Posted by Scott Plunkett on September 16, 2009 at 1:01pm
As many of you know, I have been looking for and even doing some development on some GPS modules. I met this vendor today who makes the most robust GPS antennas I have ever seen - Quad Helix 30db gain active antenna with built in SAW and LNA you can take a hammer to it, and it will just keep on tracking - awesome! The key is the mold-over they are using, it can take a real pounding, and with an O-ring could form a weather-tight seal to the airframe. You could just mount antennas on each of your airframes and only ever buy one actual module - but seriously, I have no affiliation with them.http://www.jimdgrayassoc.com/index_files/STUBBY_PRO.htmThey are pricey, but you'd only have to replace one destroyed complete unit to justify the price. Just thought you guys might be interested. We have already placed our first order.
Gotta love jim gray, you can get just about anything thru them but you do pay for it. I have embedded components in holt melt and potting compound (epoxy or silicone) with great results. I usually always apply a conformal coating to any electronics that are not enclosed i.e. almost everything!
I think the most expensive ones are $75-$80 bucks...like I said, pricey. My cost for the SL1206R is $24.86 in small quantity, but at 100 pcs. it drops to $16.97 - and that is for an active antenna, 25db gain, with LNA but a less effective SAW (according to specs anyway - we know how those can be.) So you're basically paying $50.00 or so for the overmolding process and a hardened extended SMA connector. They also have the 1300 (or similar) as a passive model. I guess we all have to make our individual decisions on "value"
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