Novatel 501 User Manual

WARRANTY POLICY

NovAtel Communications Ltd. warrants that its Global Positioning System (GPS)
products are free from defects in materials and workmanship, subject to the conditions
set forth below, for the following periods of time:

GPSAntenna™ Module One (1) Year
Cables Ninety (90) Days

Date of sale shall mean the date of the invoice to the original customer for the product.
NovAtel’s responsibility respecting this warranty is limited solely to product
replacement or product repair at an authorized NovAtel location only. Determination of
replacement or repair will be made by NovAtel personnel or by technical personnel
expressly authorized by NovAtel for this purpose.

This warranty will not extend to damage or failure resulting from misuse, neglect,
accident, alteration, abuse, improper installation, non-approved
antenna/cables/accessories, or operation in an environment other than that intended.

In no event will NovAtel be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential
damages whether through tort, contract or otherwise. This warranty is expressly in lieu
of all other warranties, expressed or implied, including without limitation the implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The foregoing states the
entire liability of NovAtel with respect to the products herein.

Any defective product should be returned, insured and freight prepaid, securely
packaged, to the following address:

NOVATEL COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
GPS Repair Centre
6732 - 8th Street N.E.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T2E 8M4

The Purchaser is responsible for any insurance on product during shipment and accepts
all liability for loss of or damage. Please include a copy of your sales documentation,
product serial number, and a detailed description of the problem you are experiencing.

You must obtain a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number by calling –
403-295-4900 before shipping any product to NovAtel.

PROPRIETARY NOTICE

Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of NovAtel Communications Ltd. No part of this manual may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written
permission of a duly authorized representative of NovAtel Communications Ltd.

© 1994 NovAtel Communications Ltd. All rights reserved.
Unpublished rights reserved under International copyright laws.
Printed in Canada.
May 1994
OM-20000001 Rev 4.0

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Model 501

USER MANUAL

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GPSAntenna™ Model 501

Introduction

The NovAtel GPSAntenna Model 501 is designed to provide superior
performance over a wide range of GPS applications. It incorporates
the following features:

• L1 Center Frequency at 1575.42 MHz

• Enhanced Multipath Rejection

• Internal Low Noise Amplifier (LNA)

• Internal Interference Rejection Filter

• Low Noise Figure

• Small Size (11.4 cm Diameter x 5.7 cm Height)

• Single External TNC Connector

• Environmentally Sealed Radome

• Tripod 5/8" Coarse Thread Center Mounting

• Four Screw Fixed Mounting (Groundplane or Platform)

General

The GPSAntenna receives the C/A code signals from the NAVSTAR
satellites. These signals are Right Hand Circular Polarization (RHCP)
signals centered at 1575.42 MHz. The antenna module rejects the
unwanted Left Hand Circular Polarization (LHCP) and out-of-band
signals. The antenna then filters, amplifies and transfers the signals to
the GPSCard™ for further processing. Figure 1 shows the typical
antenna Elevation Gain Pattern for RHCP and LHCP signals.

Typical GPSAntenna Elevation Gain Pattern

Right Hand Circular Polarization

100-10

-20

100-10

dBic

dBic

100-10

-20

100-10

dBic

dBic

Typical GPSAntenna Elevation Gain Pattern

Left Hand Circular Polarization

Figure 1 GPSAntenna Elevation Gain Pattern

Note: These cables are selected to meet GPS performance
requirements. If alternate coaxial cable type and lengths are required,
use care in selecting appropriate cable replacement. NovAtel only
guarantees operation with NovAtel-supplied cables.

GPSAntenna Specifications

Electrical

Center Frequency 1575.42 MHz
Bandwidth 10 MHz (-1 dB)
Gain Pattern > 0 dBic to 75˚ from vertical

> -3 dBic to 85˚ from vertical

< -10 dBic 120˚ from vertical
Polarization Right hand circular at all angles above the
horizon
Axial Ratio < 1 dB
LHC Multipath Rejection > 10 dB
Phase Center Stability < 10˚ RMS (5 mm) above 15˚ elevation

Physical

Size 114 mm diameter x 58.6 mm height
Weight 300 grams
Mounting Tripod 5/8 inch Coarse Thread

Four screws #6-32

Environmental

Operating Temperature -40˚C to +85˚C (-40˚F to +185˚F)
Storage Temperature -50˚C to +95˚C (-58˚F to +203˚F)
Operating Humidity 100%
Altitude 5,000 meters

Low Noise Amplifier

Power 99 mW

(4.5 ± 0.5Vdc @ 22 mA max)
Gain 23 dB
Noise Figure 3.0 dB typical (3.6 dB maximum)
Interference Rejection >15 dB for f > 1715 MHz

f < 1435 MHz

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