Lincoln, Neb.-based Centurion Wireless Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of antennas and power products for wireless communications, introduced a new waterproof antenna to enhance Global Positioning System (GPS) and cellular phone service in automobiles.

The tri-band antenna is designed to ensure that service in vehicles is not interrupted by extreme weather conditions. The antenna is intended to support PCS, AMPS and GPS frequency bands used by telematics systems for fleet management, asset tracking and anti-theft applications.

Key features of the antenna include its small size, durable exterior, and the ability to transfer it between vehicles.

The antenna can be mounted on the vehicle’s dashboard, rear shelf, outside wheel wells, or below any other non-metallic surface, company officials said.

Heavy rain, automotive solvents and other liquids can damage electrical systems and components used in mobile tracking and security applications. The new waterproof antenna is designed to resist the most extreme vehicle and environmental conditions, such as severe wind, rain and fog, said Monty Rohde, Centurion’s vice president of engineering.

With those adverse conditions in mind, the antenna was built to operate in a temperature range of minus 40 to plus 70 degrees Celsius, a storage temperature of minus 40 to plus 85 degrees Celsius, and in conditions up to 95 percent humidity at plus 65 degrees Celsius, Rohde said.

–Paul Dykewicz