New GPS repeater products hit the streets in 2014

As mentioned in Part 1 of this blog series FalTech GPS had just one product in the beginning: a repeater for GPS L1 signals only.In 2014 the product range expanded to include support for the Russian GLONASS signals.Why is this significant?Well an L1/GLONASS repeater is very useful for companies involved with the testing, servicing and repair of GPS-enabled devices in workshops.For example, many smart phones have GPS L1 and GLONASS receiver chips installed as standard.Instead of cramming a workbench up against a window to get a signal, or maybe even taking the equipment out to the car park to get a sky view, a simple repeater installation allows indoor use of GPS equipment where normally it isn’t possible.We published a blog post on this subject a couple of years ago – link to it here.

Where did that time go?

Yes, FalTech GPS is five years old; I think such an anniversary is worthy of a little reflection to consider what has happened and what we have learned in that time.Look out for individual blog posts in the near future that will illustrate some of our experiences in more detail.Well, back in mid-2012 we had one product – a GPS repeater system for the L1 frequency band.The repeaters we use are designed and built in Finland by Roger GPS Ltd. We are proud to be the sole UK distributor of Roger GPS products and since 2012 we have sold nearly 1,000 systems in approximately 10 different countries as well as the UK.

The GPS repeater product range offered by FalTech GPS has been streamlined down to three sub-categories to support all the most widely used GNSS signals:

• GPS L1 – the most commonly used signal that is used by satnav devices the world over; available in a standard IP40 (non-waterproof) enclosure.

• GPS L1 with GLONASS and Galileo – the GLONASS signals come from the Russian satellite constellation and are often used in smart phones, for example, to provide extra accuracy and resilience.  The Galileo system is nearing completion and will offer an alternative positioning service upon which European nations can rely.  Available in standard IP40 and waterproof IP67 versions.

• GPS L1 with GLONASS and Galileo plus GPS L2 – the L2 signals physically come from the same satellites as the L1 signals, on a different frequency.  Most often used by civilian and military aviation organisations, as well as surveyors, who need the extra accuracy afforded by the L2 signals.  All this in one compact IP67 enclosure.

Introduction to Galileo

Galileo is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that is currently under construction through the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European GNSS Agency (GSA), headquartered in Prague.

FalTech will be launching a brand new coaxial-based Iridium repeater system on stand R74 at the Emergency Services Show at The NEC on 21/22 September 2016.Iridium two-way satellite telephones are used all over the world. They generally can’t operate indoors, because the structure of the building blocks ingress and egress of the signal.