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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Child GPS Locators

Why Do We Need A Child GPS Locater?

There is no question that our world does change almost daily. We are becoming almost too familiar with all the terrible act's of violence, crime's and abuse. Its sad, even though crime's of this nature have plagued our society, and human kind as a whole, there is no denying that the sheer volume seem's to be increasing yearly. And as parent's we definitely have thought about how horrible it would be to lose a child to some deranged kidnapper, or anyone else that could commit serious crimes. We have, undoubtedly, ran through the various situation's, the fear of being powerless once our child has "disappeared", and the absolute devastation and emotional destruction that occurs once a child has been a victim of such crime's.

Of course we try to be as careful as humanly possible. Thinking of and developing safety precautions, like the cell phone, or the exact word's to scream if anything was to happen. But inevitably , somehow we must come to term's with the real lack of control we are faced with in the larger scheme of thing's. As a parent, I can tell you that I have thought of everything when it come's to ensuring my child is never left in harm's way, or left alone. But too many time's I find us in situation's that could be ultimately be dangerous, if a criminal was to decide to cause harm to my child.

The bottom line is, we cannot always protect our children.

Sometimes We Are Not In A Protective Position
Please forgive me if you think we can. But our children reach a certain age where we must give them a certain level of freedom. Whether it be letting them play with friends, or walk to school, or even play in the yard. But the big problem with the age at which our children first begin there minor independence, is that they are still so young in term's of protection and really comprehending the severity of our worlds situation. And even though we do our best to present our children with the knowledge and the truth about being careful, we still cannot completely ensure their safety.

That's why using a Child GPS Tracking Device should definitely be discussed between parent's. There is know better feeling than knowing exactly where your child is whenever you want. Think about looking at your Cell Phone or PC and seeing the EXACT location of your son or daughter. Its amazing. I feel a strong wave of warmth come across me just from thinking about it. I have found that using a Child GPS tracking device also let's us do a terrific job of parenting as well.

Check Out The Child Locator GPS

Here are some great Benefits of the Child GPS Device:

* The Device is small enough to for the child to conceal it and keep from losing it
* Know the exact location of your children Instantly
* Build trust with your child and the wil learn to be honest about there where abouts
* Always know that your children make it to school
* If they get lost you can easily give then accurate directions
* The Amber Alert GPS Device is completely silent
* The GPS Device is even great for Mall's and stores
* Feel safe and secure when at amusement parks
* These GPS Children devices are great for vehicle's and other personal items as well
* And tons more - There are no limits to what you can us these Child Location Devices for.

You know ,one of my favorite thing's about these tracking device's is the fact that I feel like I am truly doing all I can do as a Dad to protect my children. Just knowing that I will never look back and wonder if there was more I could have done. But I also feel like my parenting has improved. When my children are with friend's at the movies or at a friends house, I can just check out the location, and when I can see that they are there, I really don't have to keep calling them or make them call me.

The GPS Tracking Device has actually IMPROVED our parent-child relationship!

That is so amazing in so many different way's. We all know that no parent-child relationship can be perfect, but what a huge breakthrough this GPS device has been.

By Joshua Mintz

The Best GPS For the Money


The best GPS for the money (automotive GPS) will usually be found in a clearance model once the model has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Recently, the chip sets that makes GPS units function have not been significantly updated and the discontinued units still perform very well. If you don't need the latest and greatest, you can find a really good buy.

When you are looking for the best GPS for the money, always look for a unit that speaks street names. The prices on these discontinued units will be low enough that you do not want to buy a unit that does not speak street names. Taking your eyes off the road to read the street name on the GPS display is extremely dangerous. Do not compromise on this feature!

Other features to look for in the best GPS for the money are screen size, MP3 player, Bluetooth, and free shipping.
For many months, the Garmin Nuvi 350 was the best GPS for the money. Its price dipped down to $160.00 in January 2009. It was loaded with features for the $160 price with standard screen size, MP3 player, picture viewer, (no Bluetooth). However, at the time of the writing of this article its price has risen to over $345 USD so forget it.

In April 2009, the best GPS for the money was the Garmin Nuvi 360. This unit has been discontinued by Garmin, but it was selling for the incredibly low price of under $150 on Amazon. It has a standard screen (2.8 x 2.1 inches), MP3 player, picture viewer, and Bluetooth.

The key point to take away from this article is there is always a best GPS for the money. You just have to know how to find it. This best GPS for the money will change periodically as manufactures compete and as GPS units are discontinued and the stores clear the discontinued inventory.

You can find the best GPS for the money on the-best-GPS.com. It contains instructions with pictures that show how to use Amazon.com as your research tool to find the best GPS for the money.

Be a smart shopper, save a bundle, and learn how to buy the best GPS for the money.

By John V. W.

Portable GPS Handheld Devices - Defining Waypoints, Routes and Tracks


Handheld GPS devices are becoming more and more popular for walking and hiking enthusiasts everywhere. With so many models available on the market today offering so many various features, it's easy to become overwhelmed and confused about what you need, and what some of the features even mean.

Two basic questions that many people about using handheld GPS devices are "what are waypoints?" and "what is the distinction between routes and tracks?". Here is a simple explanation that should give you a good understanding of these terms.

Waypoints are precise geographic locations defined by longitude and latitude. Waypoints can be recorded by your GPS unit by pressing the waypoint record button. Inexpensive portable GPS models have limited capacity and will keep relatively few waypoints; top models can store hundreds of waypoints, and you can even give them names and manage them within your GPS.
A route is a set of waypoints connected by straight-line that guides you where you want to go. You "tell" your GPS unit that you want to navigate from one waypoint to the next, and your GPS shows you the route by drawing a straight line between waypoints. This means your GPS will not tell you there is a bend ahead in trail; it will just guide you in a straight line to your next trail junction or campsite. (Keep in mind, that for automobile navigation, the term "route" has a slightly different meaning.)

A track is a record, created by your GPS, of where you have been. As you go on your hiking expedition, your GPS device records track points and displays what many people describe as a "breadcrumb trail". The track represents the road, trail, path, etc. that you followed. Curves are formed with short line segments, so the shape of the trail you have taken is more accurate than the straight-line segments representing a route. Tracks lets you easily go back to your starting point.

Some portable GPS models also let you download your track to your computer to create a record of your trip and print it if you wish. As in the case of waypoints, low-end GPS models offer limited track point storage, while high-end models can store thousands of track points.

By Patricia Peters

How Were GPS Systems Developed?


GPS Navigation Systems technology was originally developed by the United States Department of Defense and was meant for military use to keep track of enemies and know their position at all times. Tracking technology has been around for quite some time actually - since World War II to be exact.

Navigator GPS design is based partly on ground-based radio navigation systems developed in the early 1940's that were used in World War II. These systems were named LORAN and Decca Navigator and were focused on knowing where the enemy was so they could either attack or retreat depending on the size of the forces.

Additional inspiration for modern day GPS systems and GPS handhelds came when Sputnik was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. A team of scientists monitored Sputnik's radio transmissions and discovered that because of the Doppler Effect, the frequency of the signal being transmitted was high as the satellite approached and lower as it moved away. The Doppler Effect is the change in frequency and wave length of a wave as it is perceived by an observer moving relative to the source of the waves.
This team of scientists that was observing Sputnik's radio transmissions soon realized that since they knew their exact location on the globe, they could pin point where the satellite was along its orbit by measuring the Doppler distortion. This was groundbreaking and very exciting for the military at the time. This technology is used in radar laser detectors too.

The United States Navy used the first satellite navigation system called Transit. It was first successfully test in 1960 and was quite mind-boggling for everyone in the military. When the Navy tested Transit, they did so hoping for some quite specific results. Using a constellation of five satellites, they found that the system could provide a navigational fix approximately once per hour. Today's GPS navigation systems like the Garmin Nuvi GPS use as many as twelve satellites to lock on for instant positioning fixes.

In 1967, the Navy developed the Timation satellite which proved the ability to place accurate clocks in space. This is a technology that the GPS navigation system relies on. In the 1970's, the ground-based Omega Navigation System, based on signal phase comparison, became the first world-wide radio navigation system. This was the foundation and building block of today's GPS Portables.

In February of 1978, the first experimental Block-I GPS satellite was launched into space and the development of modern-day GPS systems began. These original satellites were initially made by Rockwell International. Now, the satellites we use for GPS are manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

In 1983, Soviet interceptor aircraft shot down a civilian airliner flight KAL 007 as it flew in restricted Soviet airspace. This heinous act killed all 269 people on board - all of whom were civilians. Shortly thereafter, President Ronald Reagan announced that the GPS system would be made available for civilian use once it was completed. Because of this horrible act on the part of the Soviets, developed of the GPS navigation system was stepped up more than it ever had been before and experimentations began in earnest.

By 1985, ten more experimental Block-I satellites had been launched into space to validate the concept of GPS and in 1989; the first modern Block-II satellite was launched. By December of 1993, the GPS system achieve initial operational capability and just a month later, a complete constellation of 24 satellites were in orbit with full operational capability declared by NAVSTAR in April of 1995.

A year after that, President Bill Clinton realized the importance of GPS to civilian users as well as military users which prompted him to issue a policy directive that declared GPS to be a dual-use system meaning civilian as well as military. He established an Interagency GPS Executive Board that was responsible for managing GPS as an asset of the United States. With this came the commercial brands such as Garmin Nuvi GPS.

Plans began in earnest to improve upon the system for the everyday user of the navigation system. An announcement was made that the government was going to upgrade the GPS system with two new civilian signals that would lead towards enhanced user accuracy and reliability particularly with respect to aviation safety. Also, GPS handhelds would be made.

Since those early years, the GPS technology has evolved into something that the everyday public uses and uses with amazing accuracy and reliability. What began as a way to keep track of our enemies is now used to help guide us along the way during trips and excursions. Such companies as TomTom, Magellan and Garmin Nuvi GPS have made a business out of this.

In fact, the GPS system we have today has many applications including map making, land surveying, and commerce uses. Plus, because of the way a GPS can pinpoint times with amazing accuracy, scientists are able to use it in many applications including the study of earthquakes and the synchronization of telecommunications networks. Who knew that golfers would be able to use a GPS handheld to determine the distance to the flag.

New uses for GPS systems are constantly being discovered and the way that technology is always evolving, we are sure that even more new uses will come about for the GPS systems. They will probably always be finding new uses too as the system is constantly improved upon. Next time your on the highway, safely look over at the car next to you and see if it might contain a Garmin Nuvi GPS.

By Richard Alexander

Saturday, July 11, 2009

GPS Navigation Systems Have Come a Long Way

Gps systems have come a long way since they were first designed for the US military. The first signal from NAVSTAR 1 was received on Feb. 22, 1978. NAVSTAR 1 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and was the first of 24 satellites that make up the Global Positioning System (GPS). The first generation of satellites that make up the Global Positioning Systems 24 satellites were launched between Feb. 22, 1978 and Oct. 9, 1985. Since it First became operational the Global Positioning Systems has revolutionized the way America goes to war and provides a GPS system in which the world relies on for precise navigation.

The Global Positioning System's constellation of orbiting satellites is managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. The unit is the host wing at Schriever Air Force Base, located in east Colorado Springs, Colorado. They are responsible for tracking and maintaining the command and control, warning, navigational, and communications satellites for Air Force Space Command as well as the Global Positioning System satellites. Full Operational Capability was declared by NAVSTAR in April 1995 (NAVSTAR is an acronym for NAVigation Satellite Timing and Ranging, and is the official U.S. Government name given to the GPS satellite system).

The US government granted the Global Positioning System available for civilian use in the late 1980s and with no subscription fees or setup charges to use the GPS system the civilian GPS market exploded, especially in the last decade. A new generation of sophisticated GPS satellites are replacing the older satellites and there are now 34 GPS satellites in orbit that provide combat capability for military applications and aircraft navigation aids. Civilian applications include ATMs, bank and stock market transactions as well as power grid management. Currently 31 of the 34 GPS satellites in orbit transmit navigation and timing signals to civilian and military users around the world.

Gps for civilian use

The civilian GPS system wasn't always as it is today and the US military is still keeping the most accurate Global Positioning Systems available classified for national security. But GPS upgrades for two new civilian signals to enhanced user accuracy and reliability, particularly with respect to aviation safety were planned in 1998. Then on May 2, 2000 "Selective Availability" was discontinued as a result of the 1996 executive order, allowing users to receive a non-degraded GPS signal globally, and in 2004 QUALCOMM announced the successful tests of assisted GPS for mobile phones that led the way for the GPS aided cell phones that are widely used today.

In 2005, the first third generation GPS satellite was launched and began transmitting a second civilian signal for enhanced user performance. Then in September of 2007 the Air Force completed a four-phase transition of the Global Positioning Systems ground segment to it's new Architecture Evolution Plan. The ground segment's provide command and control of the satellites and generates the navigation message for satellites to broadcast to the users GPS device to calculate their earth's position. The new Gps satellites include new high-powered, anti-jam military-code, along with other accuracy, reliability, and data integrity improvements for both civil and military users. This modernized version of the world's greatest free utility was designed to ensure the US has the most precise and secure positioning, navigation and timing capability through 2030.

Europe and Russia develop their own GPS

In 2004 the United States signed an agreement with the European Community establishing cooperation with Europe's planned Galileo system. Galileo is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that is currently being built by the European Union and is separate from but complimentary to the United States Global Positioning System. The European Union's Galileo system should be operational by 2013. The European Community's political aim is to provide an independent GPS system that the European nations can rely on in times of war or political disagreement, because both Russia or the USA could disable use of their national systems by others (through encryption).

The Russian GPS system GLONASS is a radio-based satellite navigation system that was developed by the former Soviet Union and now operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces. Like the European GPS system the Russian GPS system also functions separate from but is complimentary to the United States Global Positioning System. Russia began launching satellites for their GPS system into space on October 12, 1982 and was completed in 1995. The system rapidly fell into disrepair fallowing the collapse of the Russian economy but in 2001 the Russian government began restoring the system with hopes of restoring global coverage by the end of 2009.

GPS Systems today

Depending on the GPS unit a GPS receiver only needs a signal from 3-4 satellites to calculate the units position and will work in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or set up fees like with a cell phone to operate GPS receivers and although some GPS receivers have extra features like real time traffic updates that will have a monthly charge, some GPS receivers like Garmins Nuvi "T" series come with free live traffic for the life of the unit. Today's GPS is extremely accurate thanks to their parallel multi-channel design. Garmin's 12 parallel channel receivers are very quick to lock onto satellites when first turned on and they maintain a strong lock even in dense foliage or city's with tall buildings because they continuously track signals from up to 12 satellites at any given time. Even if a 12 parallel channel GPS receiver loses signals from 8 satellites at once it will still function properly.

WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) was developed by the Federal Aviation Administration to augment the Global Positioning System to improve its accuracy, integrity, and availability. WAAS was originally intended to enable aircraft to rely on GPS for all phases of flight, including the precision approach to airport's within its coverage area. All though originally intended for aviation most GPS receivers today are WAAS-enabled including automotive, boating chartplotters and hand-held units. WAAS uses a network of ground based reference stations, in North America and Hawaii, to measure small variations in the GPS satellites' signals.

Measurements from these reference stations are routed to master stations and then they send correction messages to geostationary WAAS satellites. Those satellites then broadcast the correction messages back to Earth, where WAAS-enabled GPS receivers use the correction data while computing their positions to improve accuracy. WAAS enabled GPS receivers are accurate to within 3 meters and that make them the most accurate GPS receivers for civilian use on the market today. In fact a WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can even give you directions right down to the lane your car is traveling in (as long as the mapping program supports "lane assist" directions) and With no additional equipment or fees required to take advantage of WAAS-enabled GPS receivers they are becoming as common as cell phone's.

By Jeff Sanders

GPS Navigation - Finding Your Way Through the Product Maze

The range of options and variety of brands and models can make choosing a GPS system a little confusing. Price is an obvious consideration but so are the built in features and available options, how and where you intend to use your GPS and what kind of directional assistance would be most helpful for your particular needs. When deciding which GPS product is right for you, considering the answers to some of the following questions will help you navigate through the maze of available products and find the right one for your needs.

- Are you looking for basic GPS navigation for you car to help get you around town or something with a few more features that would be helpful on trips?

- Are you looking for a GPS system with more versatility? Perhaps a unit that could be used in a car and/or outdoors hiking, biking or sightseeing?

- Are you looking for a feature packed system that provides spoken navigation and a variety of additional information, traffic and weather, compatibility with Bluetooth devices XM radio and more?

- Are you looking for activity specific GPS capabilities for use during hunting, fishing/marine use, or fitness training?

The following information is offered as a guide to assist you in determining which product is right for you. It is not a review of any specific brand or model. The brands mentioned are only used as examples of the kind of GPS being discussed. Keep in mind as you consider your needs that many GPS systems designed for use in a car can easily be carried in a pocket, purse or pack and used to navigate on foot. And likewise, many handheld products can be mounted in a car, boat, ATV or on a bicycle and when installed with street map software, can be used to navigate on streets and highways.

GPS products with basic capabilities will be able, literally, to get you from point A to point B by utilizing one or more saved "Way points". These type devices do not offer mapping capability. You can think of way points as pebbles left behind you as you make your way. To return, you move back along your route, collecting the pebbles you left to mark the way. Basic models function in much this way, dropping the "pebbles" for you and pointing the way back to them to lead you home. Examples for use of this type GPS might be saving the location of your parked car at a crowded shopping mall or sports facility when you arrive so you could easily find your way back when you are ready to leave. Or instead of a parked car you might save the location of your campsite and points of interest along a hike and then easily navigate back at the end of the day. Examples of these types of handheld GPS units would include:

- Bushnell's Backtracker Personal Location Finder

- Garmin eTrex H

- Garmin Foretrex 101 and 201

- Geko 201

- Garmin GPS 60, 72, and 76

Basic automobile GPS navigation requires a bit more sophistication than seen in the previously mentioned handhelds. These products offer pre-loaded maps, color screens, and greater memory capacity and are the types of products you would want to consider for use in a vehicle or for back country hiking, hunting or fishing. Beginning level examples of these products would be:

- Garmin Nuvi 200, 205, 205W

- Magellan Roadmate 1200, 1400,

- Magellan Maestro 3200 series

Moving up a notch consider products like the following handheld units for outdoor activities :

- Garmin eTrex Legend, Venture HC, Vista,

- Garmin GPSMAP 60

- Magellan Triton 200

Moving up to the mid-level you may want to consider products like these for your car:

- Garmin Nuvi 250, 255, 260, 265, 270 series

- Magellan 1412

- Navigon 2000S

And for outdoor handhelds:

- Garmin eTrex Summit HC, Vista HCx, GPSMAP 76S

- Bushnell ONIX200

- Magellan Triton 300

- DeLorme PN-20

Moving up to more advanced products does not mean struggling with products that are difficult to use. Features such as touch screens and spoken turn by turn directions make these automobile GPS products very easy to use. Advanced products provide a greater number of features and a higher level of functionality and versatility. Options such as XM radio, Traffic updates, or other services are included or can be added with some of the more advanced models. Some of these options require the purchase of monthly subscriptions. Examples of these products for your vehicle would be:

- Garmin Nuvi 265WT, 275T, 500, 550, 750, 755T, 760, 765T, 775T, 780, 785T, 855

885T, 5000

- Garmin Zumo 550

- Garmin Streetpilot 7200

- Magellan Maestro series

- Navigon 2200T, 2100MAX, 7200T, 8100T

Advanced handheld GPS models generally offer more internal memory or the ability to add mapping and other content using data storage cards. Mapping data can be downloaded to the card and the card plugged into the device. In this way one device can be used to navigate city streets, inland lakes or coastal areas, or trails in a national park depending on the mapping software installed. These types of handhelds include:

- Garmin Oregon and Colorado series

- Garmin GPSMAP 60Cx, 60CSx, 76Cx, 76 CSx

- Magellan Triton 1500, 2000

- Bushnell ONIX350, ONIX400

- DeLorme PN-40

There is a group of advanced products which should be mentioned separately because they not only offer excellent automobile navigation features but can be used for marine GPS navigation on the water or on a trail as well. These GPS models are referred to as crossover or hybrid GPS units and include the following examples:

- Garmin Nuvi 500, 550

- Garmin GPSMAP 276C, 478C, 620, 640

- Lowrance XOG

Another group of handheld GPS is designed with a specific use or feature in mind. Some specialized handheld models provide basic GPS navigation but are also coupled with enhanced specialized functionality. Others do not offer GPS navigation but use GPS technology to gather data used in activities such as fitness or sports training. Examples include:

- Garmin Astro - Handheld GPS that can also be used to track hunting dogs.

- Garmin Rino - Handheld GPS with 2-way radio capability.

- Timex Ironman - GPS worn on the wrist. Tracks such things as time and distance for running, biking, and swimming fitness training.

- Garmin Edge, Forerunner, and Foretrex - Edge is a Personal Training/Biking calculator using GPS for fitness training. Forerunner and Foretrex are other examples of wrist mounted GPS, Forerunner for fitness training and Foretrex offering basic way point GPS navigation.

This has not been an all encompassing discussion of GPS products but I hope this information will help you understand the differences between some of the more popular models when choosing which is the right GPS for you.

By James E McMillan

Thursday, July 2, 2009

NTP Server Static GPS Antenna Systems


The Global positioning System (GPS) is often used by computer equipment, such as NTP Server systems, to provide an accurate timing reference for time critical applications. This article provides an overview of GPS for timing applications and describes the equipment used to install a GPS antenna in a static location.

Overview - Using GPS for Accurate Time

The Global Positioning System is a US military system for worldwide navigation. The system consists of 24 orbiting satellites, each satellite has a highly accurate atomic clock on-board synchronised to UTC time. The satellites continuously broadcast time and position information. The time and position information can be obtained worldwide with a GPS receiver and antenna. GPS works continuously in any whether conditions, anywhere in the world. Additionally, there is no set up fee or subscription charges to utilise the GPS systems. Many computer timing systems and NTP Server systems utilise GPS as an accurate external timing reference.

The Accuracy of GPS Timing Systems

GPS receivers provide highly accurate position and timing information. Typically, a GPS receiver can provide positioning information to an accuracy of 15m. NTP Server systems can obtain timing information from GPS to a resolution of a few nanoseconds.

The GPS Signal

The transmitted GPS signal is very weak low-power radio signal, designated L1 and L2. L1 is the civilian GPS frequency transmitted at 1575.42 MHz. The signals travel by line of sight and can pass through clouds, glass and plastics but are blocked by objects such as metal and brickwork. Therefore, the ideal location for a GPS antenna is on rooftop with a full 360-degree view of the sky. However, often installation on the side of a building or in a window can provide adequate results. As a rule of thumb, the better the view of the sky, the greater the likelihood of a good consistent signal lock.
GPS Timing Antenna Types

The GPS antenna acts as an amplifier to boost the GPS signal for transmission along a cable, usually coax, to the GPS receiver. GPS Timing antenna's provided with NTP server systems utilise a pole-mounting system. The antenna screws to a threaded pole for installation on rooftops. This arrangement provides the GPS antenna with a rigid mount easily able to withstand high winds without damage. Typically the GPS antenna is fairly small in size, measuring less than 90cm in diameter. Low-cost patch type antennas are also available, but these are generally better suited to vehicle applications.

GPS Antenna Cable Types and Cabling Distances

The cable distance that can be utilised by a GPS antenna depends mainly on the amplification of the GPS antenna and the quality of coax used in the installation. A typical GPS timing antenna may have a gain of 35 db. Relatively low-quality coax such as RG58 has an attenuation of 0.64 db/m at 1575 MHz. Therefore, a cable run of 55m can be obtained using RG58 cable. With very high quality coax cable, such as LMR400, an unaided cable run of 200m can be achieved. However, very high quality coax can be expensive. A good price-performance compromise is LMR200 cable, which can be run unaided to 80m.

Extending Cabling Distance with In-Line GPS Amplifiers

In-line GPS amplifiers provide further amplification of the GPS signal to increase the cable distance between the GPS antenna and receiver. GPS amplifiers are fitted in-line with the antenna cable and obtain power from the receiver via the coax cable. No external power-supplies are required. Typically, a GPS amplifier may add a further 20 dB of gain, adding 30m of low-quality RG58 coax, 40m of LMR200 coax or 100m of high quality LMR400 coax. Additionally, multiple in-line amplifiers may be utilised to further increase cable distance.

Sharing a Single Antenna Between Multiple Receivers - GPS Splitters

GPS splitters allow a single GPS antenna to be utilised by two or more NTP server systems. The GPS splitter splits the signal received from the GPS antenna into multiple outputs for synchronizing multiple NTP servers. GPS splitters are generally available with 2, 4 or 8 outputs.

Protecting GPS Systems - GPS Surge Suppressors

Surge suppressors protect expensive NTP server equipment from electro-static discharges, such as lightning, that may be picked up by an externally mounted GPS antenna. Surge suppressors are installed in-line on the coax cable between the antenna and receiver, ideally where the cable enters the building. Surge suppressors require a low-impedance ground, to discharge any received surge. The surge suppressor requires no power-supply or additional cabling.

By Dave Evans