Digi International 76000842 GPS Antenna with Magnet Mount
Overview
The Digi International 76000842 is a dedicated GPS antenna engineered for cellular IoT routers and gateway deployments where reliable satellite positioning is a hard requirement. Tuned to the standard GPS L1 frequency of 1575.42 MHz and delivering 28 dB of gain, this antenna pulls in clean GPS signal even in environments where a router is mounted in a metal enclosure or a vehicle cab — conditions that would starve a passive antenna of usable signal. The integrated magnet mount keeps installation time to minutes: place it on any ferrous surface, route the cable, done.
This is a purpose-built accessory for Digi International routers and gateways that require an external GPS antenna connection, though the SMA-style connector format is common across many cellular and IoT device families.
Key Features
- 1575 MHz GPS L1 Tuning: Matched to the primary civilian GPS frequency band, so the antenna works with every GPS-capable Digi router without any frequency mismatch. This is not a wideband compromise — it is tuned specifically for L1 acquisition speed and accuracy.
- 28 dB Active Gain: Active amplification at 28 dB means the antenna overcomes cable loss across longer cable runs and compensates for partial sky-view obstructions — a real advantage when the router sits inside a metal equipment cabinet or vehicle dash panel where a passive antenna would lose lock frequently.
- Magnet Mount Base: The integrated magnet base attaches instantly to any steel or iron surface — vehicle rooftops, equipment housings, generator frames — with no drilling, no brackets, no tools. This matters on vehicles or temporary deployments where the antenna position may need to change.
- Low-Profile Form Factor: At 9.0 x 7.0 x 0.05 inches and only 0.24 lbs, the antenna sits nearly flush on any mounting surface, reducing wind load on mobile installations and minimizing snag points in industrial environments.
- Lightweight at 0.24 lbs: Light enough that the magnet mount holds securely without the antenna shifting under vibration — relevant for fleet and transit deployments where road vibration is constant.
- Cellular Cable Category: Classified as a cellular-compatible accessory, confirming it pairs with Digi's cellular IoT product line including WR-series and IX-series routers that expose an external GPS antenna port.
Integration and Compatibility
The 76000842 is designed for use with GPS antenna-capable Digi International routers and gateways. Verify your router's GPS antenna connector type before ordering — most Digi cellular routers use SMA or SMA-reverse connectors, and an adapter may be required depending on your specific model. For fleet telematics, fixed asset tracking, or network time synchronization deployments, pairing this antenna with a cellular router or IoT gateway provides both WAN connectivity and GPS positioning from a single compact device stack. If your installation involves extended cable runs between the antenna and router, account for coax loss at 1575 MHz — the 28 dB gain budget provides meaningful headroom, but runs beyond 5 meters may require a lower-loss cable grade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What frequency does the 76000842 GPS antenna operate on?
A: The 76000842 operates at 1575 MHz, which is the standard GPS L1 frequency used by all civilian GPS receivers. This covers standard GPS positioning — it does not cover GLONASS, Galileo, or other GNSS bands.
Q: How much gain does the 76000842 provide?
A: The antenna delivers 28 dB of active gain, which compensates for cable signal loss and helps maintain GPS lock when the antenna has a partial or obstructed sky view, such as on a vehicle or inside a partially enclosed installation.
Q: Does the magnet mount require any drilling or hardware?
A: No. The integrated magnet base attaches directly to any ferrous (steel or iron) surface without drilling or additional mounting hardware, making it suitable for vehicles, equipment enclosures, and temporary deployments.
Q: What is the warranty on the 76000842?
A: Digi International covers the 76000842 with a 5-year manufacturer warranty.
Q: What Digi devices is the 76000842 compatible with?
A: The 76000842 is designed for Digi International cellular routers and gateways with an external GPS antenna port. Confirm your specific router model's antenna connector type to ensure a direct fit or determine if an adapter is needed.
The spec that drives most purchasing decisions on the 76000842 is the 28 dB active gain figure. In practice, when you are mounting a Digi cellular router inside a metal enclosure or under a vehicle dash, a passive antenna simply cannot acquire enough satellite signal — the 28 dB amplification stage is what keeps the GPS subsystem locked and reporting valid coordinates instead of timing out or producing stale position fixes.
Technical Highlights:
- 28 dB Active Gain: Overcomes the attenuation of coax cable runs and metal enclosure shielding — passive antennas in the same scenario typically provide 0–3 dB and lose lock under obstructed sky conditions.
- 1575 MHz L1 Tuning: Precisely matched to civilian GPS L1 — no wideband noise penalty, faster cold-start acquisition compared to broadband GNSS antennas that trade tuning precision for multi-constellation coverage.
- 0.24 lb Magnet Mount: Light enough that standard industrial magnet bases hold it securely through road vibration without adhesive supplementation — tested implicitly by the form factor at 9.0 x 7.0 x 0.05 inches.
Deployment Considerations:
- Verify the GPS antenna port connector type on your specific Digi router model before mounting — SMA and reverse-SMA are both common in the Digi line and are not interchangeable without an adapter.
- The 76000842 is L1 GPS only — if your application requires GLONASS or multi-constellation GNSS for redundancy or faster acquisition in urban canyons, this antenna will not cover those bands.
This antenna is the right fit for fleet management and fixed-site cellular gateway deployments where the router lives inside a metal housing and needs a dedicated external GPS element to maintain position lock — not a general-purpose GNSS solution, but exactly right for its intended Digi router pairings.
