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18 SMART ANTENNA User Manual Rev 6
Chapter 2 Installation
Figure 10: Magnetic Mount Adapter
2.2 Power/Communication Port
The multi-pin connector on the SMART ANTENNA (shown in Figures 5 and 6 on Page 15), acts as both a
communication and a power port. Power can be supplied and communication can occur simultaneously using
the open-ended SMART ANTENNA cable shown in Figure 8 on Page 16 for the RS-422 or either of the cables
shown in the previous section for the RS-232 models. See also Appendix A, Technical Specifications, starting
on Page 35.
It is recommended that a back-up battery (3) is placed between the receiver (1) and its voltage supply (2) to act
as a power buffer:
Normally when a vehicle engine is started, power can dip to around 9.6 VDC or even cut-out to ancillary
equipment. Plug in the adapter and/or connect and turn on the power supply.
2.3 SMART ANTENNA Location
Many GPS reception problems can be reduced, to some degree, by careful antenna site selection. Of primary
importance is to place the SMART ANTENNA so that unobstructed line-of-sight reception is possible from
horizon to horizon and at all bearings and elevation angles from the antenna. This is the ideal situation, which
may not be possible under actual operating conditions.
1. Try to place the SMART ANTENNA as far as possible from reflective objects, especially
reflective objects that are above its radiation pattern horizon. Close-in reflections cause strong
multipath signals. For a detailed discussion on multipath and site selection, refer to the section on
Multipath in the GPS+ Reference Manual available on our website at http://www.novatel.com/
Downloads/docupdates.html.
2. Care should also be taken to avoid coiling the SMART ANTENNA cable around the mounting
base and pinching the cable in windows or doors.
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