At Steffe’s & Company, LLC., we’re proud to offer our clients the latest and most cutting-edge GNSS (Global Navigational Satellite System) repeater technology manufactured by ROGER-GPS. Whenever you have a need to bring the live GNSS signals indoors you can turn to us for a quote and/or advice. We offer a complete line of GNSS repeaters and accessories like amplifiers, splitters, lightning protection, and customized transmission lines based on coaxial cable or optical fiber. We also offer complete kits including everything needed to complete a successful installation.

But What Is A GNSS Or GPS Repeater?

A GPS or GNSS repeater is required to re-transmit the outdoor satellite signal indoors where the weak satellite signals will not carry.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the United States to provide accurate location data initially for the armed forces and later opened to civilian users. The GPS system consists of a constellation of satellites orbiting the earth at a height of about 12,550 miles and a GPS control segment on earth based upon a global network of ground stations for tracking, monitoring, analyzing, and controlling the GPS satellites. Each satellite circles the Earth twice a day, and the way the satellites are spaced in six orbital planes ensures that users can view a minimum of four satellites from any point of the earth.

The other three GNSS systems in common use today are the European Galileo, the Russian Glonass, and the Chinese Beidou. Additionally, there are two regional systems, the Japanese QZSS and the Indian IRNSS or NavIC.

Satellite receivers in various devices such as cellular phones, navigational equipment etc. use the information provided by the satellites to determine the present location by calculating longitude, latitude, and altitude from the received signals. Typically, a signal received from four or more satellites is required to determine the exact location. The more satellites received the more accurate location.

Why Does GPS Not Work inside Some Buildings or When driving in A Tunnel?

First, we must recognize that the signal strength of the signal received by the receiver is very weak even outdoors in open space as the signal has reached earth from traveling over 12,500 miles through the atmosphere.

When we are inside a building, in a tunnel, or even under dense tree foliage the GNSS signals may not be strong enough for the receiver. Outdoors you need to have a clear visibility of the sky and the orbiting satellites for the receivers to function properly and this is also one of the key requirements when selecting the location for your outdoor receiving antenna when you decide to install a GNSS Repeater to bring the live GNSS signal indoors. From a positioning standpoint a signal re-transmitted by an indoor GNSS repeater will only provide the location of the outdoor receiving antenna, so for indoor asset tracking a GNSS Repeater is quite a crude solution. There are systems based on other technology such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular using various triangulation technologies that can pinpoint indoor location more accurately.

So, How Do We Get the GNSS Signal Indoors?

The repeater kits typically consist of an outdoor antenna, a signal transmission line, and the repeater itself powered by a power supply. The outdoor receiving antenna is installed in a location with an unobstructed view of the sky and the satellites, the signal transmission is typically provided by coaxial cable but over longer distances with optical fiber. The repeater repeats the outdoor signal indoors as seen and received by the outdoor receiving antenna. Without this live indoor signal GNSS or GPS enabled devices would not be able to be used, tested, calibrated, or repaired inside the building and would have to be brought outdoors for these activities to take place.

The GNSS repeaters from ROGER-GPS provide indoor signal coverage over a significant indoor area. For instance, if you have the repeater installed at a height of 30 ft. (9.1 m) you can expect a coverage area with a radius of ~ 84 ft. (~ 25.6 m). In indoor spaces with lower ceiling height, it can sometimes be more beneficial to install the repeater(s) on the wall directed toward the area that needs coverage.

Applications of GNSS Repeaters

Typical applications for GNSS Repeaters are for instance various military applications within all different branches of the military, Public Safety applications (Police and Fire Stations), various industrial manufacturing plants, laboratories, aircraft hangars, applications where you need accurate timing, and underground bus/transit or subway/rail stations.

In these applications exact accuracy of location is not that important. For instance, in a Fire or Police station the idea is to keep all equipment relying on a live GNSS signal even when parked inside a garage or Fire Station on-line and live stand-by. This prevents the First Responder assets to “drift” when the outdoor signal is not available and valuable signal acquisition time can be eliminated when exiting the garage or station. And the 911-dispatchers will always have full visibility of the actual location of the assets, even when they are parked inside a station.

In an aircraft hangar application, a repeater will ensure that all work involving avionics and navigational equipment can be performed inside sheltered from weather conditions. You can also eliminate the time-consuming pushing of aircraft outside to perform any repair, calibration, training, or other tasks involving equipment requiring a live GNSS signal. In a military aircraft hangar, you can avoid having to wait for GNSS signal acquisition when exiting the hangar as the aircraft will have immediate signal upon exiting thanks to the GNSS Repeater.

In any manufacturing application you can arrange to have products using GNSS signals tested and verified inside the facility, for instance at the end of an automobile assembly line.

Give us a call +1 434 660-7411 or chat with us to get an idea on how a ROGER-GPS repeater can bring the live GNSS signals indoors for you!