Lost About GPS? Here's Some Direction!

If you have been confused by all the technical jargon and hype surrounding GPS, confusing what's turning out to be a very useful tool, allow me to shed a little light on your roadmap to deciding whether or not this technology is for you! initially designed with military applications in mind, the technology was made available to mere mortals in hte 1980's for the many and diverse uses we have found so far for the se special tools. Not only handy for auto navigation, GPS units have made their way into marine navigation, backcountry uses, and much, much more!

How does GPS work? GPS (Global Positioning System) allows you to locate your position anyplace on the planet to within an average of 15 meters, with some units doing much better than that. Twenty-four GPS satellites, paid for and placed in orbit by the Department. of Defense courtesy of your tax dollars, send signals back to terra firma 24/7. These signals are retrieved by your handy excellent GPS receiver which uses three sources (satellites) to triangulate this information and calculate your actual position. If there are four data sources, even altitude can be determined. Since there are usually eight satellites in line of sight from anyplace on earth, the chance for accurate positioning exists. Other things that can be determined besides latitude, longitude, and altitude would comprise things like speed, sunrises and sunsets, bearing, distance and more. While they will work in any weather, some hindrances will be electronic interference, buildings, and certain piece of land. A good rule of thumb is that the units will usually not perform underwater, indoors, or underground. There are currently two Global Navigation Satellite Systems in use. Besides GPS, there is the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) Protocols are continuously being refined to enhance the abilities of these systems. A bright light on the horizon is Galileo, scheduled to go online in 2008, which promises even better accuracy and functionality.

So how do I determine which GPS unit is for me? Quite a few options now exist for customers in the GPS marketplace. Whether you need a handheld unit for backpacking or boating, or one for your automobile (they are becoming an attractive choice!) or for one of a countless of uses, there are various reputable manufacturers of quality GPS units out there to help you find your way through the maze of choices. Names like Magellan, Garmin, Rino, Etrex and Meridian lead the market, and are readily available. Take your time, check out the a variety of features each has to offer, and get yourself outfitted with one of the more useful and efficient navigational tools out there today