Can I patch/splice a GPS receiver wire?

[Potomac-Greg]

Bad routing cut the wire lead from my Racepak G2X to the little magnetic puck that picks up GPS. It looks like a single strand. Can I just splice it? I suppose I could just try it.

[joep]

Wire is wire. Why not?

[Jazzbass]

Wire is wire.
Not really but I think Greg will be fine in this case. Is it a coax wire?

[APKhaos]

Its coax. Splicing it may work but may well drop the GPS signal to the GPX considerably. If you slice the line, take it for a good long test run in your street car to confirm that it delivers reliable GPS data.

[Potomac-Greg]

I did a little digging and it's a coaxial wire (really small). The antenna is a ublox ANN-MS-0-005 that I cannot find online. If I found one with a coax cable, are they otherwise generic and interchangeable? I'll call Racepak tomorrow in any event.

[VaSteve]

What exactly are you trying to accomplish? I was able to use mine on a fixed roof car without drama. Yours should be easier. Shouldnt it?

[Ryan]

BTW, you don't need to buy a $$$ Racepak GPS antenna to replace it. I replaced mine with a generic GPS one from ebay for less than $10. Works perfect

[HoodPin]

eBay option sounds good. But if want to splice might be best, if available to attach coaxial connectors to each broken end and then screw together. Might help maintain a good shielding connection.

[tbernard]

eBay option sounds good. But if want to splice might be best, if available to attach coaxial connectors to each broken end and then screw together. Might help maintain a good shielding connection.

X2, use male/female connections on the ends and connect them. You can also splice by soldering the core lead, and then insulate it, the place shielding (foil conductive tape) and connect the outer braid. The whole idea of the coax cable is to protect the signal on the inner core from interferance hence the braid that's connected to ground.

[APKhaos]

X2, use male/female connections on the ends and connect them. You can also splice by soldering the core lead, and then insulate it, the place shielding (foil conductive tape) and connect the outer braid. The whole idea of the coax cable is to protect the signal on the inner core from interferance hence the braid that's connected to ground.

Not exactly. There will be a significant impedance mismatch in either typ of home brew fix. Best bet by far is to buy a generic magnetic gps antenna. At $10 its a no brainer.

[Potomac-Greg]

$7 Chinese antenna ordered from Ebay. Well worth the risk.