Marine GPS systems have become most boaters’ best friend. Depending on the reasons you need GPS Navigation, they can make it easy to find your way back to shore in unknown waters, navigate at night, and find large fish or avoid debris. History of Marine GPS: While it wasn’t that long ago that boaters or mariners consulted star charts and latitude/longitude numbers to figure out their way back to land, Marine GPS navigation changed the need for the inaccurate tracking system that some could not figure out. GPS or global positioning systems came into vogue after the launch of satellites that could send a signal of latitude and longitude locations to figure exactly where anything was back on Earth.
This principal has been used in fishing sonars and marine GPS systems, that use anywhere from 12 to 24 satellites to figure out positioning. Why Using Marine GPS Navigation Systems? The answer is simple, it is more accurate, less hassle than previous methods to find out where you are on the open sea or any body of water for that matter. Also, the most important reason is for safety. Not only can it keep you from getting lost, but you can chart ways around tropical storms at sea, or alternate routes, for whatever reason.
The Future of Marine GPS: These GPS systems continue to get more sophisticated, and come in hand-held models, all the way up to marine GPS navigation lap top computers. Depending on the functions you want, you can find a marine GPS that can do whatever you want it to, when it comes to navigation, topography in foreign water bodies, or take it hiking and camping with you, if it is a hand-held portable marine GPS. Some of the larger cruisers and yachts use it to “auto-pilot” a ship, and navigate back to port in the dark of night. Advice On
Buying a Marine GPS: Be sure and research all of the models and functions for the type of Marine GPS navigation you are going to be doing. In other words, certain factors, like whether it will be for river fishing or ocean adventures can determine the model you need and the number of functions. If you are looking for a fish finder, you may not need an expensive Marine GPS system with all kinds of bells and whistles. Commercial fishermen, for example, would need them to not only get them back to shore, avoid the paths of storms, and find fish, but might need alarms for shallow reefs or other alarms where a normal recreational fisherman might not need these features.
Marine GPS navigation systems have gotten to be almost a requirement for all types of water navigation, and finding a marine GPS unit is easy at retailers, but especially online, where the choices are unlimited. As more manufacturers have gotten into the GPS systems, even cell phones are GPS capable now. It’s all a matter of the number of functions you need for what you are going to be doing, when it comes to marine GPS navigation.
By: Alexis Kenne
Posts Tagged ‘Gps Navigation Systems’
Marine GPS
December 21st, 2009Posted in Article
Tags: Alternate Routes Auto Pilot Global Positioning Systems Gps Marine Gps Navigation Systems Gps Systems Lap Top Computers Latitude And Longitude Latitude And Longitude Locations Latitude Longitude Launch Longitude Numbers Marine Gps Ocean Adventures Open Sea River Fishing Sonars Star Charts Storms At Sea Tropical Storms
Using GPS Auto Tracker Technology
October 12th, 2009
If you are a fleet manager for a corporation or a small business that that has delivery or service vehicles on the road each day then GPS Auto tracker technology applied correctly will save you money every day. Ever wonder why one vehicle has almost twice the miles and maintenance costs of the average vehicle in your fleet? How about a particular delivery route whose driver takes longer and has more employee overtime than then it probably should. In each case these situations are costing you money in terms of fuel efficiency, overtime and maintenance costs. So how can I better manage my transportation costs?
The answer to your questions may come from using GPS auto tracker technology. Basically there are two types of GPS tracking technology on the market today. One is commonly known as passive or logger and it has been around the longest. Passive tracking units are placed in or on a vehicle and as the vehicle travels on its route the information is logged on the unit. It basically works just like the GPS navigation systems that are so popular with the public these days. However unlike your cars navigation system GPS tracking units, Logger GPS devices record the information on to a data base. To access the information the unit must be retrieved from the vehicle and downloaded to a computer for viewing. Logging units are relatively inexpensive and are available in very small sizes that are easy to hide. They do a very good job of telling you exactly where your vehicles have been, their speed and stopped time. The problems is that the information is not in real time and you have to assign someone to collect the units and download the data then return the units to their assigned vehicles. On the positive side you have total control and access to your tracking information.
Real time GPS tracker technology is a great alternative to logging systems. Just as the name implies the information provided is relative” live” and can be view as the vehicles travel on their routes. If you are a fleet manager this has far reaching advantages. Real time GPS units use existing cell phone technology to upload the data from the vehicles tracking device to a GPS auto tracking service provider. The provider then sends the current information to your office to be viewed on a computer. Depending on the plan you have subscribed to uploaded data is updated at different time intervals. Basically the more frequent the information the more costly the service. Businesses with delivery services that also do pickups frequently ask for tracking information to be updated every 5 minutes while fleet managers that manage cross country transport only need tracking information every 30 minutes.
As a business owner or fleet manager you can quickly see the advantages to the system. Remember the vehicle that had high costs and maintenance, well the driver was using the truck for his own after hours business. The route driver that was taking so much time to complete his route and was accumulating lots of over time was spending his afternoons parked at his house. These types of problems although rare can cost business lots of money over a year. Additional advantages come in the form of dispatch efficiency. The dispatcher has a map on his or her laptop with the location of every company vehicle. If a pickup of a part or customer return pickup needs to be made, a quick look at the map will tell you what vehicle can best make the stop. It will not take long for the data to tell you how to better set up your daily delivery routes so as to save fuel and time.
On the down side the service provider has control of your fleet information including where your customers are located. A good GPS tracking service company will do a very good job of safe guarding your information but just like anything else kept in computer data bases there is a real risk to your business. It is very important to carefully select your service company and get to know them in detail. In addition if your service provider does not provide tracking devices you will find that real time GPS auto tracker devices cost more than the older logger units.
GPS auto tracker technology is a great tool for business transportation managers. Over time you will save fuel, maintenance and employee costs that will more than pay for the cost of the GPS auto tracking devices and service fees as well increase your company’s bottom line.
By: Jim Kesel
Posted in Article
Tags: Cars Data Base Delivery Route Fleet Manager Fuel Efficiency Good Job Gps Devices Gps Navigation Systems Gps Technology Information Technology Logging Systems Logging Units Maintenance Costs Navigation System Overtime Real Time Service Vehicles Small Business Time Gps Tracking Technology
