v2024.09.18 AWS

After many years of supplying repeater and high-powered radios we have found that most antennas and cables already deployed in the field have:

Bad bottom mounts which make poor connection
Bad antenna cables, closed in carry case hinges, whipped in the wind with broken conductors
Bad TNC (or BNC connectors with lossy adapters)
Missing antenna ends
1/4-wavelenth, unity gain antennas which require a substantial ground plane to deploy

By supplying a great end-fed-dipole antenna that does not require a ground plane, in known good condition, we expect your experience with our radio solution will be be exceptional, out of the box.
 

No. Because the connection clip on NMO mounts is unreliable for antennas that are setup and taken down daily we direct connect the coax cable to the antenna. The iGA5 antenna is NOT an NMO mount antenna. The antenna can not be disassembled at the base, it can be unscrewed in the middle which makes it easier to transport.
 

Probably, the cable has a standard TNC connector, the bandwidth is wide and the SWR is low:

 

5-meters (16.4 feet).
 

Yes, it works great directly connected. Because there is no coax loss when directly connected and the iGA antenna has lots of gain you should limit the output power of the radio to L-Low 5-watts or M-Medium 20-watts so you don't exceed your license's ERP. Extended use at high power may melt the antenna as it is rated for 25-watts only.
 

The following formats are narrowband compliant and suitable for use in the USA:

Satel 9600 FEC ON, Satel 9600 FEC OFF, Satel 19200 FEC ON, Satel 19200 FEC OFF
TT450S 4800, TrimTalk II 4800, TrimTalk3 9600
Transparent EOT 4800

Also, check out the [ User Manual ] for additional information.
 

Yes, it has standard Tx Only and Duplex modes. Your existing cable will probably work.

Because of the high number of satellites and signals currently deployed in the space segment, if you plan to use the radio with RTCM3.x or other non-highly compressed formats, there may not be enough time to broadcast a correction message and retransmit/repeat it in 1-second. For this reason, it is often more desirable to use the external radio as a cable connected, external transmit only radio.

We have reasonably priced cables available for most common GNSS receivers [ see cables ]. Additional setup information is available [ here ].

The iGR radio has special firmware that eliminates non-compliant modes and operation for use in the USA.
The iGR radio is supported, warranted and serviced by iGage Mapping Corporation.
 

No. You will need to use the front panel on the iGR to make changes.
 

Yes. It can be turned on and off from the front panel. Most users should leave it ON. However, because we expect some applications to have dedicated frequency assignments it can be disabled.
 

No, and the iGR has a built in voltmeter so you can tell the charge state of your battery.
 

No, However, a special, unique, secret, code is required to modify the radio frequencies, channel bandwidth and channel assignments. The code is available in a sealed envelope from the factory and allows a technician to modify frequency assignments. Every radio has a different code.
 

Yes. Absolutely, an FCC license is required! Checkout this American Surveyor [ article ] for additional information.

We highly recommend that you use [ FIT ] for assistance in obtaining your license. They know exactly what type of license you require and will take care of everything at a very reasonable price.

There are no itinerant frequencies that the iGR can operate on without a license.
 

Yes. If you have a FCC license, we will program the radio with your licensed frequencies prior to shipment. We will print out a reference copy of your license and include it with the radio and we will make a label with your FCC Call sign and put it on the front of the radio.

If you do not have a FCC license, the radio will ship with NO programmed frequencies. Your supervisor or radio technician can setup the radio after you receive authorization from the FCC.

Check out Mark Silver's [ Blog post ] for additional information.
 

It depends:

No other users or interference on the frequency
iGR's Radio antenna put 10' above ground level
Good Rover antenna
Clear line of sight (radio location elevated so that earth curvature and trees don't block the signal)
Fully charged battery
FEC ON

We expect well over 25-miles.

If there is not clear line-of-sight or there is another user or interference on the frequency then you might only get a few miles, or less!

We do test the output power and the iGR is comparable to other 35-watt radio solutions.
 

No.
 

If the other receiver uses 400 MHz UHF radios and supports Satel 9600 baud with FEC ON or OFF the iGR will probably work great. Trimmark II / TT450 and Transparent EOT are also supported at both 9600 baud (25 KHz) and 4800 baud (12.5 Khz).

Repeater operation probably won't be dependable with 4800 baud protocols with multi-constellation receivers.
 

Yes, the iGR can be hung on a tripod in the rain for extended periods.
 

No.
 

iGage will not supply batteries. Purchase locally or on Amazon.
The User Manual has suggestions on how to choose an appropriate battery.
 

32-channels, 000 through 031.