Montenaro ... thanks. You're right - it does add to survival value.

I found myself wondering about improvised antennas for devices that rely upon GPS signals and satellite transmisions. In general, there are tons of GPS satellites in the sky. However, it could also be that your own GPS receiver is fading out and losing its detection capability.

More importantly for me personally, I use one of the SPOT2 satellite devices as a personal locator and signaller for emergencies. It's fine for many areas of the world. But SPOT satellites do not have complete global coverage, so the signal reception is sketchy in some locations. That includes places I visit (e.g. Africa). So ways of boosting signals is a good idea!

Pete #2