Attach external antenna to RockBLOCK Mk2 - Iridium SatComm Module

Hi

Is it possible to attach a SMA port, for an external antenna, to an existing “RockBLOCK Mk2 - Iridium SatComm Module”?

Since my school already has some “RockBLOCK Mk2 - Iridium SatComm Module” with internal antenna (and I need an external) they wan’t me to reconfigure an existing board?

Thank you in advance

Jens Mejdahl

Hi Jens.

It’s possible, but not something we recommend trying.

At a minimum you’d need to find the appropriate SMA jack for the board and would also need to remove the on board antenna. There could be other steps needed other than those that we’re not aware of. Performing those tasks could potentially damage the board leaving you with an expensive paperweight.

If you need an external antenna, we recommend using the [RockBLOCK 9603 module along with the [RockBLOCK External Patch Antenna. You do need to make a small modification the the RockBLOCK 9603 module to enable the external antenna though and that procedure is covered on the RockBLOCK documentation page. A direct link to the section that discusses how to change antennas can be found [here.](Switching RockBLOCK 9603 antenna mode)](RockBLOCK External Patch Antenna - WRL-14580 - SparkFun Electronics)](RockBLOCK 9603N - Iridium SatComm Module - WRL-14498 - SparkFun Electronics)