External Antennas and Hats
 

Is this what you envision when someone mentions an antenna on top of a hat?

Or perhaps something similar?

Here's a picture of an external antenna on top of a hat.

Yes, really!  As you can see it's very geeky looking, good for many weird looks, etc.

Hey, no comments about the hat.  It's traveled well over a thousand miles on foot.

My better hat is in the picture above.

Here is another view of that antenna for receiving GPS signals.  The wire goes down the back of the neck, maybe under a shirt or jacket, or behind the daypack and down to a receiver in a holster on the belt.

Are you having trouble seeing it?   (The antenna of course)

Here's another picture of an antenna for GPS use "on top of a hat".

Well actually it's underneath the top.  This is the usual configuration for winter.  It's cold in this neck of the woods in winter.

Here's a view from the back.

With additional winter clothing on, it's possible no one would ever know a GPS receiver was in use.

How about yet another type of hat...

This one has an external antenna too.  It is also actually underneath the hat.

And here is a view of the hat shown above from the back.

Someone in back of you might ask what the wire is for but they've probably seen enough joggers with headphones on to not be surprised by wires around the head.

Here's the rear view of the first hat with a real antenna shown above.

This one is the most noticeable, especially if the person behind you is standing on higher ground.  Perhaps I should paint the antenna and cable the same color as the hat so it will blend in better.

Maybe I should put some headphones on too?!

The "little birdie" sitting on the shoulder

This is certainly more noticeable than some external antenna mountings.

This receiver would normally be in a case that attaches to the pack strap.  (I don't have that kind of case.)  Maybe this way won't get weird stares, but it is geeky isn't it?!?!?

Or since police and military personnel put various pieces of equipment on their person, that makes this method cool, or should that be kewl???

So you don't want to look like a geek or get weird looks...

So you hang it around your neck like this.

Don't expect it to work very well if used this way.  In wooded mountains the trip odometer might only record half the miles you actually walked.

Also I don't know how this saves you from looking like a geek.

And so what...  I can think of some things teenagers do and some things adults do, that well, make me shake my head in amazement.

Here are a couple of pictures of the typical external patch antenna so you can see what they look like.


 
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