GPS And How It Works

GPS stands for Global Positioning System, a satellite navigation system with twenty-four satellites in orbit. These satellites were put in place by the United States Department of Defense for military uses, and were called NAVSTAR. The first satellite was launched in 1978 and the twenty-fourth and last satellite was finally in place in 1994. In 1980 NAVSTAR was made available to the general public for commercial use.

GPS works 24 hours a day in any weather. The satellites orbit the earth twice a day in a specific orbit that is about 12,000 miles above us. In orbit, the satellites travel as fast as 7,000 miles an hour. As they are orbiting, they transmit information to receivers on earth. The receivers use this information to calculate the user's location. This calculation is made by determining the difference between the time a transmission was made and when the receiver received it. This is then used to calculate the distance and the position is displayed on the receiver.

For a receiver to calculate a latitude and longitude position is to receive information from three satellites. To calculate latitude, longitude and altitude a receiver must be able to receive information from four or more satellites. After position is known the GPS can then tell the user information about speed, trip distance, the distance to a desired destination, sunrise and sunset times, bearing and other information.

While in orbit, the satellites are powered by solar energy. They also have backup batteries that are used in the event of no solar power such as an eclipse. The energy is used to power small rockets on the satellites that keep them in the proper orbit. At any one time only about 50 watts of power or less is used to transmit information. The satellites are designed to last about ten years, and the U.S. Department of Defense is constantly making and launching replacement satellites. Each satellite is about 2,000 pounds and seventeen feet across when the solar panels are out.

GPS receivers are generally accurate within 15 meters. Other than investing in a receiver there are no fees or other equipment required to access the GPS signal. If very accurate readings are needed, Differential Global Position Systems (DGPS) will provide accuracy within three to five meters. The United States Coast Guard operates the most popular DGPS.

Two power signals are transmitted and are referred to as L1 and L2. The L1 frequency is used for civilian purposes. These signals are relatively low power signals and travel by line of sight, so they can go through clouds, glass, and plastic, but not solid objects like buildings or mountains. In every transmission the satellite sends three types of information, its pseudorandom code, ephemeris data and almanac data. The pseudorandom code is an I.S. code that identifies which satellite the information is being sent from. Ephemeris data tells the receiver where the satellite should be at any time of the day, and almanac data sends information about the status of the satellite, the current date and the time. The almanac data is the part that is essential for determining the user's position.

Chris Simons is a prolific freelance writer. You are welcomed to visit http://gps.theconsumerguide.net, for more information on GPS units and tracking systems.

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The High Value of GPS Fleet Tracking

GPS tracking systems have been used in vehicles for many years. They were originally used in automobiles as a deterrent to theft, and for many years, GPS tracking systems in vehicles have assisted in finding lost or vehicles. In many instances, a GPS system was the last hope of finding a vehicle.

In recent years, many companies that have a fleet of vehicles have recognized the importance of these incredible GPS systems and have had them installed in their fleet vehicles, not only as a safety precaution, but also as a way to improve efficiency and driver performance.

Companies need to know exactly where their vehicles are in order to set up and maintain a productive delivery schedule. Too much time is wasted finding a delivery address, or locating a driver who has turned off their radio or phone.

A GPS tracking system will allow employers to find where any vehicle is at any given time, wherever it is. Shipping companies find this to be a particularly important feature because they not only can they create a better delivery schedule, they can also schedule more deliveries in any given day. It is incredible how technology has progressed. You can find the location of any truck by simply clicking the mouse of your computer.

A GPS tracking system also helps in reducing operating costs and keep you deliveries flowing evenly. When you know where your vehicles are and when they are scheduled back, you can create a shipping schedule that is guaranteed to be productive and efficient.

GPS systems have always been an incredibly effective way of locating vehicles, especially if it had broken down in a dangerous or remote area. However, today, GPS tracking in fleet vehicles have become an important tool in creating and maintaining a productive and efficient shipping department.

Not only can a GPS tracking system promote safety by monitoring the driving speed of the vehicle, it can also locate a vehicle if it has broken down even if the engine is off. Many drivers who have broken down in the middle of nowhere have found these incredible devices to be lifesavers. GPS tracking systems minimize the down time of your fleet vehicles and allow you to maintain a more structured work environment.

GPS tracking systems were originally developed to locate lost or stolen vehicles. When you use them on your fleet vehicles, you will always know where each vehicle is. If the unthinkable happens, and a vehicle is missing, you can locate within seconds, sending emergency vehicles to the location. In times like these, seconds can be critical.

GPS tracking systems in fleet vehicles can assist in routing difficulties, which in turn can save literally of dollars in wasted fuel per year by providing an alternate routes.

These incredible systems can also assist in fewer repairs and can even be used to reduce you insurance costs.

When you are in the delivery business, you know that delivering the shipment on time is critical. When you install a GPS tracking system in your fleet vehicles, you are basically assuring your customers that their shipment will arrive on time. If there is a detour or delay, you will be able to contact your customer and advise them of it ahead of time, thereby providing excellent customer service.

However, GPS tracking does not only provides great customer service, it will also assist in building your reputation as a dependable carrier and your customers are more likely to refer you to their associates.

There are no disadvantages to using a GPS tracking system for your fleet vehicles; it is simply one strategy that you cannot pass up.

Peter Geisheker is a marketing expert that provides marketing solutions for CyntrX, the leading GPS fleet tracking solutions provider.

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The GPS Revolution

Never heard of GPS? I doubt it. The word has become so well used as the GPS revolution continues unabated. In my opinion GPS is right up there with fire, the wheel, flight, cell phones and ATMS as the most useful inventions. And prices are expected to fall further, by 20% in 2008, according to leading manufacturer Garmin.

A grid of 31 of the nearly 900 active satellites in space are used for the Global Positioning System. They transmit microwaves that allow GPS receivers on the ground to triangulate their location, speed, direction and time. Russia is getting its own new version ready. The second generation of Glonass (Global Navigational Satellite System) already has 14 satellites orbiting earth and it will be operational by 2010 with a further 10 satellites completing coverage of our planet. Like the USA, Glonass was initially used for USSR military reconnaissance but a recent Presidential decree has given civilians full access to its signals.

Shipments of mobile phones with built-in GPS capability are expected to more than quadruple by 2011, according to a report released by research firm iSupply - from 109 million units in 2006 to 444 million units by 2011. By late 2007 GPS leader Garmin had introduced software that teams with a range of gps enabled smartphones to turn them into Garmin navigators useable in North America or Europe. The Garmin Mobile XT offers preloaded maps on a microSD card and includes access to dynamic content like premium real-time traffic alerts and fuel prices, but does not require monthly fees or subscriptions of any kind. It costs only US$99.

Around the same time, phone company Nokia paid $8 billion for map data provider NavTeq, a move that will no doubt spur the growth of cell phone- based GPS systems at the probable expense of portable and vehicle mapping devices. This move followed close on the heels of European car navigation maker, TomTom, paying $2.8 billion for digital mapping company teleAtlas. Like Garmin, Nokia is working on a phone that would allow a user to tag photos with their geographic coordinates, allowing them to position the photos on a map on social networking sites.

Map sites are busy sites. The MapQuest Web site counts 54 million users per month and receives 6,000 emails a week, many commenting on route accuracy. AnyTrack has a 2 ounce gizmo that measures a mere 2.36" by 1.85" by 0.8" which can be used to track cargo. With cargo theft in America totalling some $ 15 billion a year, knowing where your goods are could be a wonderful thing. Whether you see it as good or bad, GPS manufacturers are apparently able to retrieve data from your GPS unit - information like speed, location, time of day etc and give it to authorities if they are forced to. Interesting fodder for court cases.

Bladerunner even has a children's GPS jacket which can be used to keep tabs on their whereabouts on, say, a snowboarding, hiking or biking adventure. Parents can even input the GPS information into Google Earth and track their child's location in real time. You can also "geofence" the device to trigger an alert when the child leaves a certain area the parent has established. Could be useful for older citizens with dimentia problems too. Just have $500 ready as well as $20 a month satellite tracking charge.

In Sydney Australia, 4,000 buses are being equipped (2008) with GPS devices that will link them to city traffic lights. Any bus running late will get priority at traffic lights. Mussolini would have loved that for his trains. Still in Australia and, in a world first, Aussie rules football players have been rigged up with GPS devices that allow their coaches to track how far they run, what speed they run at and the hits they absorb during the game. An Australian drugs researcher raised at an international sports ethics conference in Iceland the idea that athletes could wear a GPS bracelet or watch or carry a GPS phone.The idea was to avoid misunderstandings about missed drug tests as athletes have to provide details of their planned movements to testing authorities up to three months beforehand.

In the UK, you can buy a Satski GPS unit that can create an interactive piste map that can be used to guide, track , and record your movements on the ski slopes. The Satski can also help you find the best slopes for your skill level and help you improve by recording your average and max speeds, distance travelled, and altitude information.

Also in Europe you can buy MirrorPilot which places a small map in your rear view mirror.

The Batwa pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo are using GPS devices when they go into the forest to hunt and gather. They can record the exact location of their hunting grounds, sacred trees and important rivers. Another aim is to stop illegal logging by proving the existence of trees on certain land.

The US Marines are getting 3,000 GPS units for parachutists. Soldiers plummeting towards earth will soon have the advantage of GPS navigation with a Heads Up Display that will help improve landing accuracy and allow for target zones to be easily changed on the fly.

Why NDrive has released a Personal Navigation Device that has an inbuilt breathalyser so you can tell whether you're over the limit or not. Sexually violent predators in Colorado may soon be required to wear global positioning systems as they already are in El Paso County in USA.

A California teenager contested a speeding ticket (but failed) for doing 62mph in a 45mph zone, since a GPS system fitted to his Toyota Celica appeared to show he was actually within the limit.

Police in USA have attached a GPS device to a suspect's car and tracked it to another burglary scene which allowed them to make an arrest. In another American police case, one man has been charged with robbery after he was tracked by a satellite navigation system he had stolen which inadvertently alerted police to his exact whereabouts.

In Japan, moves were being made to equip key defence personnel with GPS enabled phones after one was caught getting too much lavish entertainment from a contractor.

The negatives of this wonderful technology? A man on stalking charges in 2007 apparently attached a GPS device to his victim's car and used a tracking information service to monitor her movements.

Thousands of New York cabbies struck twice in late 2007 because they believed the GPS units mandated by the city for all cabs invaded their privacy. Over in India calls were being made to install GPS in taxis there so women working late in call centres would be safer.

Apparently 100 million cell phones in the USA and another 250 million globally rely on GPS technology for precision timing. Let's hope the GPS system doesnt get jammed or goes down for any reason. The USA looks like relying on its old Loran system (World War Two vintage) ramped up as eLoran to be a backup system for GPS.

Czech lorry drivers as well as British and no doubt other nationalities have been known to throw caution to the wind and slavishly follow their GPS system down incredibly narrow lanes till they get stuck. The idea would be to keep common sense right alongside your GPS unit.

Some people are reporting more dead car batteries because GPS units were left on.

Despite the negatives, GPS is well and truly here to stay with manufacturers claiming we users are asking for more and more uses for the technology. My two favourites have to be the units for blind people that can talk to them and lead them to a nearby bank, coffee shop or other Point Of Interest (POI) and you can use audio guides on your GPS unit to be your personal tour guide as you travel the sights of a city of region - Casanova, the Catalan capital's most stylish hotel, offers guests a hand-held GPS iTour to experience Barcelona's top cultural attractions. Key points of interest, such as Gaudi's Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera as well as the Boqueria market, museums, restaurants and shops, are included in the iTour.

Graham Kelly runs The Best GPS Site at http://www.bestgpssite.com and is a real fan of this technology.

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The Best GPS System - How Do You Figure This Out?

Finding the best GPS system is like buying the perfect car. It's all relative -- to you! The perfect car for me would have to be able to survive two rowdy kids, a dog, sometimes two cats, and a wife who routinely picks up junk (Oh, excuse me, they're called collectibles) on the side of the road. It would have to be roomy and maintenance free. For someone else, the perfect car would only need two seats, a rag top, and be able to do 120 mph easily.

In order to find the best GPS system, you have to first understand what they generally do and what are the usual features, then define what you want it for.

By GPS systems, I'm specifically talking about the after-market car variety. You know, the kind you see perched on people's windshields at the grocery store. I'm not talking about the in dash kind that come with some cars, nor am I considering the hand-held varieties you would take on a long hike. The after-market systems are usually called portable GPS receivers, or systems, and that's what I'll call them here.

Basically, all of these portable GPS receivers do exactly the same thing. They show you where you are on an electronic map, and they tell you how to get where you want to go, be it down the street or somewhere across the country.

All GPS systems work off of the same network of satellites that ring the earth, and most of the portable ones even use the same types of receivers. So, the differences between makes and models are not in how they work or what they do, fundamentally, but in the bells and whistles that come with them.

Virtually all GPS systems come with the following:

• Voice prompts that tell you where to turn
• Touch screen
• Large database of "Points of Interest" (locations of hospitals, ATMs, McDonalds, etc.)
• Choice between 2D "map view" and 3D "bird's eye" views
• Automatic route calculation
• Choice between shortest and fastest routes
• Come preloaded with maps of the 48 states

The main optional features to consider when buying a GPS system are these:

• Does it actually say the names of the street you need to turn on as you approach it?
• Do you need a widescreen version (4.3-inches diagonally as opposed to 3.5-inches)?
• Do you need maps of Canada, Mexico, and/or Europe?
• Does it support Bluetooth technology, which allows you to use your GPS system in conjunction with your cell phone to make hands-free calls? (Which essentially makes it a windshield mounted version of those little ear clips people walk around with.)
• Can you enter multiple routes into the unit and have it calculate the best route to get to all of them? Say you were in an unfamiliar city and you wanted to go to the cleaners, the grocery store, the movies, and a local dentist all on one trip. Could the GPS system calculate the shortest possible route to get to all of these?
• Does it have real-time traffic and weather report capability, and can it use that information to re-route you around traffic jams?
• Can you use your device to listen to music (mp3) or to look at digital pictures?
• How big is the Points of Interest database?

There are a few other features that major manufacturers include. Magellan, for instance, has hooked up with AAA to offer their Tourguide information actually on the GPS itself. Tom Tom has this neat feature where users can make map changes and upload those to Tom Tom's computer database which makes them available for everyone else. And Garmin is coming out with a new unit in 2008 that will learn to recognize your voice so you can enter commands by speaking instead of typing on the touch screen.

So, in order to find the best GPS device for you, you need to first decide which of these optional features are necessary, and which you might like if you can afford it.

You can get a basic GPS system for under $200. The Garmin nuvi 200, for example, has all of the basic features I listed above. It comes preloaded with regional maps (not the entire United States). If you want to spend slightly more, how about the Tom Tom One, 3rd edition, which at the time of these writing (early '08) costs slightly less than $200 at Amazon and comes with real time traffic capability and Tom Tom's MapShare (where you can uploaded changes).

Virtually all of the Magellan Maestro series is currently in the $200 to $400 range. You can get the more basic 3210 for around $250, which has millions of points of interest and, of course, the AAA Tourbook, or you can spend about $100 more and get the 4250, which includes all that the 3210 does and adds Bluetooth, voice recognition, and real-time traffic.

One of the most popular units is the Garmin nuvi 350, which does all the nuvi 200 does, but includes Garmin's "Travel Kit", mp3 capability, picture viewer, world travel clock, calendar, and more.

Deciding can be difficult, but to help out, I've created a website where I've collected all of this information plus links to appropriate pages on Amazon. There you can easily compare makes and models side by side and figure out which is the best GPS system for you. You can get to it from my link below.

Don't put off buying one, though! GPS systems are great. Once you have your first one, you'll wonder how in the world you got along without it.

Lee Cole is a GPS enthusiast who has spent countless hours learning about and using GPS devices. He runs an informative website called http://www.hotgpsdeals.com There you can get more information to help you compare GPS systems.

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Sat Navs - Ensuring Safety

Satellite Navigation systems offer geo-spatial positioning with wide global coverage. Scientifically known as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), it ensures electronic receivers to inform about the longitude, latitude and altitude of the users. It tells you about the exact location where you are standing at that particular time. This is done with the time signals which are generally transmitted by satellite radios. The NAVSTAR Global Positioning System by the United States is the only operational GNSS right now. Russia is also marking its entry in the field with GLONASS. Galileo positioning system is scheduled to be operational by 2010. It is said to be the next generation GNSS by European Union.

The first Sat Nav device was installed by the US defense forces. Earlier, it was mainly used in the military applications but now they are used as car accessories and come pre-loaded with mobile phones. They broadcast the signal that informs about the position of the satellite and at the same time records the time of the transmitted signal. This detail is transmitted in a data format and is applied as code i.e. the time reference. They are now used with great ease and simplicity. Mostly used in cars, they are recognised as personal travel assistants.

They come with user-friendly features like turn-by-turn voice directions and highlighted points of interest, for example, petrol pumps, ATMs and restaurants. To avoid any error related to position, time and velocity, the satellite navigation receivers use Kalman filtering techniques. The sat Nav enabled devices are advantageous. They are used for varied navigational purposes like searching, surveying and in the field of geophysical sciences. Different well known brands such as Road Angel, Garmin and TomTom have introduced latest sat Nav gadgets with customer-friendly menus; wide touch screens and safety camera locations. These devices are helping in precise mapping of locations.

Raina Kelsey is an expert author, and writes about latest gadgets.
Sat Nav Devices
TomTom Go 720
Garmin Nuvi 300

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Samsung E900 - Experience The Miracle of Music on Handset

The Samsung E900 camera phone coming with a smooth slide opening mechanism succeeds in grabbing the hearts of beauty loving users with its attractive features. The mobile phone, with stunning touch sensitive keys, has a large 262,000 colour display that could be viewed when the handset is in the slide-closed position. The mobile phone has a screen resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and is capable of providing the user with a high definition display. The E900 model handset comes with a measurement of 93 x 45 x 16.5 mm and weight of 96 grams that makes it light weight handset that is easy and comfortable for the use to hold in hand and slip into pocket. This user friendly handset comes in a choice of colours including black, silver and gold and has a casing that never fails to attract the eyes.

The Samsung E900 model handset has an internal memory of 80 Mbytes that could be extended by using the swappable MicroSD™ memory card feature. The mobile phone comes with a built-in Bluetooth® connection that makes it easy to connect to any Bluetooth® compatible device. This also provides the user with a wirefree connection. The EDGE technology guaranteed easy transfer of data and makes the downloading three times faster than GPRS.

This model mobile phone from Samsung comes with a 2 megapixel digital camera with a built-in flash technology that ensures the uses of perfect photographic experience. The mobile phone has 80 Mbytes of memory that allows the user to record upto one hour worth of video recording which could be viewed later. & store it for a later viewing. The E900 model handset is an excellent music phone that assures the users of excellent music experience on the handset. This model is capable of playing a MP3, ACC, ACC+, WMA tracks making it really a gift for the music lovers.

Jack Daniel is an expert author and the webmaster of Mobile Phone News. The website having details of Internet Phones and Samsung E900.

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Handheld Portable GPS

A handheld portable GPS unit is not really what you think it is. In GPS terminology a handheld GPS and a portable GPS are 2 different things. A handheld GPS is a small handheld device like a radio, or a wristwatch with GPS technology. A portable GPS is a unit that you can move from vehicle to vehicle if you do a lot of traveling. Portable meaning it is not permanently mounted in a certain vehicle. That way you won't get lost no matter what city you are in.

Handheld GPS receivers are now available in small units that can fit into your pocket. These units are used by skiers, bikers, hikers, and cross country enthusiasts to track progress, map return routes, save routes for later travel, and many other applications. One of the newest past times of handheld GPS users is geocaching. Geocaching is a treasure hunt using GPS to find and hide treasure containers with others. 21st century treasure hunting. Isn't that cool.

Although these units can be fun, they are also very handy in an emergency. Using Global Positioning System technology you can pinpoint your location in case of an accident, or if you get lost in the wilderness. And they fit easily in a backpack or pocket.

As with any electronic instrument these units are available with many different features. These features include: Map database; Voice activated GPS; WAAS technology, Reflection-less screen; Theft prevention functions; an option for personalized screen icons; and MP3 capability. However a unit around $100 will give you everything you need to do some hiking or backpacking and find your way home.

Different models will vary according to the GPS software and database installed. To facilitate the enjoyment of the interactive GPS unit, all the models have the basic instructions on the display screen. Most handheld GPS models come with instructions that will enable you to hear the information put out as well as read it on the screen.

Personal choice will determine which handheld GPS receiver you choose. Your choice will depend on the type of software and mapping programs that suit your requirements. Also the receiver's size, weight, and choice of internal or external antenna are things that will matter to you. It will depend on what will fit your requirements and your budget. Most units are waterproof or water-resistant and many are shock resistant in case it gets dropped.

These units will provide you with excellent basic GPS navigation whether you are in a car, on a motorcycle, or on foot.

Wayne MacLean is an avid hiker, snowshoeing enthusiast, and loves the outdoors. He is a writer for both online and offline businesses.

http://www.best-gps-info.com/handheld-portable-gps.html

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