GPS input
Hello to all members.
I just received my Kiwi 2. I have an outside GPS antenna that is connected to an active GPS antenna splitter. There is a free port on my splitter, so I would prefer to use that instead of the GPS antenna that comes with the Kiwi.
Is there any known issue if I connect my SDR GPS input to the splitter ?
73 from Claude VA2 HDD
Comments
The Kiwi supplies 3.3V on the GPS port. Make sure your splitter has a DC block on its input if that might conflict. For example the splitter port you want to use is already outputting a voltage. Or your GPS antenna won't like an applied voltage if the splitter passes DC.
The splitter is a DC sharing splitter. I mean the highest voltage present on an input will go to the antenna so it will be powered and the DC voltage from one input will not go to another input. The antenna is rated at 5 volt, so all will be OK as long as one of the older receivers is powered. But if only the Kiwi is powered the antenna will not amplify much when powered with only 3.3 Volts. The splitter has a resistor to ground to simulate the load of the antenna's preamp, so the SDR will think that there is an antenna directly connected. I will have to test to find out !
The data sheet says the output is short circuit protected. But I’ve never actually tried that..