Southwest Antennas has launched a new high-performance GPS & GLONASS Active L1/L2 patch antenna for position, navigation and timing (PNT) applications. The new antenna is ideal for military, commercial, and industrial UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and robotics. For military users, the antenna supports the GPS P/Y code with +/- 20 MHz bandwidth allowing for increased accuracy, jam resistance, and encryption.
The antenna’s built-in LNA and filters give it a total system active gain of +28 dB and out-of- band rejection of >50 dB (+50 MHz / -35 MHz of L1, +35 MHz / -45 MHz of L2), allowing it to operate in contested and congested RF environments. It also features a low-profile radome, as well as a custom black chrome SMA(f) RF connector that ensures waterproofing while allowing users to fully customize antenna placement and select their own cable type and length to suit their preference for mounting location away from the receiver.
To provide additional mounting flexibility, the antenna also features a magnetic mount that is integrated flush into the antenna’s radome, allowing it to be secured and removed quickly from any ferromagnetic surface. This extends the antenna’s operational capabilities with the ability to remotely locate the antenna away from the attached radio system, enhancing satellite acquisition speed and signal strength when operating in environments with poor sky views.
Benjamin Culver, president and co-owner of Southwest Antennas, commented: “Our goal is to empower radio operators who require high-accuracy GNSS solutions with more choices for deployment and mounting. Adding onto our existing line of GPS antennas and gooseneck mounting options, users now have more freedom of choice in antenna placement to help overcome reception issues in challenging environments.”
