Thinking of taking a trip to the Midwest? Dude Ranch probably? Or in the Sequoia forest? Among other things you’ve packed, you’ll need to see if you’ve packed your GPS device. With the pace at which technology is developing and time is ticking, only a handful of people don’t know what a GPS device is. GPS is short for Global Positioning System and helps you locate your position in the world. If you’ve come across Google Maps or Google Earth, you know that it gives you a satellite view of the entire planet, or well, most of the planet. A GPS is kind of like that, except it gives you a near-precise position of where you are. This precise location helps you understand nearby landmarks and track your way to the nearest highway or motel; Simply put, it doesn’t let you get lost.
Obviously you will have the question: how do these amazing and cool devices work? First of all, you will have to realize that the device in your hand communicates with satellites. Your position on the globe is calculated by precisely timing the signals sent by satellites above the Earth. Normally, the signal that is exchanged between the GPS device and the satellites contains information about the time the signal was sent and information from the satellite’s almanac. If you have studied Basic Mathematics 101, you will know that to calculate the position of a point in space, the distance of the point from three different points in space is necessary. Well, this concept is something like that. It simultaneously locates three satellites near you and sends signals. Based on the time it takes to reach each satellite and back, it calculates an accurate position of where the GPS device is located. Once the position is calculated, it is quite easy to manipulate the way it is displayed on the screen. If you add the flash screen of the Earth and draw the map on it with latitude and longitude markings, you get a phenomenally good presentation. Four satellites are generally more accurate than three, but even three points in space can be done.
If you want to buy a GPS, you will have to consider the reason why you buy it. There are different types of GPS devices used for different purposes, of which the most common are car GPS devices and handheld devices. It’s really hard to find a new car nowadays that doesn’t come with a GPS device. Efficient as it is, it tells you where you are at each point on the road throughout your road trip. They draw power from the car for their operation and have an excellent degree of precision. Portable GPS devices are handheld devices and require an external power source to function. While a fixed GPS cannot be moved if you want to change cars, the portable GPS can be moved. Both devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but it’s obvious that the size of the handheld device isn’t limited by the need to fit on the car’s windshield and dashboard. A portable GPS device can be a stand-alone device or the map tracking mode can be built into mobile phones, PDAs, and car tracking devices.
GPS navigators are devices that use the concept of GPS to allow the traveler to find places. For any particular location, GPS navigators have the latitude and longitude while also calculating the altitude of the location. The accuracy of these devices is par excellence and you can fully rely on the GPS navigator to guide you on the right path. You will find that GPS Navigator uses a graphical interface to provide you with information that can be read and better understood. If you have a car GPS, you may even have voice recordings that give you directions to a particular location. It usually answers all of your questions about where you are, which roads you need to take to get to your destination, the shortest or best route in case of traffic blockage, and even restaurants and gas stations. They work pretty much the same way as a regular GPS, except they communicate many more times in a given period of time.
If you ever get lost in another city or on the highway and try to find your way to the nearest motel, the GPS navigator will save your life. Bike trips, motorcycle trips, and even cross-country motocross launches require you to have a GPS with you at all times. The fact that you decide how expensive your GPS device is going to be is a driving agent for you to get one. It starts from around $50 for the basic version and ranges from $150 to $300 for a more accurate and mid-sized device, while more expensive devices priced at $1000 could have a multitude of other features.
Completely different from the ubiquitous GPS devices is the data logger. It uses the same satellite positions to record the movement of a particular GPS device, not necessarily at the same location as the data logger. It captures every movement of the device and logs it to your drive so it can be connected to a computer for further analysis. GPS tracking is a similar concept and features different tracking modes: single and continuous tracking. Single tracking takes place at regular time intervals and provides the position of the device over a period of time. Continuous tracking is more efficient in the sense that it communicates frequently with the satellite to give an accurate position of the device. If you are a spy, you definitely have to opt for the continuous tracking device to locate the arch-villain’s position.
You will find that GPS data loggers and trackers find applications in many fields. The most common application is car tracking device; A small electronic chip is placed inside cars that allows you to track the position of your car when it is stolen. The same concept has also been extrapolated to mobile phones. If you look at National Geographic, you’ll find that they use little electronic chips and put them in the legs of migratory birds so that a pattern can be established as to their annual migration pattern.
Maps and globes are a thing of the past; plus, you’ll spend about twenty minutes pinpointing your location before you can begin plotting a path to the nearest gas station or highway. They use state-of-the-art technology; Before, they were only used by the military, but the fact that they are available to the masses makes it all the more impressive. Who wouldn’t want to use military technology? The first thing to do if you want to have one of these babies is to visit a department store like Wal-Mart and Target to see the different brands available, and then decide on their affordability. Alternatively, you can also choose to order it online.
