Powerful External Remote Amplified GPS Antenna Receiver for Garmin Nuvi

• 1. External Active Antenna for GPS
• 2. Allows more flexible antenna placement for better reception
• 3. Magnetic base and water resistent

Update December 2010:

DO NOT leave this plugged into the GPS for extended periods when not being used.

It consumes a small amount of power, and will flatten the GPS's internal battery within a few days. There was an even worse problem in one of my cars which was not used for several weeks. It left the car battery TOTALLY flat when it and the GPS were left plugged-in to an un-switched 12v outlet (even though the GPS was switched off).

I still rate this item as ***** (5 stars) now that I know how to easily avoid a flat car battery. Just unplug it!!! All 5 antennae I have bought are still working fine (as is my now-ancient Nuvi 350).

Update December 2009:

I continue to be impressed and bought 2 more to give as gifts. AND No! I have no personal interest in the company (unfortunately). Improves speed of signal acquisition in my Garmin nüvi 765/765T 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic especially noticeable when the GPS has not been been used for many days. Again, thoroughly recommended.

----------

Update April9 2009:

I was so pleased with this item that I bought 2 more so that they are permanently installed on my cars.

----------

I came across this item while browsing Amazon for reviews on new GPS. I needed to replace my 30 month old Nuvi 350 which was non-functioning displaying the dreaded "Cannot Acquire Satellites" error message. The 2 reviews on this antenna both stated that its use had resolved this issue. Further investigation confirmed similar results with other comparable antennae.

I had returned a Nuvi 750 because its performance was inferior to the 350. Seeing that the cost of both the antenna and shipping was minimal I decided that I did not have much to lose by ordering one.

When it arrived, I connected it to my 350 and dumped them both on the passenger seat. My hopes were high but my expectations were low.

In a very short time I noticed that my old 350 (previously destined for the garbage) was now fully functional. Further investigation revealed that signal strength is far higher that it had previously been. Signal acquisition is also very much quicker.

The antenna itself measures 1-3/4" x 1-3/8 x 9/16", has a 10' 1/8" diam. cord and has a powerful magnet for easy routing and exterior attachment. Since I am getting such good signal strength, I shall probably place it permanently above the dash where it will attract less unwelcome interest.

My other pleasant surprise was that it had arrived in Maine (from Texas) 3 days after placing my order.

When I finally replace my Nuvi 350, it (and this antenna) will continue to be used in our second car. My new GPS (maybe 765?) will be ordered along with a second antenna hopefully from the same seller (if not Amazon.com itself).

One caveat:

The antenna's plug could be improved. It is tiny and difficult (very hard on finger nails) to remove. I plan to attach a more substantial grip (maybe a 1/2" diameter plastic disc or similar shape) using epoxy glue to eliminate this minor problem.

This is not enough of a problem to reduce my 5-star rating.

FYI:

The Nuvi has a direct connection for an antenna rather than through its quick-disconnect mount (a design upgrade would be a major improvement!!!) therefore this item must be unplugged whenever removing the GPS.

Buy Powerful External Remote Amplified GPS Antenna Receiver for Garmin Nuvi Now

This antenna performs as advertised. My Garmin Nuvi GPS was suffering increasingly intermittent connections with satellites. Eventually, it would only rarely locate my car, and several times I had to resort to my phone's GPS to get where I was going. Apparently, from browsing the web, this is a fairly common problem for Garmin units.

I was procrastinating before spending hundreds of dollars on yet another GPS, when I spotted a claim of this solution on a random web page, and then found it on Amazon and saw favorable reviews.

It still might take up to 30 seconds to locate the car when starting, but then the connection is rock solid. At about $20, it is a tiny fraction of the cost of a new GPS unit. The cable is longer than necessary, about 6 feet rather than the necessary 1 or 2 feet, but the antenna itself is compact. It makes putting the unit out of sight slightly more cumbersome, with the extra wire emanating from the GPS, a minor hassle.

[a few days later after looking at the extra cable for a while, I wrapped it around, out the door, and used the magnet under the antenna to stick it on my car roof the extra cable is actually a good thing.]

Instructions were minimal. The user simply plugs the cable into the little connection on the GPS antenna flap that lifts up from the back of the unit.

It worked for me, thanks Amazon and its diligent and accurate reviewers.

Read Best Reviews of Powerful External Remote Amplified GPS Antenna Receiver for Garmin Nuvi Here

Our Nuvi 660 would no longer acquire satellites. After attaching this external antenna, it now works again. Does not come with any manual or setup recommendations.

Want Powerful External Remote Amplified GPS Antenna Receiver for Garmin Nuvi Discount?

I bought the antenna to fix my reception problem with Garmin 350. The signal reception has been restored and looks like works even better than original Garmin chip that broke.

So, if you need cheap fix for Garmin I recommend to try this before spending money on new device.

Disadvantage in my case the cable is too long

As many reviews have suggested, I also had a Garmin Nuvi 660 that had been slowly getting worse and worse reception until it finally would get no signal at all. I had it for over 3 years and traveled extensively with it, so figured it was just the end of the road. I read something about trying this product and figured it was worth a shot for the price. This completely fixed the problem, and in fact, never have any issues with the unit trying to find satellites. The only drawback is that for traveling purposes, having to takes this along is a bit of a headache. (I'm talking about on planes and using rental cars.) As I have stopped traveling and can just keep it in one car, then it is not really an issue.

Overall, very pleased. It saved me from having to buy a new GPS.