What You Need to Know About GPS
What It Is and How It Works For those who are unfamiliar with the term, GPS stands for Global Positioning System. Its a method of finding a receiver anywhere on earth or in orbit, and its arguably one of the most important inventions of our time. GPS can be used in so many varied ways that new technologies are constantly being developed and improved in order to take advantage of it. Now why is GPS so important and useful? First, we have to understand how it works.
In order to work, a satellite network orbiting the earth is used. These satellites each broadcast a specific signal, which is received by inexpensive aerials and passed on to GPS devices where it is then decoded and used by dedicated software. The information is specific enough that the GPS software can identify the satellite, its location in space, and calculate the time that the signal took to travel from the satellite to the GPS receiver. Using different signals from different satellites, the GPS software can now analyze the position of the receiver, in terms of latitude and longitude.
Mapping It Out Even getting the information about the receivers location will be useless without something to compare it with. The mapping part of any GPS software is very important; it is how GPS works our possible routes, and allows the user to plan trips in advance. Actually, the mapping data is what makes a GPS device expensive. This should be updated regularly and frequently in order to be accurate.
Several kinds of maps are created for different users. Road users need maps containing accurate data about the road systems in their particular region, but they wont need data about the lay of the land. On the other hand, hiking GPS users might wish to have a detailed map of the terrain, rivers, hills and so forth, and perhaps tracks and trails, but not roads. Marine users need very specific information relating to the sea bed, navigable channels, and other pieces of maritime data that enables them to navigate safely.
Fishermen also use marine GPS to locate themselves and track the movement of shoals of fish both in real time, and to predict where they will be the next day. In fact, cooperative fishing has become much easier with GPS, allowing boats to relay locations to each other while looking for the best fishing spots. Special kinds of marine GPS, known as fishfinders, also combine several functions in one to help fishermen.
Get Started with GPS Consumers can avail of several GPS devices that are specifically designed for a variety of uses and functions. In-car systems have advanced features like voice guidance, dynamic route calculations, and even upgrading your maps from a CD-ROM. Then there are handheld GPS devices, such as those from Magellan and Garmin, which store a map inside, and are usually designed for outdoor use. They generally do not have any road information, and leave the users to find their own way from A to B.
Recently, PDAs and even a few sophisticated mobile phones have incorporated GPS technology into their own systems. A GPS receiver can be easily attached to these devices, which makes them possibly the cheapest and easiest GPS receivers to use in the market today. Bluetooth technology has also started to make use of GPS, by having several receivers with Bluetooth capabilities, and a single PDA.
Chiun Masters is a researcher and writer working for http://www.audioavi.com, where you can get quality GPS and audio equipment. Visit us for all your audio equipment needs.
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