It seems like the hot item for this holiday season is a GPS. These items have been quite popular for years, especially in aviation. The reason why they are so popular is because they are reliable. No matter where you are in the world the GPS will be able to pick up your location via satellite and by searching the maps it has the GPS is able to direct you step by step to your final destination. Pilots find this especially helpful when they are in the air and need to reach a specific location. If the instruments on board were to go out a Garmin Avionics GPS could save the day and allow the pilot to arrive and land with no passenger ever being the wiser. Every pilot has it or another brand of GPS to help them out regardless of whether they are flying for pleasure or work. The reason why that is the GPS has so much to offer.
First of all, a GPS is capable of locating you on a map and taking you where you need to go. It is also able to give you up to date information on the weather you may be flying or driving into, which is crucial if you are focused on safety and a fast arrival. Knowing where the bad weather is just might allow you to go around it, saving time and frustration. Another benefit of is that it can give you up to date traffic information. This is really good because if you are trying to reach your destination by a certain time and see there is a bad wreck up ahead then you can easily take an alternate route and still arrive on time. It is really amazing at how wonderful a it really is and how it manages to get you from point A to point B and alert you to weather and road conditions.
Once you are finally on the ground or out of the car the GPS can help you find restaurants, points of interest, and much more. This is really great because if you are in an area where you do not know the directions to a particular destination or if you are looking for a particular restaurant then the GPS can help you find it. A GPS makes life easy when you are on the road, whether flying or driving, and that is why the GPS equipment is so popular.
By: Caitlina Fuller
Posts Tagged ‘Final Destination’
Why are GPS’s so Popular?
March 11th, 2010GPS Auto Tracker – Definition of GPS Systems
October 22nd, 2009
Before the arrival of the General Positioning System (GPS) technology, having a trip was certainly the most daunting experience in our life. For instance, it was perfectly acceptable to see a situation where someone was driving his car, another one was looking at the map to find the right direction, quite funny! Nowadays, this situation is obsolete and ridiculous for GPS systems have drastically changed the way we used to deal with route finding during a trip. Indeed by just installing a GPS device in your car, you can accurately and safely get the right direction.
Usually when someone mentions GPS, he is referring to the GPS receiver even if the GPS architecture is actually more complex than this small device installed in your car. In short, GPS systems are a cohort of 27 satellites rolling around the center of the Earth. Only 24 satellites are fully functional while the remaining ones are just used for storage purposes. The military industry pioneered the technology before being used for general purpose by the public.
Each GPS satellite powered by the Sun rotates around the center of the Earth completes a distance of about 12,000 miles which is equal to 19,300 kilometers. The actual trajectories of these satellites are made so that at least four satellites are available in the space at any time. The GPS receiver is responsible of finding these available satellites, working out its distance to these satellites and finding its position. This process makes use of a mathematical model called trilateration.
The GPS signals are hindered by weather conditions. Nowadays, there are many research projects aiming at finding ways around this issue in order to increase the correctness of GPS systems. Having located the satellites, the triliteration is used to work out its distance and reduce these errors.
Briefly speaking, GPS systems are used for several purposes mainly as guiding aid. The user simply needs to input his final destination and the GPS receiver will do the rest of the job. GPS systems can also be used for tracking purposed as it is noticed in the automobile industry.
The GPS technology is also used for many other purposes. For instance, in the automobile industry, GPS systems are used to deter car thieves. Private investigators are also making use of the GPS technology in order to monitor a cheating wife. The GPS technology is also extensively used in the military industry as it was pioneered by the army. Some military usages include navigation, target tracking, missile and weapon guidance, search and rescue lost soldiers and acknowledgement and map creation. The possibility to keep track of a vehicle position every time is an appealing feature of the GPS technology. Other systems can furthermore keep track of a driver. This feature is of great help to anxious parents who are concerned about their children’s ability to safely drive.
Another use of the GPS for civilian purpose is to help prevent civilian GPS guidance from being used in an enemy’s military or improvised weaponry, the US Government controls the export of civilian receivers. A US-based manufacturer cannot generally export a GPS receiver unless the receiver contains limits restricting it from functioning when it is simultaneously at an altitude above 18 kilometers and traveling at over 515 m/s.
By: John B Mayall
