Active GNSS antennas and receiver modules · Frequency bands, patch gain and axial ratio, LNA gain and noise figure, cable loss, out-of-band rejection, supply current, IP rating
A GPS or GNSS receiver antenna is an active antenna, built from a ceramic patch element with a low-noise amplifier, SAW filters and a cable and connector in a weatherproof housing, that receives satellite navigation signals and feeds them to a GNSS receiver module for positioning, timing and tracking. Ask three things first: which constellations and frequency bands it covers, how much LNA gain and filtering it provides for your cable length and interference environment, and what supply, mounting and environmental ratings it has.
Active GPS/GNSS antennas and board-level GNSS receiver modules for vehicles, trackers, IoT and machines. Complete survey RTK receivers, cellular and Wi-Fi antennas and passive RF components are outside this page.
01
u-blox's ANN-MB5 data sheet describes a multi-band (L1/L5/E5a/B2a/NavIC) active antenna with a right-hand circularly polarised stacked-patch element, a built-in LNA with SAW pre-filtering and a 3 m RG-174 cable with SMA plug. The patch covers 1559–1608 MHz and 1164–1186 MHz with typical zenith gain of 4.5 and 4.0 dBic and axial ratio of 3.2 and 6.3 dB; the LNA gives 15 ± 3 dB (L1) and 16 ± 3 dB (L5) typ. with 2.0 dB noise figure, the cable loses 3.6 and 3.3 dB, and total gain is 11.4 and 12.7 dB typ. [1]
The earlier ANN-MB series (L1 and L2/E5b/B2I) uses a dual-feed patch with typical zenith gain of 3.5 dBic (L1), a 28 ± 3 dB LNA with maximum noise figure of 2.8 dB (L1) and 3.2 dB (L2), and a 5 m RG-174 cable losing 6.6 dB, for about 21.4 dB total gain; patch values are measured on a 15 cm ground plane. [2]
Editorial calculation: both data sheets imply RG-174 losses of about 1.2–1.3 dB per metre at L1 (3.6 dB ÷ 3 m; 6.6 dB ÷ 5 m), so a 10 m run would lose roughly 12–13 dB, more than the ANN-MB5's 15 dB LNA could cover with margin. Ask the supplier for the LNA gain needed for your cable length and receiver input range. [1] [2]
Give the supplier the constellations and bands (L1, L2, L5, B1, E5 etc.), receiver module and its input gain range, cable length and type, connector, mounting (magnetic, screw, adhesive, embedded), ground plane, supply voltage, interference sources nearby (cellular, Wi-Fi), environmental ratings and quantities.
02
The ANN-MB5 lists typical out-of-band rejection, at least 100 MHz from the GNSS band edges, of 45 dB below 1459 MHz and 35 dB above 1708 MHz for L1, and 35–45 dB at cellular bands from 698 to 2690 MHz; the ANN-MB lists 65–85 dB at similar points. It takes 3.0–5.0 V with a typical 17 mA supply current (single supply for both bands) and has no protection against overvoltage or reversed supply. [1] [2]
The ANN-MB5 operates from −40 to +85 °C, is rated IPX7 (temporary immersion to 1 m), withstands ±15 kV ESD to IEC 61000-4-2, is vibration tested to MIL-STD-810G method 514.7, weighs 104 g with cable and measures 49.14 × 46.14 × 15.94 mm on a magnetic base. [1]
Editorial calculation: at 5 V and 17 mA the LNA draws about 85 mW from the receiver's antenna supply; check the receiver can supply it and add protection, since the antenna is not protected against reverse or over-voltage. [1]
Installation changes what a data-sheet pattern promises. A 2022 German Aerospace Center (DLR) study built a four-element (2 × 2) wideband GNSS antenna array of 3D-printed dielectric resonator antennas in a 100 mm diameter footprint, with element reflection below −10 dB and at most −15 dB mutual coupling between neighbours, and simulated it at heights of 50 to 130 mm above a UAV body at 1176 MHz (L5/E5a) and 1575 MHz (L1/E1). Low mounting heights gave severe ripples in the realized-gain pattern and larger back lobes, an effect the authors call "especially prominent in the L5/E5a band"; raising the antenna smoothed the upper-hemisphere pattern, and vertical choke rings kept patterns more constant across heights. In field tests the authors recorded carrier-to-noise ratios above 40 dB-Hz over the skyplot except at very low elevations. [4]
Editorial note: the u-blox patch gains are measured on a 15 cm ground plane, and the DLR results show L5-band patterns degrade first when the antenna sits close to a conductive body; ask the supplier for patterns measured on a ground plane similar to your roof or enclosure, and test reception (C/N0) on the installed vehicle. [2] [4]
03
Suppliers linked to this page list GNSS antennas or receiver modules; each card links to the page reviewed.
Listings include automotive and IoT GNSS antennas, external GPS antennas and GPS/GNSS receiver modules.
04
The US Government's GPS Standard Positioning Service Performance Standard (5th Edition, April 2020) states the minimum signal power the satellites guarantee at the user, which is the level an active antenna and its cable must deliver to the receiver with margin. All satellites transmit right-hand circularly polarized signals at 1575.42 MHz (L1) and 1227.60 MHz (L2), and some at 1176.45 MHz (L5). The minimum received power is −158.5 dBW for the L1 C/A-code, at least −160.0 dBW for the composite L2C-code, and at least −157.9 dBW each for the L5 I5- and Q5-codes, under the conditions defined in IS-GPS-200 and IS-GPS-705. [3]
The standard notes that the guaranteed minimum is specified at a 5-degree elevation angle, which is a reference value and not a recommended receiver mask angle; it says the mask angle should be set from the guaranteed power levels, the frequencies used, the receiving antenna's gain pattern and the receiver front-end sensitivity at each frequency, and it lists mask angles of 15, 10, 7.5, 5, 2 and 0 degrees. [3]
Editorial calculation: −158.5 dBW + 30 = −128.5 dBm. Check that the antenna's band edges contain the carriers you need, for example 1575.42 MHz inside the 1559–1608 MHz L1 band and 1176.45 MHz inside the 1164–1186 MHz L5 band of the ANN-MB5, and ask the supplier for the antenna gain at 5 degrees elevation, not only at zenith. [3] [1]
05
This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's design.
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Patch element | Receives RHCP signals. [1] | Bands, gain, axial ratio. |
| SAW pre-filter | Rejects out-of-band signals. [1] | Rejection at your bands. |
| LNA | Amplifies before cable loss. [1] [2] | Gain and noise figure. |
| Cable and connector | Carries signal and supply. [1] | Type, length, connector. |
| Housing and mount | Protection and fixing; mounting height and choke rings change the pattern. [1] [4] | IP rating, mounting. |
| Receiver module | Computes position. | Constellations and interface. |
06
A GNSS antenna quotation needs values for your installation. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency Range (MHz) | 1559–1608 and 1164–1186 MHz in one antenna. [1] | Bands covered. |
| Gain (dB) | LNA 15 ± 3 dB; total 11.4 dB after 3 m cable. [1] | Patch, LNA, total. |
| Noise Figure (dB) | 2.0 dB typ in one antenna. [1] | LNA noise figure. |
| Supply Voltage (V DC) | 3.0–5.0 V in one antenna. [1] | Range and protection. |
| Current Consumption (mA) | 17 mA typ at 5 V. [1] | Current. |
| Operating Temperature (°C) | −40 to +85 °C. [1] | Range. |
| Storage Temperature (°C) | −40 to +85 °C. [1] | Range. |
| Humidity (% RH) | 95% RH, 60 °C, 96 h test. [1] | Test. |
| Ingress Protection | IPX7 in one antenna. [1] | IP code. |
| Impedance (Ω) | 50 Ω. [1] | Impedance. |
| VSWR | Output VSWR 2.0 typ. [1] | Max VSWR. |
| Connector Type | SMA plug in one antenna. [1] | Connector. |
| Weight (g) | 104 g with cable. [1] | Weight. |
07
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Bands: [constellations; L1/L2/L5] Receiver: [module; input gain range] Cable: [type; length; connector] Interference: [nearby radios] Installation: [mounting; ground plane; IP] Supply: [voltage; protection; quantity]
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The LNA makes up for cable loss; u-blox's ANN-MB5 has a 15 dB LNA and 3.6 dB cable loss, giving 11.4 dB total gain. [1]
u-blox lists 17 mA typical at 5 V for the ANN-MB5 and 15 mA for the ANN-MB. [1] [2]
The ANN-MB5 is rated IPX7, protected against temporary immersion to 1 m. [1]
The US GPS Standard Positioning Service Performance Standard (2020) guarantees a minimum received power of −158.5 dBW for L1 C/A, −160.0 dBW for L2C and −157.9 dBW for each L5 code. [3]
Yes: DLR's simulations of a UAV-mounted array at 50–130 mm found low heights caused severe gain-pattern ripples and larger back lobes, worst in the L5/E5a band, and vertical choke rings reduced the effect. [4]
Sources checked 2026-10-11. u-blox publishes data sheets for its own antennas; the US GPS performance standard sets guaranteed signal levels; the German Aerospace Center (DLR) paper in Sensors (2022, open access in PMC) measures how mounting changes antenna patterns. Values for your antenna must come from the supplier's data sheet and tests on your installation.
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