Two questions about GPS module for LtAP mini LTE Rev3

RouterOS General
1

Hello friends, good mornong,
I have two questions about gps module for LtAP mini LTE Rev3. I have see that under the platic cover have an internal GPS antenna connected to pin marked “ext gps”.
This built-in antenna is not good to take a gps satellite signal ? In this case how set GPS menu: internal antenna or external ?

Second question: if I connect a SMA adapter cable (ACSMAUFL pigtail) but d’ont connect any external GPS antenna I damege the module ? It’'s safe to teke power on whitout anys antenna gps connected

Thank to all.

E.

2

It’'s safe to teke power on whitout anys antenna gps connected

While I can’t answer the other questions, for this one the answer should be yes.
GPS receivers only use their antenna for receiving signal, not for transmitting. While a transmitter should never be run without an antenna as it carries the risk of damaging the RF Amplifier, for a receive-only module this is not a consideration. You can run any radio receiver without an antenna, the worst that will happen is that you’ll simply not receive any signals.

3

Thanks for answers.
I will try to connect an external antenna.
Now, with the built-in internal antenna, I have not received any GPS satellite! … even after hours, with the modem left outdoors, under a clean sky.
it’s a strange mystery!!

Bye,
E.

4

same here with a LtAP mini and different antennas and different rOS versions
i do not get a sattelite on any of those versions

factory: 6.44.6
6.49.7 (stable)
7.5 (stable)
7.6 (stable)
7.7 beta4


i tested the stock antenna (under the black cover of the LtAP mini case)
a combined 4G/GPS active antenna
a simple uFL antenna

[admin@bkk-car-rtr01] /port> print 
Flags: I - inactive 
 #   DEVICE NAME                     CHANNELS USED-BY                   BAUD-RATE
 0          serial0                         1 GPS                       auto




[admin@bkk-car-rtr01] /system gps> export 
# oct/28/2022 14:47:53 by RouterOS 6.49.7
# software id = 2K34-BC1S
#
# model = RB912R-2nD
# serial number = C46C0BD50718
/system gps
set coordinate-format=dd enabled=yes port=serial0
[admin@bkk-car-rtr01] /system gps> pri
             enabled: yes
                port: serial0
             channel: 0
         init-string: 
     set-system-time: no
   coordinate-format: dd
  gps-antenna-select: external
[admin@bkk-car-rtr01] /system gps>
5

Has anyone managed to get ltap mini to work with GPS and internal antenna? or different outdoor installations and no satellite hookup from any location

6

There were multiple topics in the past that discussed this and the outcome was that even Mikrotik admitted that for LtAP mini, the external antenna for GPS was mandatory, not optional. The current wording in https://mikrotik.com/product/ltap_mini carefully avoids mentioning the existence of the internal GPS antenna.