GPS World

Tag: Receiver Survey

  • Mining the magic ‘More’ menu

    Mining the magic ‘More’ menu

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    By Tracy Cozzens
    Managing Editor

    In our redesign of the GPS World website, which coincided with our magazine redesign in November 2015, we endeavored to make the website even easier to use. Part of that effort consolidated some of our most popular features under the More dropdown menu. The little word appears at the far right of the menu row under our logo. Within it is a world of data and information to explore.

    For those seeking current and historical data on the satellites in the various GNSS constellations, we have a full Almanac, which we update at least twice a year for the print magazine. If you want to stay on top of Upcoming GNSS Satellites Launches, we provide a handy table that is updated frequently by the one and only Richard Langley, our GNSS guru. Richard also oversees the numerous and informative Innovation columns, all of which are available under the Innovation tab — right there under More.

    Our most current issue can be accessed through the words Digital Edition at the bottom of the page. Or, again under More, go to Magazine Archive for a full collection of every digital issue that reaches back a decade to 2005.

    Other great resources under More are our annual Receiver Survey and Antenna Survey. Both of these products are time intensive to produce, pulling together data and specs from almost 100 companies in an effort to provide a full picture of the products available and their capabilities.

    Similarly, the Buyers Guide link will take you to a special section on our website, allowing you to search manufacturers by product category and subcategory. Our next major update of the Buyers Guide will appear in print in June, but our gathering of the data now takes place year round as companies sign up to take part. If your company isn’t in our Buyers Guide, click on the “Add My Listing” link in the top right corner of the Buyers Guide page.

  • Antennas: The unsung heroes of the GNSS industry

    By Tracy Cozzens
    Managing Editor

    Antennas. When I was a kid, antennas meant the pair of rabbit ears sitting on top of the family TV set. We had to constantly adjust the angles to get the best reception, using aluminum foil to improve the signal.

    Wow, how things have changed. Today, consumer users of smartphones, Fitbits, smartwatches, tablets and a hundred other electronic devices don’t even think about antennas. Most consumers probably haven’t given a thought to the fact that their favorite device contains an antenna.

    Unlike broadcast antennas back in the day, modern GNSS antennas in consumer devices are invisible to the consumer, but perform even in less-than-ideal conditions. Every year brings new improvements and smaller sizes.

    Then there are the external antennas, which grow more rugged to withstand the elements while receiving more signals from more constellations, such as BeiDou and Galileo.

    GPS World has traditionally published its Antenna Survey in February following the Receiver Survey in January. The first antenna survey appeared in 2001, nine years after we published our first receiver survey. Perhaps it took a few years to realize how critical antennas are in GNSS systems.

    As usual, the Antenna Survey encapsulates the important specifications on dozens of antennas, from stand-alone designs for high-precision commercial, defense and timing applications to micro antennas for integration into a variety of smartphones, UAVs and automobiles.

    This year, 30 antenna manufacturers provide all the details on their products. Check out the 20-page survey supplement, sponsored this year by NovAtel.