What is the Relevance of GPS Antenna?

What is the Relevance of GPS Antenna?

In the absence of technology behind GPS antenna, we are not likely going to have the many different perks we now enjoy in our modern world. If there is one technology that the world is making use of the most, GPS or global positioning system will be topping the list.

We can’t deny this glaring fact, many people today rely and would depend on a network for time synchronization or satellite navigation. People on the road use some kind of mobile phone navigation system or app, which is a form of GPS. As for the case of the professional drivers, we know they rely heavily on them. 

Other Purposes of GPS Antenna

car GPS
Best GPS antennas

Besides navigation, there are many other practical applications for GPS antenna. And since GPS satellites are equipped with atomic clocks, satellite navigation systems are making use of the time signals that those clocks put out to work out their positioning accurately. They are being taken advantage of as the primary time source for a manifold of time-sensitive technologies.

ATMs, CCTV networks, traffic lights, and even computer home and office networks all need to have access to accurate time sources to ensure synchronicity and drift. Most modern technologies we utilize and enjoy the benefits of, including computer systems, have internal timepieces in them, although most of the time they are only made from simple quartz oscillators (comparable to those used in modern watches) where drifting is always likely.

This will not just lead to time gradually becoming inaccurate and thus unreliable, but the moment devices are hooked up as one, drifting will render these machines disconnected from the network and thus can’t cooperate with others since each device is following a different timeline.

At this stage, the GPS network will come into the picture. Unlike other types of highly accurate sources of time, GPS is readily available anywhere you may be on the planet. It is amazingly secure and incredibly accurate. However, the GPS antenna comes with one distinct drawback.

Even if the GPS signal is widely available and accessible on the planet, it is pretty weak. To obtain its signal, whether for navigation or time synchronization purposes, one requirement you need to have is you need to have a clear sky. Clouds may get in the way of the satellite signal and thus cause interference. This explains the reason why you need to have a GPS type of antenna. It will help you obtain a good and high-quality signal, regardless of atmospheric conditions.

While GPS type of antenna must be outdoors, you need to make sure they are not just waterproof, it is of prime importance also that they can still operate and work well even when they are under the rain or any other kind of inclement weather conditions. You also need to see to it that they are highly resistant to varying temperatures, even to the point of extreme heat, which is pretty normal throughout the year in any country nowadays. When the GPS NTP servers fail, it can be attributed to a failed or failing antenna. Therefore, to veer away from time signal failures in the future, you must ensure your GPS system antenna is waterproof, shockproof and unyielding to seasonal changes in the temperature.