Empathy List Archives

JA

John Ackermann N8UR

Tue, Jun 27, 2023 5:57 PM

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/
It's fully assembled except for the RF connectors (which are included),
and a matching extruded aluminum case with endplates is available.

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/ It's fully assembled except for the RF connectors (which are included), and a matching extruded aluminum case with endplates is available.

NP

Neal Pollack

Tue, Jun 27, 2023 9:04 PM

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@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/
It's fully assembled except for the RF connectors (which are included),
and a matching extruded aluminum case with endplates is available.

time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com
To unsubscribe send an email to time-nuts-leave@lists.febo.com

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@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/ > It's fully assembled except for the RF connectors (which are included), > and a matching extruded aluminum case with endplates is available. > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com > To unsubscribe send an email to time-nuts-leave@lists.febo.com >

JA

John Ackermann N8UR

Tue, Jun 27, 2023 9:20 PM

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@lists.febo.com mailto:time-nuts@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.
 _______________________________________________
 time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com
 <mailto:time-nuts@lists.febo.com>
 To unsubscribe send an email to time-nuts-leave@lists.febo.com
 <mailto:time-nuts-leave@lists.febo.com>

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@lists.febo.com <mailto:time-nuts@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. > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com > <mailto:time-nuts@lists.febo.com> > To unsubscribe send an email to time-nuts-leave@lists.febo.com > <mailto:time-nuts-leave@lists.febo.com> >

JE

Jeremy Elson

Wed, Jun 28, 2023 1:19 AM

This looks like a great piece of hardware!

A few months ago I ended up buying this:
https://www.instockwireless.com/gps-signal-splitter-SMA-gps310.htm

It's similar in that it's a multiband splitter, but has a passband filter
that allows through L1-L5. It is about $50 more expensive, and does not
have an integrated LNA.

On Tue, Jun 27, 2023 at 11:04 AM John Ackermann N8UR via time-nuts <
time-nuts@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/
It's fully assembled except for the RF connectors (which are included),
and a matching extruded aluminum case with endplates is available.

time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com
To unsubscribe send an email to time-nuts-leave@lists.febo.com

This looks like a great piece of hardware! A few months ago I ended up buying this: https://www.instockwireless.com/gps-signal-splitter-SMA-gps310.htm It's similar in that it's a multiband splitter, but has a passband filter that allows through L1-L5. It is about $50 more expensive, and does not have an integrated LNA. On Tue, Jun 27, 2023 at 11:04 AM John Ackermann N8UR via time-nuts < time-nuts@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/ > It's fully assembled except for the RF connectors (which are included), > and a matching extruded aluminum case with endplates is available. > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@lists.febo.com > To unsubscribe send an email to time-nuts-leave@lists.febo.com >

GT

Greg Troxel

Wed, Jun 28, 2023 9:59 PM

John Ackermann N8UR via time-nuts time-nuts@lists.febo.com writes:

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

I have used these two for RTK and they seem to work well:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/17751

https://www.ardusimple.com/product/calibrated-survey-gnss-multiband-antenna-ip67/

I have not tried, but would expect it to work based on NGS calibration
and the performance of the 2-band ardusimple antenna:

https://www.ardusimple.com/product/calibrated-survey-gnss-quadband-antenna-ip67/

And yes, $230 for a L1/L2/L5 antenna with an NGS cal file is in fact
"low cost". I'm not sure what Neal is expecting. A professional
geodetic antenna is vastly more.

There are also lower cost antennas without cal files. If you are using
an F9P for RTK, you should understand that you can't use the cal file.
But if you process with OPUS and I think with CSRS-PPP, you can.

John Ackermann N8UR via time-nuts <time-nuts@lists.febo.com> writes: > 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 I have used these two for RTK and they seem to work well: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/17751 https://www.ardusimple.com/product/calibrated-survey-gnss-multiband-antenna-ip67/ I have not tried, but would expect it to work based on NGS calibration and the performance of the 2-band ardusimple antenna: https://www.ardusimple.com/product/calibrated-survey-gnss-quadband-antenna-ip67/ And yes, $230 for a L1/L2/L5 antenna with an NGS cal file is in fact "low cost". I'm not sure what Neal is expecting. A professional geodetic antenna is vastly more. There are also lower cost antennas without cal files. If you are using an F9P for RTK, you should understand that you can't use the cal file. But if you process with OPUS and I think with CSRS-PPP, you can.

time-nuts@lists.febo.com

New GNSS Antenna Splitter Available

John