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The Difference Between Iridium and GPS Antenna

Nov 12 , 2025

The application of Iridium antennas and GPS antennas is crucial in outdoor communication, navigation, aviation, and the Internet of Things.In simple terms, they are two types of antennas with completely different functions, distinct working principles, and entirely separate design goals.Comparing them to "Pipes" and "Water Meters" might not be the most appropriate, but it can be understood as the difference between "Walkie-Talkies" and "Radios".

Characteristic	Iridium Antenna	GPS Antenna
Main Function	Bidirectional reception (Sending and receiving signals)	Unidirectional reception (Only receives signals)
Design Requirements	It is necessary to strike a balance between transmission and reception performance, and be able to withstand high power during transmission.	Focused on optimizing signal reception quality, with no requirements for transmission performance.
Type	Passive	Active
Technical Core	High efficiency, high power tolerance, low elevation angle performance	High sensitivity, resistance to multipath interference
Frequency Range	Broadband (Reception: 1616-1626.5MHz; Transmission:1616-1626.5MHz)	Single frequency point or narrow band (For example: L1: 1575.42MHz)
System	Iridiu System composed of 66 low orbit satellites）	GPS(USA)、Bedou(China)、GLONASS(Russia)、Galileo(European Union) etc.
Core Requirements	High gain, low loss, capable of effective transmission and reception	High sensitivity, relative stability, Resistance to multipath interference
Polarization	Linear polarization usually	Right-handed circular polarization(RHCP) usually
Application	Maritime satellite phone, field exploration emergency communication, aviation data link, military communication	Mobile phones, car navigation, watches, drones, measuring devices, etc