Protecting GPS and GNSS Equipment with High-Quality Surge Protectors
Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are used worldwide to provide extremely accurate positioning and timing information. When these systems are installed permanently on a building, tower, or other structure, surge protection should always be installed on the cable run between the antenna and the receiver.
Most GPS receivers tend to be extremely sensitive to surge/overvoltage energy, and at the same time they are often uptime-critical components. The best way to ensure your equipment is safe and your system is running properly is to use a high-quality coaxial surge arrestor which will protect the receiver from harmful energy.
GPS and GNSS Surge Protectors Comparison
Choosing the right surge protector for GPS and GNSS systems depends on several factors, including the desired connector type, operating frequency, mounting requirements, and DC pass capability.
NexTek offers a full range of coaxial surge protectors, including designs optimized for DC-pass operation to support active antennas. These products are available with N, TNC, and SMA connectors, among others, and cover bandwidths from DC to 6 GHz or more. Premium solutions like hybrid-multistage, gas-discharge-tube and quarter-wave designs offer additional robustness and performance headroom for critical installations.
GPS and GNSS Characteristics and Specifications
GPS and GNSS installations typically require surge arrestors that support:
- Low insertion loss (<0.2 dB typical)
- DC pass capability for active antenna systems
- High surge current handling (e.g., 20–50 kA with 8x20 μs waveform)
- Weather-sealed and rugged construction for outdoor environments
These features ensure the arrestor protects sensitive receivers without compromising the accuracy or reliability of navigation signals. NexTek devices are designed to meet these challenges in mission-critical civilian and defense systems.
Recommended Applications
NexTek surge protectors are deployed across a wide range of GPS and GNSS applications, including:
- Telecom base stations with timing-critical synchronization
- Airport and aviation systems
- Defense communications and navigation installations
- Surveying and precision agriculture platforms
- Emergency response coordination centers
Any application where GPS uptime is essential benefits from robust, tested surge protection.
Recommended Products
Top NexTek products for GPS and GNSS applications include:
- PTCONMONF09S – Broadband, DC-pass coaxial surge protector, optimized for GPS receiver inputs.
- FPLNFNFDP05 – Multistage fine protection with DC pass, covering 1.1 GHz to 1.7 GHz for GPS/GNSS navigation.
- FPLNxNxAP06 – RF broadband device designed for surge and lightning protection applications where DC Pass is required to power tower-top electronics.
- QSSNFNF0300 – Quarter‑wave shorted stub, Type-N RF surge protector with DC block, providing broadband transient protection for wireless and telecom systems.
Each of these models delivers the low-loss, wideband performance essential for modern GPS/GNSS systems.