*** EDIT : the gps socket on the back of the F500BT is a type MMCX. I had to buy an adater for my MCX antenna ***

I just ordered a couple of Gilsson MCX type gps Antennas (the F500BT has an "MCX" type connector). After doing some research, it seems that the performance is off the charts. review here "bc4x4.com/quick/2005/gilsson-ant/". hopefully, my choice is a good one

My need arises from the time it takes for the F500BT to acquire satellites. The car I use for my temporary avic use has tinted and solar rejecting glass all around including sunroof. It really has a tough time acquiring sats within the car. If I open the sunroof and hold it up to the open roof, it will acquire more quickly. Ironically once it starts out within the car cabin and hangs up, even opening the roof doesnt always help, and sometimes I have to reboot the avic.

If I use the F500Bt in the car without such hightech glass the satellite acquisition is quicker.

The gilsson aparently just flat out out-performs almost all antennas and is better even in open skys. I am hoping to show an improvement in acquistion times with such an antenna.

I purchased 2 antennas because I figure if it really performs, I will install the antenna in the car with my semi-permanent setup.... thoughts

WOW...... got my antenna's

to see 12 green satellites on the globe is quite enteresting.. I was getting 3-6 green and a few yellows and reds before..... the 12 bars are all at about 60-75% % strength ( 1- 2 bars seem to bounce down to about 40% intermittently). I have checked from a cold boot and the first time it didnt seem any quicker, but everytime I have rebooted or turned on the system since, the acquisition time seems to be about 50% quicker..... I am happy...

now to see if I still get the occasional ""gps signal lost"....... somehow I think that is software related though..

This is a great addition to the F500BT

Nice, good to hear! Where did you wind up getting the antenna from & for how much?

Where did you do your research on the different types?

Thanks for the recomendation!

Oh, and where did you wind up putting it? I was just thinking as far forward on the dash in the center of the windshield as I could. Don't want to try roof mounting, think that is good enough?

Where did you wind up getting the antenna from & for how much? Where did you do your research on the different types? Oh, and where did you wind up putting it?

from Amazon... I think about $22.... I bought two of them so that I can semi-permenantly hide the wires in the two cars that I use the F500BT.

I did the typical google search... looking for reccuring postive reviews, performance data, and comments on threads like ours (my way of filtering the hype ads)... the Gilssons seemed to be the cock of the roost ( i did see that garmin has a one new antenna that may be equal to the gilsson, but my order was already placed... ) It is interesting that the gps manufacturers dont have the best antennas stock with the units ....

I placed one of them in the area below my wind shield outside of the car. This is a perfect little hidden nook in my car, but very visible to the sky. havent placed the second one yet, but thinking the same

Did you ever try to use the included wire GPS intenna to see if that helped?

Did you go for the straight or right angle MCX connector? Any issues with the mount interferring with it?

****please see "EDIT" in initial thread post****

Did you ever try to use the included wire GPS intenna to see if that helped?

 

Did you go for the straight or right angle MCX connector? Any issues with the mount interferring with it?

Maybe I missed it but, I am not aware of a GPS wire furnished with the unit. There is an antenna wire for use to receive MSN direct information. can you check to see if the wire has an mmcx plug on it - I dont think a straight wire will enhance gps reception, but I may be wrong.

OH...... VERY IMPORTANT - The socket is MMCX. when i got my gps antenna with MCX, it did not plug in. I went to frys and purchased part no. 5097295. The antenna is available with MMCX which will fit the F500BT.

I went with what I read in this site as far as the MCX error....... but the F500BT has an MMCX socket for gps

Thanks for the update, that was a close one I've been shopping around all afternoon lol

gps antenna part number is "Gilsson MMCX1M09B090" available at amazon for 22.95

my added adapter is straight just like the antenna above. but the cable is small and robust. You will easily be able to radius bend it 90 degrees. I intend to add a small velcro assembly to the back of the unit to hold the cable and still allow removal....

Thanks for the update, that was a close one I've been shopping around all afternoon lol

Buy.com has them for $19.99 shipped!

well.......... good news... I had assumed that the "gps signal lost" warning only occured when i did not complete my bluetooth handshake with the avic.... It seemed that when i got the warning my bluetooth was usually not connected...

since my addition of the external gps antenna and a weekend of driving without my phone connected via bluetooth... I have not recieved any lost gps warnings....

also, for some reason I can not explain, the avic started acquiring the satellites more quickly as the hours went by... this was true from a regular AVIC system start or even after unplugging, battery removal, and hard boot.... of course, It is not continuing to decrease gps access time but it just happened quicker and quicker over the first day or two.... now it acquires gps signal fast enough that i no longer have that complaint..

Why would the gps aquisition time change during the time I have used the external antenna?? in other words why would it be 1 minute when first installing the antenna and then drop to 40 seconds over a two day period (i havent actually timed it, but it is a noticebly quicker link up)

still love the 12 green satellites I now show on my globe...... and there is a small but noticable improvement in all gps related functions.. i.e. when it says you will do "A" in 400 ft.. it seems more like it is actually 400 ft....

now for my 3.0 update......