Thanks for the response and clarification, even on such a basic question. I think I may have characterized the external GPS wrong as it's not an antenna per-se but a gps puck (the amazon listing is here). I was under the impression they are separate GPS units.
I just spent an hour or so outside with the stratux for calibration and locking satellites and what you said now makes sense. It appears the internal GPS had ~3-4m accuracy and then the external drops that down to 1.5-2m or so. So having the option to move the GPS location out of the unit definitely seems beneficial to getting better accuracy, I think I will utilize if I have a trip where the accuracy is needed.
Clear skies!
There are 2 different versions of the GPYes module sold with Stratux. The older one had to be put on a USB extension cable. THe newer, current one has a little u.FL port so you can put an external antenna on it. So the module itself stays inside the Stratux and just uses an external antenna. This is the antenna puck on Amazon.
> I'm only getting a fix on two GPS satellites on the ground. Could the duct tape be causing interference?
According to wikipedia, "powdered aluminum pigment gives traditional duct tape its silvery grey colour".
So, it seems plausible to me that the duct tape is screwing up your GPS reception.
With the GPYes v2, you can get an external antenna that would probably solve your problem by not making the GPS signals try to get through powdered aluminum.
Also, I have no idea who runs stratux.co, but you should check out the parts list on the official Stratux website, http://stratux.me, for newer, better radios for your next build.
Instead of getting a vK-162 why not get an external antenna? It is the same shape as the VK and fits in the mount I designed that you are getting printed.
https://www.amazon.com/Stratux-GPYes-2-0-External-Antenna/dp/B07NDPXDDY/