I notice that Garmin is offering a booster antenna as an
accessory for some of its newer models. It's obviously meant to be put on
the roof of a vehicle.

Can it also be carried, with reasonable comfort & convenience,
while hiking or just sitting in the woods?

If so, does it do any good?

In Southern Appalachia we have "rhododendron hells," aptly so
named, which even a weasel might have trouble getting through, absent a
cut and pruned trail -- better named a tunnel, and all praise be to the
kindly souls who keep each pruned back!

Inside such tunnels, even a Rino (which does much better under
the summer canopy than my old Etrex Vista) routinely loses all track of
any satellites. (And I doubt even the newest Montana will do a lot
better.)

I would like to map a few such tunnels, if there is a way -- such
as a booster antenna mounted on a hat or cap, or the shoulder of a cargo
vest -- but I haven't had one in hand, and doubt I'd find much other
need or use for one (unless it can connect to the Vista).

--
Beartooth Staffwright, PhD, Neo-Redneck Linux Convert
What do they know of country, who only country know?

On 7/27/11 12:38 PM, BeartoothHbsk3 wrote:
>
> I notice that Garmin is offering a booster antenna as an
> accessory for some of its newer models. It's obviously meant to be put on
> the roof of a vehicle.
>
> Can it also be carried, with reasonable comfort& convenience,
> while hiking or just sitting in the woods?
>
> If so, does it do any good?
>
> In Southern Appalachia we have "rhododendron hells," aptly so
> named, which even a weasel might have trouble getting through, absent a
> cut and pruned trail -- better named a tunnel, and all praise be to the
> kindly souls who keep each pruned back!
>
> Inside such tunnels, even a Rino (which does much better under
> the summer canopy than my old Etrex Vista) routinely loses all track of
> any satellites. (And I doubt even the newest Montana will do a lot
> better.)
>
> I would like to map a few such tunnels, if there is a way -- such
> as a booster antenna mounted on a hat or cap, or the shoulder of a cargo
> vest -- but I haven't had one in hand, and doubt I'd find much other
> need or use for one (unless it can connect to the Vista).
>

Be sure to poke a neat hole though the aluminum foil you obviously line
your hat with...

Op 27-7-2011 19:55, Small Potato stated the following:
> On 7/27/11 12:38 PM, BeartoothHbsk3 wrote:
>>
>> I notice that Garmin is offering a booster antenna as an
>> accessory for some of its newer models. It's obviously meant to be put on
>> the roof of a vehicle.

8<

> Be sure to poke a neat hole though the aluminum foil you obviously line
> your hat with...

:-D


--

Greetings,
Rudolpho
Carpe diem

BeartoothHbsk3 wrote:

> I notice that Garmin is offering a booster antenna as an
> accessory for some of its newer models. It's obviously meant to be put on
> the roof of a vehicle.
>
> Can it also be carried, with reasonable comfort & convenience,
> while hiking or just sitting in the woods?
>
> If so, does it do any good?

I use this amplified external antenna with my GPSMAP 60CSx:

http://www.sanav.com/gps_antennas/gpa/mk-76.htm

It's powered from the GPS, and seems to have a minimal impact on
battery life.

It has a magnet for attachment to a vehicle roof. I use it to
get maximum accuracy when logging road data for OpenStreetMap.

I also use it when mapping hiking trails. Having a magnetic
attachment, it isn't suitable for attachment to tinfoil hats
(sorry "Small Potato"). But sew or otherwise attach a small
section of thin steel plate to a cotton hat and you have the
perfect mounting for hiking.

It makes a dramatic improvment to signal strength under thick
vegetation cover.

If you're really paranoid, you probably won't wear it on your hat


John

BeartoothHbsk3 wrote on Jul 27, 2011:

>
> I notice that Garmin is offering a booster antenna as an
> accessory for some of its newer models. It's obviously meant to be put on
> the roof of a vehicle.
>
> Can it also be carried, with reasonable comfort & convenience,
> while hiking or just sitting in the woods?
>
> If so, does it do any good?
>
> In Southern Appalachia we have "rhododendron hells," aptly so
> named, which even a weasel might have trouble getting through, absent a
> cut and pruned trail -- better named a tunnel, and all praise be to the
> kindly souls who keep each pruned back!
>
> Inside such tunnels, even a Rino (which does much better under
> the summer canopy than my old Etrex Vista) routinely loses all track of
> any satellites. (And I doubt even the newest Montana will do a lot
> better.)
>
> I would like to map a few such tunnels, if there is a way -- such
> as a booster antenna mounted on a hat or cap, or the shoulder of a cargo
> vest -- but I haven't had one in hand, and doubt I'd find much other
> need or use for one (unless it can connect to the Vista).
>
>

I think these antennae are intended for use in vehicles fitted with
heat-reflecting, or heated windscreens which block out satellite reception.
If you can't get reception with a normal high sensitivity gps in the open air
then I doubt if an additional antenna would help much.

--
Mike Lane
UK North Yorkshire
mike_lane at mac dot com

"BeartoothHbsk3" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ...
>
> I notice that Garmin is offering a booster antenna as an
> accessory for some of its newer models. It's obviously meant to be put on
> the roof of a vehicle.
>
> Can it also be carried, with reasonable comfort & convenience,
> while hiking or just sitting in the woods?

I use an earmuff mount. Can be used with most hats as long as the strap of
the earmuffs (where the antenna is mounted) goes over the hat.

You get a choice of three colors
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Sheeps...821090&sr=8-32

John Henderson schrieb:

[...]
> It makes a dramatic improvment to signal strength under thick
> vegetation cover.

FACK!

<http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/12b4-6y-9188-jpg-nb.html>

HTH

Reinhard

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
John Henderson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I use this amplified external antenna with my GPSMAP 60CSx:
> http://www.sanav.com/gps_antennas/gpa/mk-76.htm
>
> It's powered from the GPS, and seems to have a minimal impact on
> battery life.
>
> It has a magnet for attachment to a vehicle roof.

This one looks good if there is a way to attach it to your particular
GPS unit.

One thing that isn't mentioned, is that the metal surface it is attached
to may be effectively part of the antenna. In other words, a small
piece of metal sewn into a cotton hat may be too small to do much good.

If you try it and it doesn't quite do the job, consider attaching it to
a larger piece of metal or the bottom of a steel coffee can.

Fred

"BeartoothHbsk3" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ...
>
> I notice that Garmin is offering a booster antenna as an
> accessory for some of its newer models. It's obviously meant to be put on
> the roof of a vehicle.
>
> Can it also be carried, with reasonable comfort & convenience,
> while hiking or just sitting in the woods?
>
> If so, does it do any good?
>
<snip>
I have used this antenna from GPSGeeks with a 76CS. It worked very well
with no extra metal (just tucked under my hat to keep it in place). For
$19.95 it's a good deal. Now with a 76CSX I no longer feel the need.
http://www.gpsgeek.com/products/ampl...h2o-ifinderpro