The interlinking factor between a GPS receiver and GPS satellites is no other than a GPS antenna. Its primary purpose is to receive any incoming satellite signal, after which it transforms its power into electric current. It is at this point that a GPS receiver will come into the picture, take over and manage it.
In a GPS precise positioning system, one of its most critical issues includes the phase center variation factor. There is an awful lot of GPS users out there who will just opt to use the recommended offset values recommended by the manufacturer and they may not carry the values which the calibration process has predetermined.
Some users would deliberately overlook the factors on phase center correction while the GPS data processing is remaining still as an ongoing process. The resulting coordinates in both bases are likely to come with errors, particularly in the height component.
Today, the GPS antenna is included in the list of some of the most widely used technologies in the modern world. An awful lot of people are directly dependent on a network, either for their satellite navigation concerns or for their requirements on time synchronization.
A good percentage of road users today, also, rely heavily on one or two forms of mobile phone navigation systems (GPS-based). Likewise, professional drivers nowadays are also relying on them.
Besides these, there are many other areas where GPS systems can be a useful lot, so they are indispensable not just in navigation. Since GPS satellites are often equipped with extremely accurate atomic clocks — the time signals they put out are being utilized by satellite navigation systems to accurately determine position. This serves as the primary time source for a sundry of time-sensitive technologies.
CCTV networks, ATMs, traffic lights, and the computer networks we have at home and work… require accurate time resources to veer away from drifting and keep their level of synchronicity intact.
The modern technologies that we have, including home computer systems, they are all equipped with their own internal timepieces. However, they are just quarts oscillators, pretty much the same that can be seen in modern watches we use. Hence, the possibility of drifting is there and will always be present.
It is not just going to slowly pave the way for an inaccurate time, but when you hook up devices together — this element of drifting will render devices to lose their ability to cooperate and thus will have a different time, instead.
This is where a GPS network would come into the picture, not like other kinds of accurate sources of time, GPS is readily available anywhere you may be on the planet. It is highly secure and incredibly accurate. However, the GPS comes with one distinct drawback.
While it is conveniently accessible in all the 4 corners of the globe, the GPS signal is somewhat weak. If you need to obtain a signal, regardless if it is for purposes of navigation or for time synchronization, it is a prerequisite that you are under a clear, blue sky. No obstructions should be found, not even a cloud above you. This explains the reason why GPS antennas are paramount when it comes to obtaining a good quality signal.
While GPS antenna necessitates you to go outdoors, it mustn’t be just waterproof, it should be capable of operating well even under inclement weather conditions. You also need to make sure that it is highly resistant to the different temperatures that can be experienced throughout the entire year.
Among the primary reasons why the failure of GPS NTP server (these are time servers, their function is to receive GPS time signals, distributing them in a network with the help of Network Time Protocol) occurs is a busted or a failing antenna system. Hence, you must see to it that your GPS antenna is waterproof. And not only that, it should be highly adaptive and resistant to seasonal temperature changes. This is one effective way to eliminate the possibility or the risk of future failure in signal time.