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Radio & RF Design
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Coordinate Conversion Coordinate Plotting and Maps GPS Build Configuration GPS Coordinate Accuracy GPS Coordinate Systems GPS Failure Contingency GPS Fix Capture Tips GPS Fix Quality GPS Integration GPS NMEA Sentences GPS Quick Fix GPS Satellite Count GPS Sky View GPS Testing Indoors GPS Timing GPS Troubleshooting GPS UTM vs Decimal GPS Warm vs Cold Start Position Reporting Configuring the NEO-6M over UART
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Docs GPS & Navigation GPS Build Configuration

GPS Build Configuration

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Building the beacon around the GPS: module choice, antenna placement, power strategy, and the settings that make coordinates reliable.

GPS Build Configuration

The GPS build is the standard build with the GPS treated as the first-class citizen: the module chosen for the mission, the antenna placed deliberately, and the power budget planned around continuous tracking.

Module choice

ModuleWhySee
NEO-6MCheap, standard, well documentedNEO-6M Guide
NEO-M8NFaster acquisition, better sensitivityNX130 vs NEO-M8N
NX130 (UBX)Small, low power, still NMEANX130 GPS Module

Antenna placement

The patch antenna wants clear sky and no metal:

  • Top of the case, away from the battery and the ESP32 board
  • At least 20 mm from the radio’s antenna
  • No metal plane under the patch (unlike the radio antenna, which wants one)

The GPS Antenna Placement page has the measurements.

Power strategy

The honest options (see GPS Power Saving):

StrategyRuntimeFreshness
GPS always on50 - 65 h on 2500 mAhAlways current
GPS on per cycleLongerStale between fixes
GPS off, manual coordsLongestAs entered

The settings

  • GPS: ON
  • Coordinates: auto
  • Fix age limit: 2 minutes (older fixes are marked stale in the payload)

Verification

Before the field: power on outdoors, confirm the satellite count reaches 6+, and check the OLED coordinates match your map position within a few meters. See GPS Testing Indoors for what cannot be tested on the bench.