time-nuts@lists.febo.com

Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement

View all threads

Antenna Supply voltage

NM
Neville Michie
Mon, Jan 8, 2018 10:12 PM

I have just scanned through the Thunderbolt manual and found no information
on the supply of power to the antenna.
Is there a standard for the supply of power to the antenna?
Are there 3.3v , 5v and 12v antennae?
Will any antenna work safely on any GPS receiver?
It is just a question that I had never thought of before.
Cheers,
Neville Michie

I have just scanned through the Thunderbolt manual and found no information on the supply of power to the antenna. Is there a standard for the supply of power to the antenna? Are there 3.3v , 5v and 12v antennae? Will any antenna work safely on any GPS receiver? It is just a question that I had never thought of before. Cheers, Neville Michie
BK
Bob kb8tq
Mon, Jan 8, 2018 10:25 PM

Hi

The normal TBolt supplies 5V to the antenna. There are some 3.3V only antennas
out there. You could blow one up with a TBolt. There are also survey oriented
receivers (and antennas) that work at 12V. Most 5V (but not all) antennas will fry
if hooked to a 12V receiver.

Current wise, you probably are ok with any antenna out there. If you start cascading
things like inline amplifiers, you can get past the current available. That generally is
not a fatal error. The receiver simply yells at you about “antenna short” or something
like that.

Bob

On Jan 8, 2018, at 5:12 PM, Neville Michie namichie@gmail.com wrote:

I have just scanned through the Thunderbolt manual and found no information
on the supply of power to the antenna.
Is there a standard for the supply of power to the antenna?
Are there 3.3v , 5v and 12v antennae?
Will any antenna work safely on any GPS receiver?
It is just a question that I had never thought of before.
Cheers,
Neville Michie


time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.

Hi The normal TBolt supplies 5V to the antenna. There *are* some 3.3V only antennas out there. You could blow one up with a TBolt. There are also survey oriented receivers (and antennas) that work at 12V. Most 5V (but not all) antennas will fry if hooked to a 12V receiver. Current wise, you probably are ok with any antenna out there. If you start cascading things like inline amplifiers, you can get past the current available. That generally is not a fatal error. The receiver simply yells at you about “antenna short” or something like that. Bob > On Jan 8, 2018, at 5:12 PM, Neville Michie <namichie@gmail.com> wrote: > > I have just scanned through the Thunderbolt manual and found no information > on the supply of power to the antenna. > Is there a standard for the supply of power to the antenna? > Are there 3.3v , 5v and 12v antennae? > Will any antenna work safely on any GPS receiver? > It is just a question that I had never thought of before. > Cheers, > Neville Michie > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there.
AD
Alberto di Bene
Mon, Jan 8, 2018 10:29 PM

On 1/8/2018 11:12 PM, Neville Michie wrote:

I have just scanned through the Thunderbolt manual and found no information
on the supply of power to the antenna.
Is there a standard for the supply of power to the antenna?
Are there 3.3v , 5v and 12v antennae?
Will any antenna work safely on any GPS receiver?
It is just a question that I had never thought of before.

I found this sentence :

"The antenna connector center conductor supplies +5 Volts to the antenna so should NOT be used to power the newer 3.3
Volt GPS antennas."

in a document that I saved about the Thunderbolt, written by Brooke Clarke in 2008, whose title is:

"Trimble ThunderBolt Timing GPS Receiver GPSDO"

73  Alberto  I2PHD

On 1/8/2018 11:12 PM, Neville Michie wrote: > I have just scanned through the Thunderbolt manual and found no information > on the supply of power to the antenna. > Is there a standard for the supply of power to the antenna? > Are there 3.3v , 5v and 12v antennae? > Will any antenna work safely on any GPS receiver? > It is just a question that I had never thought of before. I found this sentence : "The antenna connector center conductor supplies +5 Volts to the antenna so should NOT be used to power the newer 3.3 Volt GPS antennas." in a document that I saved about the Thunderbolt, written by Brooke Clarke in 2008, whose title is: "Trimble ThunderBolt Timing GPS Receiver GPSDO" 73  Alberto  I2PHD