GPS Signals

[Dave]

Bought my older son a Tom Tom car GPS. Just wondering why that receives GPS signal in our home when my handheld units doesn't. Do they use the same GPS signal or am I not understanding something?

[MN Mike]

GPS signals are all the same ( except for the Russian GLONASS system ), antenna location and how efficient that antenna is will be the difference from GPS device to GPS device. I'm not sure if that TomTom can use the Russian system.

I have a Garmin GPSMap 60csx, when I have that in the house, it hardly degrades the signal at all, if I fire up my GPS II it struggles ( older GPS ), the Colorado 300 ( introduced after the GPSMap60csx but discontinued before the GPSMap60 was discontinued ) degrades but doesn't drop the signal. It vary's from model to model within the same manufacture.

Nav devices such as the TomTom are good units, manufactures are less worried about weight and portability which allows them to ' beef up ' the antenna in these units.

I had a brand new Tablet PC last summer with a built in GPS antenna and I was NOT impressed by it, even when it was outside with a clear view of the sky it was all over the board on signal strength, in the house, it was as bad as my Garmin GPS II built back in the late 90's.

Mike

[Dave]

Ok, great, thanks for the info Mike.