Gilsson Frequently Asked Questions

Whereas Garmin and Magellan concentrate on designing and manufacturing GPS navigation receivers, we focus our energy and resources on developing the best performing GPS accessories at a fraction of the price of the OEM accessories.

How do your external GPS antennas compare to Garmin original antennas?

Our antennas are amplified external GPS antennas. Garmin's built in antennas are not amplified, and when tested side by side with Garmin's external antenna, ours significantly outperform the Garmin antenna, yielding an average of 28 dB signal gain compared to about 16 dB gain from Garmin's antenna.

Optimized for Garmin GPS frequencies, our antennas drastically improve signal reception and consume less power than Garmin's external antenna.

Our antennas also perform exceptionally well with or without an external ground plane, and are guaranteed to be the best performing antennas on the market!

Do I need an external GPS antenna?

The performance and accuracy of your GPS receiver is only as good as the GPS signals your unit can receive. Our GPS antennas are designed to perform in the most demanding environments, such as driving among tall city buildings, hiking under dense tree coverage, or any other condition that prevents a clear line of sight to the sky. This ensures that you will receive the best possible GPS signal so that you can make the most of your GPS.

What is the difference between an active (amplified) and passive antenna?

Active GPS antennas include a built-in Low Noise Amplifier which provides sufficient gain to overcome coax cable losses while providing the proper signal level to the GPS receiver. Active GPS antennas require power from the
GPS receiver to operate, through the GPS receiver antenna connector.

Passive GPS antennas do not include a Low Noise Amplifier and are best suited to GPS applications requiring a short distance, 1 inch to 3 feet, between the GPS receiver and antenna. Passive antennas require an LNA on the GPS receiver.

Where should I place the external antennas?

For Driving:

Mounting the antenna on your car rooftop is the optimal location for the strongest and most accurate signal reception. The antenna will have unimpeded, direct line of sight to the sky and use the rooftop as a ground plane to enhance signal reception.

Windshield mounting is also fine with an antenna windshield mount. The windshield mount will serve as a ground plane to boost signal reception.

Note: if your car has a heated windshield, in-car mounting is not advisable because the heat strips will interfere with GPS signals.

For Hiking:

Some of our customers choose to place the external GPS antenna on the shoulder strap of their backpack, while others have mounted antennas on their hats.

In any case, placing the antenna on a small 2" by 2" piece of metal (available at any local hardware store) will serve as a ground plane to enhance signal reception and accuracy.

For Aviation:

Our antennas feature user-removable magnets to prevent interference with compasses in aviation. Pilots can remove the magnets and attach the external antenna to the windshield mount via the available screw holes at the base of the radome.

Will the GPS antenna scratch the paint on my car?

No. Our GPS antennas have a smooth plastic surface on the base of the antenna, and will not scratch the paint on the surface of your car. They are designed for vehicle-rooftop mounting.

What is the operating voltage of Gilsson GPS antennas?

Our antennas feature a wide operating voltage of anything between 2.5 to 12 volts power.

I lost the installation CD for my USB to Serial Adapter. Where can I download the drivers?

You can download all the necessary drivers and documentation here.

Will your accessories work with Garmin, Magellan and other GPS receivers?

Yes. We have physically tested our products with Garmin and Magellan GPS receivers. Our accessories are designed specifically for the the models listed in our compatibility list, and are not generic all-in-one solutions offered by some other vendors. For instance, our cases are designed and shaped specifically for each Garmin or Magellan GPS units (i.e. they are not just modified cell phone covers).

Garmin vs. Magellan. Which one is better?

The debate continues over which manufacturer is "better", but it is difficult to have a definitive conclusion once you factor in personal preferences, user-specific needs, and unique applications.

Both Garmin and Magellan have many GPS units for various applications, but Garmin has a much larger and more diverse product line. Please view Gilsson's GPS reviews page for more information:
We hope that these resources will give you a better idea of which GPS receiver is most suitable for your needs.

Where can I find Garmin and Magellan user manuals and software downloads?

You can find links to these resources on the manufacturer support page.