LTE and GPS Module Locations

[Elbeau]

I bought the DR770X Box with GPS and LTE. The installation manual unsurprisingly states that both modules should be installed on the top of the windshield. I realize this is ideal. But, I have enough stuff already adorning my windshield (along with the wiring stuffed behind the trim).

I am installing the box in my glovebox and would also like to keep the GPS and LTE modules there as well. After all, my phone's GPS and network connection work perfectly fine in all sorts of hidden places.

So, does anyone see any reason not to put them in the glovebox, realizing it may not be the "ideal" location? I have put my phone in the glovebox to test for any connectivity interference and found none.

 

[Vortex Radar]

Sometimes in your dash there can be metal which could potentially limit your reception. I've personally had good luck fishing components like GPS antennas under the dash, often times on top of a piece of metal and right under the dash panel itself so the antenna is effectively looking up at the sky through the windshield. For my LTE antenna I've got it in the rear door/hatch of my SUV and that's worked out alright too, though I normally use a different LTE antenna that's in my rear storage compartment by my spare tire.

You could put an LTE antenna in your glovebox and it could work, but I do wonder if you're an area with weak cell reception, that could potentially prevent you from being able to access to the cloud in that location. If you put it somewhere with less metal around it, I would think you could get even better cell reception which could be helpful in tougher scenarios.

 

[Elbeau]

Sometimes in your dash there can be metal which could potentially limit your reception. I've personally had good luck fishing components like GPS antennas under the dash, often times on top of a piece of metal and right under the dash panel itself so the antenna is effectively looking up at the sky through the windshield. For my LTE antenna I've got it in the rear door/hatch of my SUV and that's worked out alright too, though I normally use a different LTE antenna that's in my rear storage compartment by my spare tire.

You could put an LTE antenna in your glovebox and it could work, but I do wonder if you're an area with weak cell reception, that could potentially prevent you from being able to access to the cloud in that location. If you put it somewhere with less metal around it, I would think you could get even better cell reception which could be helpful in tougher scenarios.

Thanks. Yeah, I think I will put them on the dash at the base of the windshield, or on the bottom of the windshield.

Regarding the rear hatch, I will be putting my rear camera on the hatch's window. Did you just leave some slack in the wire for when the hatch opens, or did you do something else?

 

[Vortex Radar]

Thanks. Yeah, I think I will put them on the dash at the base of the windshield, or on the bottom of the windshield.

Regarding the rear hatch, I will be putting my rear camera on the hatch's window. Did you just leave some slack in the wire for when the hatch opens, or did you do something else?

Ah well I run a 4CH setup so I have "front" cams on both the front and rear windows with my "rear" cams being on the side windows. For that reason it's a pretty short run from the dashcam on the rear window to the LTE antenna and so it wasn't a big deal. If you're doing the standard front/rear setup then yeah it makes much more sense to run the LTE antenna somewhere near the front cam since the cable will only reach so far. Sorry I forgot to mention that earlier.

As for the cables themselves, I believe my installer ran the cables along with the other cable bundle that runs to the rear hatch for things like tail lights, brake lights, license plate lights, etc. This way it was all hidden and out of sight and there were no issues with cables potentially getting pinched when the hatch goes up and down.