You know those maps you see at shopping malls and site seeing areas that have that red dot – “You Are Here”. That’s kind of what a GPS is, except it moves with you wherever in the world you are. It’s not restricted to a building or event area. In addition, it helps you find where you want to go. You just tell it the location you want to find and it gives you directions to get there. Newer models will guide you audibly, tell you nearby attractions, restaurants and gas stations and get you back on track when you turn the wrong way.
GPS, or Global Positioning System, is made up of a series of 28 orbiting satellites. It was originally developed by the military, but has spread to consumer use. If you have a GPS unit, it receives satellite signals that help it to determine your location. Consumer GPS units are accurate within few yards or meters, but the military and government models are even more accurate. Your GPS unit can give you instructions to another location if software for mapping is installed, which most for consumer use do.
GPS units can come as standard or extra equipment on new cars. They are available in many rental cars, usually for an extra fee. GPS mapping software for street use is the most common consumer usage today. If your primary purpose in seeking a GPS unit is so you can get from one place to another via a reliable navigation system, this is the type for you. Your dealer can build them in or you can purchase one that will attach to your dashboard. Some available features you may want to consider are voice directions, detailed included maps for your area and any area you know you’ll travel, rerouting when you get lost or detours force changes to the GPS-suggested route and a points of interest database.
The GPS is most commonly found for car use, but that’s not the only type you can get. Think about how you might use your GPS. Perhaps you may need your GPS outside of your vehicle. Handheld GPS units are great for hikers, bikers and sportsmen. There are plenty of GPS units geared toward to outdoors person. Features you may need in these include lightweight, rugged, waterproof, long battery life, tracking (so you can tell where you’ve been), speed and distance measuring and even built in radios and party locators.
Marine GPS’s help you find the fish! If you’re an avid fisherman, this is the type of GPS you’ll want. These are designed to be on the water and are all waterproofed. Look for a bright screen that will be easy to read in the sun. You can get them with water and shore mapping, fish hotspots and sonar. You can get marine GPS units that double as car navigation units, as well.
PDA’s, or Personal Data Assistants, are starting to be bundled together with GPS’s. Most of these are limited at this time, but they will improve as more people are attracted to this combination. For now, it’s recommended to buy your PDA and GPS separately.
There are also GPS’s designed specifically for airplane pilots. If you’re a private or commercial pilot, you already know about these. They give mapping based on what can be seen from the air.
No matter what kind of unit you need, there is one with the features you’re looking for. Your GPS will be a continued source of accurate and helpful information and even a great deal of fun!
By: Michael Russell
Posts Tagged ‘Gps Software’
You, Too, Can Be a GPS Geek
March 4th, 2010Pocket PC GPS, Tracking the Details
November 19th, 2009
The increased availability of pocket PC’s that run on a windows platform have allowed easy access to the Internet no matter where you are. The term pocket PC, PPC and Win CE are used together to describe the various new hardware devices that use the Windows mobile software to access the Internet. Many of these new devices have GPS capability which further adds to their function. Pocket PC GPS units and software give the user a wide range of applications to meet just about anyone’s needs.
Mapping capability within pocket pc GPS devices comes in several different formats. Probably the most desired format is called moving map with voice guidance. Many people are familiar with this type of GPS mapping as it is identical to that found in most automotive GPS systems that are used in motor vehicles. Included in these software packages are auto routing with detailed street mapping. In addition you can also find downloads for detailed topographic maps as well. Non voice guidance capable software is also available at a much lower price.
Marine and Aviation mapping capabilities are also available that include aircraft and boat performance features including altitude, crosswind calculations and horizontal situation indicators. In addition these pocket pc GPS units also allow you to do detailed flight and nautical trip planning. Many of the software packages that work in pocket pc’s will work in Garmin format for easily uploading and downloading waypoints. In addition Memory-Map software will work with Magellan GPS software.
Pocket pc GPS devices that have the new SiRF chipsets in them will be able to work faster and within less than ideal environments. Tall buildings, deep canyons and heavy canopy tree cover has been a problem with older GPS receivers. The new SiRF technology has greatly increased the effectiveness of all GPS units especially those that do not have a dedicated antennae like pocket pc’s
GIS software is also available to pocket pc users. This geographical information system data base information is great for providing not only location information but cultural, political and infrastructure data. This data is provided in map overlays each with specific information that the user can use in making planning decisions.
Having a pocket pc GPS on hand gives the user a powerful and diverse tool. No matter what the user’s location critical planning and operational information is always at hand. All of which making an investment into a quality pocket pc GPS system very cost affective.
By: Jim Kesel
