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Data Hacking

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Chapter 4 — Antenna Hacks<br />

For trucks and vans, the best place for the antenna is going to be the cab or trailer roof. Both of<br />

these offer fantastic views of the sky.<br />

Around buildings, keep the antenna away from walls. If possible, either put the antenna high<br />

up or at least well away from walls and obstructions. Keep the antenna away from trees (see<br />

Figure 4-11).<br />

FIGURE 4-11: Good and bad antenna placement on buildings<br />

In urban areas that have a large number of tall buildings, higher is better because it eliminates<br />

multipath errors caused by signal reflection (see Figure 4-12).<br />

✓<br />

✗<br />

✗<br />

FIGURE 4-12: Where buildings are tall, higher is better.<br />

✓<br />

✗<br />

Note one problem with the “higher is better” rule: lightning. A single lightning strike can completely<br />

destroy a GPS receiver. This is especially a problem with placing antennas on buildings.<br />

If you are going to have a permanent antenna fixed on your building, then prevention is far<br />

better than the cure. You are safer if you attach lightning arrestors to the line.<br />

✓<br />

71

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