In the realm of Global Navigation Satellite Systems , accuracy and availability are paramount. While GPS forms the foundation of positioning, the GLONASS system provides essential redundancy and enhanced positional certainty, particularly in challenging environments. This External Antenna is precision-tuned for the GLONASS L1 band, centered at 1602 MHz, offering superior signal acquisition for multi-constellation systems. Integrated with a flexible RG174 coaxial cable and the universal SMA male connector, this unit delivers the rugged reliability and high-fidelity signal required for professional telematics and critical infrastructure applications globally.
Unlocking GLONASS Precision: The Strategic Advantage of 1602 MHz
This antenna is specifically designed to maximize the performance of the Russian Federation's GLONASS system. Unlike antennas that broadly cover the entire GNSS spectrum, this unit is engineered to optimize reception at the unique GLONASS L1 center frequency.
Enhanced Signal Filtering and Selectivity
By focusing narrowly on the 1602MHz band (which spans 1598.06 MHz to 1605.88MHz), the antenna achieves superior selectivity. The specialized filtering minimizes interference from adjacent communication bands and out-of-band noise, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the GLONASS signal. This refined tuning process results in a clearer, more robust signal output, directly improving the receiver’s ability to decode satellite data quickly and reliably.
Essential for Redundancy and High Latitudes
GLONASS offers a distinct constellation structure that provides exceptional coverage at high latitudes, including northern regions and polar areas, where GPS satellites often appear lower on the horizon.
Positional Certainty: When combined with GPS, thisGLONASS antenna significantly increases the number of visible satellites, thereby dramatically reducing the Dilution of Precision and enhancing the overall positional fix accuracy.
Availability: In environments where GPS visibility is temporarily compromised (e.g., urban canyons, mountain ranges), GLONASS redundancy ensures the receiver maintains a continuous lock, guaranteeing reliable tracking.
Engineered for System Compatibility and Signal Integrity
The antenna’s internal active components and external interface have been selected to ensure maximal performance and seamless integration into modern electronic systems.
High-Fidelity Active Components
Integrated within the robust housing is a powerful Low Noise Amplifier precisely tuned to the 1602MHz center frequency.
Signal Amplification: The LNA boosts the faint satellite signals immediately at the receiving element, ensuring the signal strength remains high above the noise floor.
Cable Loss Compensation: This high pre-amplification compensates for the signal attenuation that occurs along the coaxial cable run, delivering a strong, clean signal to the GNSS receiver module. The LNA typically requires a standard DC voltage supply fed through the SMA connector’s center pin.
Interface Standardization with SMA Connector
The SMA male connector is the industry standard for professional RF equipment, ensuring broad plug-and-play compatibility across a vast range of devices.
Reliability: The threaded connection provides high mechanical stability and excellent resistance to shock and vibration, which is critical for continuous operation in vehicles and heavy machinery.
Impedance: The connector maintains a precise 50Ohm impedance match, preventing signal reflection and maximizing power transfer to the receiver.
Installation Flexibility with RG174 Cable
The selection of RG174 coaxial cable prioritizes physical flexibility for ease of installation. Its small diameter and high flexibility allow installers to route the cable discreetly through vehicle chassis, tight bulkheads, or internal compartments with minimal effort, reducing installation time and complexity.
Unwavering Reliability in Harsh Environments
This external antenna is built to withstand continuous environmental exposure, ensuring decades of reliable service regardless of operating conditions.
Robust, Weatherproof Construction
The antenna utilizes an extremely durable, UV-resistant housing material designed to resist degradation from sunlight, road chemicals, and extreme thermal cycling. The sealed construction provides high Ingress Protection , guarding the sensitive internal LNA and filtering circuits against moisture and dust ingress, guaranteeing longevity in marine, automotive, and industrial settings.
Optimal External Deployment
External mounting is the most effective strategy for maximizing GNSS performance. By placing the antenna outside the vehicle or housing, signal attenuation caused by metal structures, thermal glass, or internal electronics is virtually eliminated. This placement guarantees the widest possible field of view, maximizing the acquisition of GLONASS satellites and resulting in the lowest possible text DOP for superior positional accuracy.
Strategic Applications and Target Scenarios
The focused 1602 MHz tuning makes this antenna a strategic choice for specific demanding applications.
Arctic and High-Latitude Transport
For fleet operations, shipping, and resource extraction in northern Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia, the GLONASSsystem's orbital inclination provides unparalleled satellite visibility and signal availability. This antenna ensures that critical telematics and safety systems maintain reliable tracking where GPS-only solutions may suffer intermittent outages or reduced accuracy due to satellite geometry.
Precision Timing and Telecommunications
In 5G/LTEcellular base stations and smart grid systems, accurate time synchronization is essential for network operation. By integrating this GLONASS-tuned antenna, operators gain an independent, redundant source of time signals. This diversification enhances network resilience against potential jamming or temporary outages of the GPS system, securing continuous, high-fidelity timing required for complex network protocols.
Surveying and Mapping in Challenging Terrain
Geospatial professionals often work in mountainous regions, deep valleys, or dense forests where half the sky is obscured. For RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) and PPP (Precise Point Positioning) applications, maximum satellite redundancy is key to maintaining centimeter-level accuracy. The ability to lock onto all available GLONASS satellites ensures that the minimum satellite count required for high-accuracy fixes is met, even under significant signal blockage.
Scientific and Remote Monitoring Platforms
For fixed installation sensors, environmental monitoring stations, or remote data logging equipment, uninterrupted location and time tagging are non-negotiable. This specialized antenna ensures that even stationary devices in remote or low-visibility locations maintain the necessary signal lock for reliable long-term data acquisition and time-stamping.
Technical Specifications Overview
The antenna is precision-tuned to the GLONASS L1 band at 1602 MHz. It features a high-sensitivity receiving element supported by an integrated LNA offering significant gain to overcome cable losses and boost the signal above the noise floor. It operates reliably within a standard DC voltage range . The output impedance is a meticulously controlled 50Ohms, ensuring a low VSWR for efficient signal transfer. The unit includes a flexible RG174 coaxial cable, terminated with a robust SMA male connector, and is housed in a weatherproof enclosure designed for extended external use.
This 1602 MHz External GLONASS Antenna provides a vital layer of positional redundancy and performance enhancement, positioning it as an essential component for any GNSS system demanding unwavering reliability in complex operational environments.
