape and it fits well. I have the wifi dongle under there too because there were 2 spots like that.