"Dama Foster" wrote in message ...
It is a reflector, and will change the pattern. How much depends on how the
Al is configured to the antenna, and the spacing. The wavelength is about 1
foot, so your dimentions indicate that something will happen. (10 inch or
10 foot?) Quickest way is to just try it. The type of antenna the handheld
has determines quite a bit too. THe antenna needs to see the sky, many times
it dosent matter what it is mounted on, but then you have a handheld, that
can be different.

"David Harper" wrote in message
om...
I was wondering what effect aluminum foil (used as a radiation heat
shield) would have on GPS signal reception? The scenario is a small
payload container (approx 10" cube) covered in polystyrene, with a
handheld GPS reciever located near the top on one corner.

Would aluminum foil on the inner sides (and/or bottom) interfere with
the reception of the signal? I'm worried about possible reflection or
other mechanisms of interference that might occur and prevent good
reception. Basically, my question is, would foil on the sides or the
bottom pose a reception problem? Are there any "configurations" that
might not pose a problem? (i.e. 2 furthest sides only, half of bottom
only, etc).

Thanks in advance for any insight!
Dave

Thanks for all the help people. Based on the info, I think I'll look
into replacing the handheld (etrex) with an OEM sensor and an external
antenna. Some of the OEM sensors are running under $100.

THanks again!
Dave