Hello community .
I' m planning to make a simple gps tracker with an lcd , so i checked out on the web for some gps module , and i found the Neo-6M .
Then i looked on some forums and i saw that many people had signal power problems with that .
The module that i want to buy comes with the standard square thick antenna .
So , i was wondering , can i connect an even more powerful antenna to the module ? If yes , which type should i buy ?
Thanks for your help .
There are external active antennas, i.e. they include a amplifier to compensate for cable losses, but not sure if the el-cheapo Neo6M modules support them.
Why do you want a 'better' antenna, whats the application ?
AKA "patch antenna".
Paul
Indeed, and not seen those bigger that the normal 25mm versions.
Hi.
My latest GPS is a Neo 6M board with a patch antenna. It is an active antenna and it worked very well until I broke the connection of the tiny cable at its soldered joint on the antenna. So be aware of how physically weak this connection is.
Other boards come with passive patch antenna. The active ones have a small PCB under them with electronic components. The passive ones just connect to the board by a central single pin.
three things I require in a GPS module:
*no less than two mounting holes. one is a pivot, none is a joke.
*provision for an SMA antenna connector. never the twinky u.fl connector. it's a steel roof thing.
*request a module with no header and no SMA connector. I will supply my own, and install it in an orientation that suits my needs. if the vendor won't sell it that way, another vendor will.
GreekE,
what's your preferred type of antenna to connect via the SMA connection?
Two Neo 6M boards with active antenna. The antenna shud be soldered to those metal pads. Solder the header block AFTER soldering the antenna. Antenna shud face upwards so the Neo becomes "upside down".
Two active antennae. Metal can on the right one has been de-soldered revealing the electronics. The cable connecting it to the Neo board has come off. It is coaxial and for me impossible to re-attach. With a new one, DON'T STRESS THE CONNECTION IN ANY WAY. Fix the antenna in place on the Neo board before using. A blob of hot melt glue around the connection might provide some stress relief.
I may be able to re-attach the broken cable if I can expose the wires. Was easier to buy a new GPS board + antenna.
The date stamp on each antenna board is 14.01.2018. I have wondered if these GPS modules are new or used.
This new antenna gave me a positional fix in a few minutes on first use.
i have to use it for a gps navigator , and i think that travelling at speeds like 130 km/h could cause some problems
I would suggest something like a Quectel L80.
Much lower power consumption than a Neo6M, smaller, lighter and with integrated antenna, so no antenna cable issues. Low cost to.
I ordered it , and after the first try , it seems many times more sensible to the signal than the previous antenna . Now it reports a pretty accurate position when travelling on the road . Thanks for your support ! 
I just want to ship in with something. I've used a few Neo modules and they work much better with a ground plane. And I mean MUCH better.
I have not used the Quectel L80 (I will find an excuse to try one) but for any GPS, a ground plane usually helps reception a lot. Think of it like a satellite dish.
I hope this helps.
So why not measure the difference, easy enough with u-center ?
Where did you buy the Quectel L80 and how much did it cost?
On Aliexpress.
I bought some early last year, paid around £3 each for a quantity of 10, and circa £2.50 for the same quantities of the much lighter L70.
I do sell DIY breakout boards for the L70\L76 and L80\L86 that can be fitted with SMT components to put the GPS into sleep\backup mode.
But prices seem to have gone a bit mad of late, global events maybe ?
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