All
credit card orders are processed by CCNow. Customers can be sure that all information
supplied are secured and will not be used for any other
purpose other than this sale transaction. MN customers
in USA are recommended
to use paypal
Please
note that credit card order (minimum order $11.50 excluding postage) can only
be sent to card holder at his/her registered address. We may not be able to process
credit card orders for card issued by some countries. In that case or if you do
not have a credit card, please see other methods of payment
including paypal MN
customers in USA are
recommended to use paypal
How
does re-radiating antenna work? Re-radiating
antenna consists of 2 parts - receiving antenna and transmitting antenna.
Receiving antenna has internal signal amplifier so requires
power. Amplified signal is transferred to the transmitting antenna which "radiates"
the signal onto the antenna of GPS.
Why
do I need re-radiating antenna? 1. You
need to put an external antenna where it can "see" more/enough satellites to get
satisfactory reception. e.g. inside car so you put the receiving antenna on the
roof. 2. In places where reception is marginal,
e.g. in woods or streets with high buildings. Because re-radiating antenna "amplifies"
the signal so you might get 4-5 satellites when you can get only 2-3 with your
handheld GPS with its own internal antenna. These
apply also to external antenna if your GPS has external antenna connection.
3. Many cars now have heated windscreen which can prevent
satisfactory reception. An external antenna is almost mandatory in such case.
There are many GPS without external antenna connection.
This is where re-radiating antenna becomes useful. As far as we know, all re-radiating
antennas on the market presently require cigar lighter socket power so can only
be used in car. Even in car, power for re-radiating antenna is also a problem
as inevitably, your GPS and/or PDA also require the cigar lighter socket power.
All other re-radiating antennas on the market presently
have non-removable receiving antennas. We are the first to make it in 2 parts.
It is easier/neater to store as well as more convenient to use batteries than
to use car power. We also make it "universal" in that you can use the external
active antenna in other GPS that has the appropriate antenna connection (MCX or
BNC). Or you can just buy the inexpensive power/transmitting unit and use your
own compatible active antenna (see below), if you already have one.
How
do I use the battery powered re-radiating antenna? It
cannot be simpler. You need 3 x AA batteries (rechargeable Ni-MH or alkaline).
Connect the external antenna, put it somewhere where it has best view of the sky
(e.g. car roof). Switch on (LED power indicator
shows it is on and adequate power). Place the radiating antenna loop onto the
GPS. You should see the result immediately (allow
TIFF - time to first fix). For best result, use
the supplied rubber band to strap the antenna loop onto the GPS so that it is
secure even if you move the GPS about. Characteristics
and positions of internal antenna vary so experiment the positions to get best
result.
How long do the batteries last? It depends on the power/current consumption of your
active antenna. With our (GAST3X
or GAST3B/GAS76B), it last more
than 100 hours of continuous use with rechargeable Ni-MH, or up to 200 hours with
alkaline batteries. The power indicator dims as power gets low. It is still workable
even if it get very dim. When you cannot see any light, it is time to change batteries.
(At the end of the battery life, it still has power to light the LED if the active
antenna is not connected. The light goes out as soon as active antenna is connected,
which shows there is not enough life in the batteries to power the active antenna)
I already have an active antenna, can I use it
with your power/transmitting unit? Apart
from the appropriate connector (BNC or MCX), it has to be low powered (15mA or
less), and requires power voltage in the range of 3.6-4.5v. Most modern breed
of active antennas should be compatible. Please consult your antenna supplier
for specifications. Our re-radiating antenna
is optimised for our own active Antenna (GAST3X/GAS76X
or GAST3B/GAS76B).
If
you have specific questions about the above products please write to us at pcmgps
@ pc-mobile.net
