The HMC5843 is a cheap (~$20) triple axis compass sensor.
You could combine it with the LIS302DL, and AVR, and a flash memory chip to make a dirt cheap dead reckoning unit. Combine that with the Venus GPS (potentially with the Sarantel helical antenna and SMA661 antenna amp) to make an extremely accurate location finding device (INS + WAAS + GPS + AGPS = really accurate).
Also, the AD8351ARMZ from Analog Devices looks like a very useful RF amplifier for a Nordic board, potentially increasing its range tenfold (its gain is 26dB).
I think these products would be very useful if they had breakout boards and/or were integrated into Sparkfun products because:
A) They fill a gap in Sparkfun (no general LNA or 3 axis compass ic)
B) They are generally unsolderable to the average hobbyist
Anyone think this is a good idea?
Thanks for listening,
Faraday’s Cage
spock it is highly illogical to use that external LNA when the sarantel geohelix S is an active antenna (and thus includes an LNA onboard). just insert your antenna bias through a bead or inductor (bead preffered) and your set.
however i have used it in some situations and i must say it is craptastic.
stick with your patch.
my .02
spock i feel it is my duty to inform you and starfleet that although it does indeed look like a good 3 ax mag sensor, youll need external MCU and an accelo to make it a tilt compensated compasss…
unless your starship is flying in the horizontal plane only??
yah youll need some tilt compensation 
add a 3 ax accelo to it.
then your equations.
Lol…
The LIS302DL is a 3 axis accelerometer, so this hypothetical dev/eval/breakout board is already tilt compensated.
The Arduino is an external MCU yah know
Is craptastic really good or really bad?.. its kind of ambiguous.
Also, there are SOME passive sarantel helical antennas, although you are right that the LNA is overkill, but overkill is necessary when you want accuracies as high as possible (plus LiPO batteries are so small and powerful that the extra 8.5ma is worth it).
spock, are you out of your vulcan mind?
this is your 1333rd attempt to elicit an emotional response.
like all your previous attempts, you have failed.
yes i know what a LIS is… but you gonna have to churn through all those equations… hope its a new arduino with one of the bigunns atmels in it…
yes sarantel does have a regular helical. but you gonna add your own LNA? what about the SAW filter etc?? lots more to that and lots more to screw the pooch on.
when u can buy the sarantel active helix from Mr. Jim D Grey enterprises just google him.
he is the shiznitz, a PIMP he is God.
they are cheap, umm like 12 bucks with LNA inside.
so save u some headache.
hey did u know that faradays cage doesnt stop ultrasound? its true.
www.holosonics.com
hahahahaha
my .02