I just started working with my new RTK surveyor with top106 antenna. No trouble pairing the unit with my Iphone. No trouble connecting to NTRIP data through our local dept. of transportation, But cannot seem to acquire any satellites. Tips for trouble shooting would be much appreciated. Is there a way to test the antenna itself?
You can test the inner pin vs outer, it should read ~50ohm and have continuity
Are you testing outside with a clear view of the sky? Are you using any adapters?
Thanks for the tips. I get no continuity between the center pin and the outer (threaded part) of the connector on the antenna. the only adapter I’m using would be the cable for connecting the antenna to the rtk surveyor that came with the kit, and i measure 0 ohms resistance from end to end on the cable. Yes clear view of the sky.
If it’s connecting to your phone and NTRIP but showing zero satellites, it’s usually an antenna or RF issue. Make sure you’re outside with a clear sky view and the antenna cable is fully seated and not damaged. Check that antenna power is enabled in the receiver. If possible, try a different GNSS antenna or test this one on another receiver, if it still sees nothing after 10–15 minutes, the antenna is the likely culprit.
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I verified that power is enabled to the antenna. Clear view of the sky for 15 minutes, two different times. I have no other receivers or antennas to test against. How do I go about getting a replacement antenna?
Customer Support > Returns & Exchanges
Hi @bmalzer ,
Please ignore the “inner pin to outer should read 50ohm” advice. The antenna cable has an RF impedance of 50 Ohms, but will read open circuit from inner to outer with a standard multimeter DC continuity test.
Please make sure the SMA connector is fully screwed home. It can sometimes catch on the plastic end panel of the case. It needs to go part way inside. It should look like this:
Not like this:
Using your fingers only - no spanners please! - use a little more force to screw past the panel if needed.
I hope this helps,
Paul
What I meant is testing one outer end compared to the other outer end and the one end’s inner compared to the other end, to verify there aren’t any breaks in the cable
If you have access to a multimeter, please check to see if there is ~3.3V between the center pin and the shroud. Lack of power will lead to no SIV.
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Check you can see ~3V at the Surveyor side, but also at the far end TNC side prior to it going into the antenna.
And that the TNC/SMA converter is intact and tight
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Thanks for the tips. Yes, 3.28 volts at the far end of the cable, where it connects to the antenna. Any other tests for the antenna itself?
It sounds like the antenna is the culprit. If you have any other known-good GPS equipment, you could test the antenna and verify this. If you don’t that’s ok too. Sorry for the hassle. I’ll DM you for some additional information so we can get you a replacement antenna.