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[N8FNR]

A lot of people use just an HT in their car for APRS mobile. However a radio in a car does not always get a decent GPS signal. Would a GPS booster actually work? Or is this just a gimmick?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/202738190929?ul_noapp=true

Zack N8FNR

[W1VT]

It depends on why the radio in the car is not getting a good GPS signal.  If the signal is blocked by being parked next to buildings or trees, the booster won't help.
It may help if you have a tinted windshield that blocks GPS signals from getting into the car.

[K6AER]

Window tint is not conductive. Most GPS units have no problem with not being on the dash. I is possible that the GPS has no front end filtering on the receiver, Are you running blue tooth in the car? Are you near an Airport, Aircraft transponders are on L Band along with the GPS satellites.

[W1VT]

https://chevroletforum.com/forum/tahoe-suburban-25/window-tint-interfering-gps-signal-5570/

"Update:

The tint was taken off today and everything's back to normal"

[N1ZZZ]

This signal booster is basically a pre-amp and overcomes the signal attenuation that occurs with long coax runs. You would only need it if say your GPS antenna was on the trunk lid and your radio was in the dash. Mounting a GPS puck antenna to the roof should work great.

As an aside, I have a puck GPS that outputs serial data over USB so the GPS signal is always strong.

73
Jeremy N1ZZZ

[AA4HA]

There are a couple of different variants of window tint. Some will be transparent to RF, others will block;

Less expensive window tints are dye in plastic; That is transparent to RF.

Some window tints are semi-metallic. It is a plastic or polymer film that has a very thin metallic layer "sputtered" on to it with an ion-gun or vapor deposition. Those films will either attenuate or completely block RF.

So, the more accurate answer about window treatments is "it depends".