Auto GPS » Gps Unit http://www.yorkshireatv.org Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:54:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 How GPS Receivers Work http://www.yorkshireatv.org/how-gps-receivers-work.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/how-gps-receivers-work.html#comments Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:36:30 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/how-gps-receivers-work.html

It seems that almost everyone has heard of GPS (Global Positioning System) in one form or another. The most well known GPS device is the car navigation system that shows and tells the driver through voice commands how to get to their desired pre-programmed destination. But if you’re wondering how these little technological wonders work then you’ve come to the right place.

A GPS receiver is an electronic device that uses the Global Positioning System to determine its exact location on earth with pin-point accuracy. This system is made up of the three parts; 27 satellites that send out continuous positioning signals, ground stations around the world that help synchronize the satellites, and various types of GPS receivers.

In this article we’re going to concentrate on how a GPS receiver works within this system since it’s the piece of the GPS puzzle that keeps you from getting lost. Its main function is to calculate its position on the earth using the signals that it receives from the satellite system.

To do this the receiver needs to lock onto the signals of at least 3 satellites. Once 3 or more satellites have been detected it then needs to determine the distance between the satellites and the distance between itself and each satellite. It then uses the basic math principles of triangulation or trilateration to compute its location on the earth’s surface.

The signals a GPS receiver uses to figure its location are radio signals transmitted by the satellites. These radio signals have three bits of information embedded in them; ephemeris data, almanac data, and a pseudorandom code. Using this information the GPS unit is able to triangulate its position and report that back to its user.

Accuracy is another question many first time users wonder about. The good news is GPS receivers are very accurate with the ability to pin-point your location to within a radius of 20 meters. There are ways to increase accuracy through the use of DGPS (Differential GPS) and WAAS (Wide Are Augmentation System) which can get within 3 meters of accuracy. Units with these two features normally cost more but the increase in accuracy can be well worth the cost.

There are many factors that can and do affect how accurately a GPS unit reports its position. These include:

1. The number of visible satellites
2. Signal delays caused as they pass through the earths atmosphere
3. Signals bouncing off of objects
4. Inaccurate clock in the GPS unit
5. Ephemeris errors
6. Satellites in poor positions
7. Satellite signals that are blocked because of terrain or manmade features

GPS is a great technology that has found its way into many everyday applications. Depending on your needs for keeping track of where you are there is sure to be a GPS receiver that fits the bill.

By: Andrew Bicknell

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/how-gps-receivers-work.html/feed 0 Garmin Rino 520 Handheld GPS – Review http://www.yorkshireatv.org/garmin-rino-520-handheld-gps-review.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/garmin-rino-520-handheld-gps-review.html#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:27:39 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/garmin-rino-520-handheld-gps-review.html

Have any of these things every happened to you?

* You are on a hike trip and you have lost a friend. Storm clouds are looming and they are nowhere to be found.

* You have taken your family on an outing at an amusement park. It is closing time but you can’t find one person.

* You are on the boat and you want to make sure you are going in the right direction, whether its north, south, east or west.

Garmin’s RINO 520 portable GPS navigator can solve all of those problems. These two-way radio systems are equipped with a GPS navigator that can help you find your way and lead your group as well. The patented GPS receiver allows other members of your party to tell you where they are as well as showing them your location.

One of the best features on the RINO 520 is its display. With bold colors, it is easy to see and interpret. You will never need to look at a large map from an atlas again after using the RINO 520. Garmin’s Rino 520 handheld GPS units not only have built-in base maps of North and South America, but you can choose optional City Select software. These can be adapted to almost any trip, hike or boating excursion you plan to take. This GPS navigator unit allows you to customize your route, complete with turn-by-turn directions and alert tones. No more getting lost on the trails or at sea. If you are just on a sight-seeing trip, the RINO 520 makes finding a hotel or restaurant that his nearby easy. This GPS navigator unit can map points of interest along your route

If the sea is your passion, this portable GPS unit can be customized with Garmin’s exclusive optional cartography that includes the fishing hot spots on recreational lakes in the United States. The built-in calendar can show you the best fishing times. If you like to hunt, this portable GPS unit can also tell you the best hunting times for snaring your prey.

What are some of the other outstanding features of the RINO 520? The RINO 520 unit has 56 megabytes of internal memory so that you can quickly download personalized maps for your use onto your portable GPS. The two-way radio has five watts of power, allowing you to contact help from as far away as 14 miles. The portable GPS unit has a WAAS enabled, 12 parallel GPS receiver. It has a bright color display and a rechargeable battery that can last up to 16 hours. Priced at about $482, Garmin’s RINO 520 is one of the best buys of portable GPS systems on the market.

By: Catherine Tower

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/garmin-rino-520-handheld-gps-review.html/feed 0 GPS Buyer’s Guide http://www.yorkshireatv.org/gps-buyers-guide.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/gps-buyers-guide.html#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:45:39 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/gps-buyers-guide.html

For drivers in North America who are tired of staring at maps and pulling into gas stations to get directions the new technology of GPS may be the answer. GPS or Global Positioning Systems are an inexpensive and reliable way of finding your exact position on the globe at any given time. For the driver this can mean never having to look a road map again. This is a brief introduction to the major brands of GPS units and some information about each.

Garmin offers two different types of GPS units and many models for each type. The larger of the two the Streetpilot is meant to be mounted in your car and provides street to street directions map and much more useful information during you trip. Some of the more recent models of the Streetpilot offer voicecapabilities and will vocally give a driver directions. The Quest offer many of the same features as the Streetpilot but it comes in a smaller handheld size and is battery powered. The Quest may be a better option if you often find your self leaving the car behind and need directions on foot.

Magellan is one of the oldest consumer level GPS manufacturers and they are still one of the finest. The Roadmates line of GPS units have been around for a while and the newest models are still in competition for the highest in quality. The newest models of Roadmates provide turn by turn directions to your destination with its internal speaker. This line of GPS units are powered by the cars cigarette lighter and mounts easily to most automobiles. The Roadmate 800 provides color 3-D maps on its 3” screen.

The newest brand of GPS unit comes from Tom-Tom. The Tom-Tom Go700 provides directions on it’s 3.5” screen which gives its display in 3-D. The Go700 can give vocal directions in dozens of languages. The most interesting feature about this unit is it’s Bluetooth capability allowing it to connect to cell phones to give weather, traffic and road conditions for your trip.

By: David Stone

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/gps-buyers-guide.html/feed 0 Buying Your First GPS http://www.yorkshireatv.org/buying-your-first-gps.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/buying-your-first-gps.html#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:25:49 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/buying-your-first-gps.html

It seems like just about everyone has a GPS these days, everyone but you!  If you are interested in buying your first GPS you may find that the market is a bit intimidating.  There are a lot of really great products out there and you just may not be sure of what you need or even what you want!  Long gone are the days of the paper maps, now you can have your very own machine tell you how to get from point A to point B with relative ease!

Shopping for Your GPS

One of the first things you will notice when you start shopping for your GPS is the wide range in prices.  Today you can find models that start right around $100 and yet there are other models that cost $700 or more!  Which one is the right one for you, and how will you know it when you see it?

Which GPS is right for you really depends on what you will be using it for.  If you are looking for a GPS that will help guide you on short trips or will help get you around town occasionally you probably don’t need anything in the $700 range, in fact you will generally find that the units in the $200 to $300 range are suitable for you.  The point is, if you are not going to be taking long trips or using the system every day, a more expensive system won’t pay for itself.

If you work in sales or if you work with the deliveries of products you may need to get a GPS unit that is a bit more costly.  The reason is that the more costly units are able to help you with intricate directions and will provide a screen that will help you get from your starting point to your destination without any hiccups.

When you start comparing the features of each of the GPS units you will soon find that you are attracted to a certain quality unit.  Be sure to ask yourself if the amount of use that you will get out of the unit justifies its cost, if not you can probably scale back again and still get a really great product.  When shopping, be sure that you do shop around as prices can vary from retailer to retailer and your goal should always be to get the very best product for the most affordable price.

By: Heather Jacobson

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/buying-your-first-gps.html/feed 0 Hit The Road With A Garmin GPS http://www.yorkshireatv.org/hit-the-road-with-a-garmin-gps.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/hit-the-road-with-a-garmin-gps.html#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:42:51 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/hit-the-road-with-a-garmin-gps.html

Garmin is one of the top manufacturers of global positioning systems in the United States. They offer a host of products from GPS navigational product for cars, boats and motorcycles to aviation and boats. There goal is to enrich the lives of their customers through the products of navigational equipment.

Beginning with GPS units for vehicles, Garmin began using the power of the 24 satellites circling 12,000 feet above us back in 1989 when the company started making GPS navigational systems for people and their cars. Today they are making the same product, only better. Garmin has kept up with the times and increase their products as the times called for them. Today they offer the vehicle GPS navigational unit, as well as the GPS for boats and airplanes and hikers and bicycle enthusiasts.

Garmin makes a remarkable assortment of GPS navigational units for every kind of moving vehicle and person. Today they put GPS navigation equipment in personal assistant machines which is a small travel aide; a cell phone and your computer. With the personal assistant, you can download your destination and the personal assistant will ‘walk’ you to your destination or as you are driving, give you turn-by-turn directions to get to where you are going. The cell phone is similar in that you download your information and the voice will guide you to your destination using a map of where you are now and an arrow following you as you walk to where you would like to be. And lastly we have the computer or laptop which can be used as a GPS navigational system by itself after you have downloaded the information.

Other Garmin GPS units include those for aviation use complete with longitude and altitude and the same is programmed into the marine GPS units. Some of these units are portable and can help you get around the city or town without your car and help you find restaurants, places of interest (POI) such as parks or ATM machines; they can also help you find an address you’ve never been to before. Besides aviation use, Garmin makes GPS units for marine usage as well. Being able to see the bottom of the lake or river or ocean in clear form is something fishermen have been waiting a long time for. Now they can tell a fish from a rock and discover where all the fish hang out and with the routing feature on the GPS, keep going back to the same spot over and over again.

Garmin GPS units can be found through their website or on other websites throughout the Internet. They can also be purchased at electronic stores and large discount stores for cheaper than the official website address has them. Discounted Garmin’s would be found on the Internet, be buyer beware, sometimes people are selling ‘refurbished’ or ‘reconditioned’ Garmin GPS units and if that is not what you want, you should ask if it is a new unit or ‘re – done’ unit.

By: Charlie Lee

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/hit-the-road-with-a-garmin-gps.html/feed 0 Motorrad Navigator II GPS Navigation System http://www.yorkshireatv.org/motorrad-navigator-ii-gps-navigation-system.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/motorrad-navigator-ii-gps-navigation-system.html#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:23:21 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/motorrad-navigator-ii-gps-navigation-system.html

Owners of BMW motorcycles have a new technology available to them to provide up to the minute directions and navigation throughout all of Europe. BMW’s latest GPS unit for their motorcycles is a huge step up from their previous model. This model features an upgraded memory chip, up to 2 GB from 512 MB. The model also comes with a road map covering all of Eastern Europe installed right out of the box. This is a great feature because prior to this model you would have to take the unit to your pc and download the appropriate maps onto the unit. With this model you simple have to mount the unit to your motorcycle and attach the battery cable and you are ready to take off on the road.

Riders will find the new touch screen a vast improvement over the previous model and it has been retuned for easier use with gloved hands. The unit has been rated for use in snow and in rain, and against extreme heat and cold. The units increased memory and processors allow for virtually instantaneous updates of information and position. As with the previous model it still provides the rider with elapsed time, estimated time to destination, current speed, average speed and top speed. This models positioning is extremely accurate as it pulls information from twelve different satellites when coordinating your position. Most GPS units only use the information of four satellites and this gives the BMW model a greater advantage at calculating your exact position on the globe.

As for drivers or riders of non-BMW bikes, this unit can be used with any vehicle or motorcycle and will require minimal mounting and wiring. For an automobile it comes equipped with a cigarette lighter plug and can be mounted fairly easily to most vehicles. Pedestrians can also use this unit with its battery powered option. This product is available at all BMW dealerships and online at the BMW website.

By: David Stone

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/motorrad-navigator-ii-gps-navigation-system.html/feed 0 Motorcycle GPS Makes For Better Travels http://www.yorkshireatv.org/motorcycle-gps-makes-for-better-travels.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/motorcycle-gps-makes-for-better-travels.html#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:20:25 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/motorcycle-gps-makes-for-better-travels.html

If you have ever traveled on a motorcycle across country you know what the hassles can be associated with it. It can be a drag having to stop ever so often to find the correct route. Most of the time you will have to pull over on the highway and with traffic flying by it is really hard to read a map sometimes. This is why getting a GPS unit for your motorcycle is something you really should consider. It will make traveling a lot easier as you will be able to have more time to enjoy your ride instead of having to worry about which turn to make all the time. Let us look a little closer at GPS on motorcycles and how it can actually help you.

Over the years many different companies have come out with Motorcycle GPS, but none have worked very well until the Zumo550. This portable GPS unit is from Garmin and has many great features that will make traveling so much easier. It is very easy to operate and has all the features anybody who rides a motorcycle would ever need. You also get the Garmin name, which is the industry leader as far as GPS technology is concerned. Turn by turn navigation is something you will like from this unit as well as touch display and easy accessible controls make your traveling much easier than ever before. This is a very solid performer that will last you for years. Let’s look at how it will make life easier for you as you’re on the road as well.

One of the hardest things to do when you’re driving a motorcycle is to watch everything around you. With traffic and other obstacles that could be fatal you must stay very alert and this usually causes you to miss an exit and makes traveling much tougher than ever before. This is where a motorcycle GPS unit can really make things much easier. With turn-by-turn navigation you will be able to see what exit you need before you get right upon it. You will have much more time to react and in the end you will be much safer as you will not be weaving in and out of traffic because you will know exactly where you need to be.

Most of the newer motorcycle GPS units have a fuel monitor on them which means it will give you a warning when you are getting low on fuel so you will know exactly when it is time to fuel up. Now finding a gas station especially out on the road can be tough sometimes, but with GPS technology that will not be a problem either. With a touch of a button you will be able to pull up the points of interest database. This database will have a list of gas stations and exactly what exit they are on and how many miles away from you. This takes all the guesswork out and makes sure you never run out of fuel.

Motorcycle GPS will also make traveling on your motorcycle much more fun as well. No more worrying about how to get somewhere or how many more miles to go. It will all be right at your fingertips. This is why getting a GPS system for your bike could be the best investment you ever make. The hours that a unit of this type will save you is immeasurable. Most people who get one will tell you they would never leave home without it. Many people worry about hooking one of these up, but in reality it is real easy and does not take much time at all. The learning curve is real short as well so you will be on the road heading in the right direction very quickly.

If you travel a lot and want to make that experience even more fun than by all means grab a GPS unit for your motorcycle. One of the best around is the Garmin Zumo550, which has many extras that you will love. It is easy to hookup and operates so you will be on the road in no time at all. GPS technology is the wave of the future why not has it on your motorcycle as well. It will save you money in wasted trips and wrong turns that it will pay for it probably is just a few uses. I know as a rider I have made so many wrong turns, but now with GPS technology those turns will be a thing of the past for me.

By: Jeffrey Meier

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/motorcycle-gps-makes-for-better-travels.html/feed 0 GPS: The Road Less Traveled http://www.yorkshireatv.org/gps-the-road-less-traveled.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/gps-the-road-less-traveled.html#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:33:29 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/gps-the-road-less-traveled.html

The nice thing about GPS units is that you do not have to have them custom installed into your vehicle. Sometimes when you buy a new car it comes with its own navigational system. But to add that to a new car would be costly.

After delving into some of the more advanced features of GPS as you use it in your daily life. You will definitely notice the “little things” that it does beyond what you’d expected upon purchase. For instance let’s say you went on a night on the town during the weekend and slept in, waking up up later than you usually wak up.

You find yourself having less time to get to work or you will wind up being late. What happens? Well turn on your GPS and allow it give you advice on how to get to your destination in the allotted time. Even though you’ve traveled the same path to work day in and day out, a GPS unit will be flexible enough to give you a broader range of ideas to get from point A to point B, often saving you much more time in the process than normally possible.

You will definitely never stop using GPS once you’ve given it a shot.

By: Simon Wyryzowski

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/gps-the-road-less-traveled.html/feed 0 Marine GPS Maintains Boater Safety http://www.yorkshireatv.org/marine-gps-maintains-boater-safety.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/marine-gps-maintains-boater-safety.html#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:22:36 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/marine-gps-maintains-boater-safety.html

It’s never a good feeling when you are lost on your boat in an unfamiliar lake, yet on occasion even experienced boaters have had that unnerving feeling of losing their navigational way. However, if your boat is equipped with a Marine GPS unit, your chances of returning safely to shore increases exponentially.

It does not matter whether you use a standalone Marine GPS unit, or a handheld unit or have a GPS capable personal data (PDA) finding your bearings can be made much easier. Additionally, God forbid there is an emergency, you can use your marine GPS unit to give rescuers an exact location which would make you safe return to shore pretty much guaranteed and you will also get a quicker response.

When utilizing a handheld Marine GPS unit, it is best to first check the location when you are on the shore and market that down in your unit, in the event you get lost while you are out on the water. You can get to your destination in a quicker, safer, simpler manner by knowing where you are and where you need to go. Particularly if you are in water that you are not familiar with or a quick storm makes visibility nearly impossible. A Marine GPS unit can help you find yourself into a safe harbor in the event that you travel too far away from shore and loose any of your directional bearings that you were hoping you had if you maintained a line of sight.

Marking and Recalling Locations of Successful Fishing Spots

When on the water and your fishing and you come upon a suitable location that gives great results, you cannot put a ‘X’ on the water, but by utilizing a Marine GPS, you can do the next best thing. You can go back to the precise spot the next time you are looking for a place to catch fish, by marking the location that is revealed by the unit. There will be no judging location by a reference point on the shore and there will be no guessing involved because your Marine GPS unit has the data within it marked.

When boaters sometimes wander away from the territory that they are familiar with they need to send for help. Whether there was a malfunction on their boat or they lost their bearings on the lake and they have a need to guide the rescue craft to their location it becomes more crucial as time goes by. A Marine GPS unit on board can make your imminent rescue easier and faster if you can provide them with the exact location to give to a rescue craft.

In a more severe accident on the water, such as your boat sinking, then a quick rescue is in order. By utilizing a Marine GPS, particularly if equipped with a GPS locator, you can assist rescuers to find you near your last reported location. Having a starting point for a rescue operation can be a life-saving and critical piece of knowledge.

By: Korbin Newlyn

]]> http://www.yorkshireatv.org/marine-gps-maintains-boater-safety.html/feed 0 3 GPS Kid and Teen Tracking Systems http://www.yorkshireatv.org/3-gps-kid-and-teen-tracking-systems.html http://www.yorkshireatv.org/3-gps-kid-and-teen-tracking-systems.html#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:45:46 +0000 admin http://yorkshireatv.org/3-gps-kid-and-teen-tracking-systems.html

Here are two very good GPS child tracking systems and an additional child monitoring tool to help keep your kids safe. You can think of this as your introduction to tracking kids with GPS and continue to do additional research from here. You should make sure that you know what you need before purchasing any GPS kids tracking system.

T-Trac XS – This GPS device was created specifically with teens in mind. It is geared towards older teens as it is an automobile GPS tracking device. This will help you to know exactly where your teens are when they take the car for the night, or any time for that matter. If there’s trouble you’ll be able to get there much faster, or see that help can get there, because you’ll know where your children are at all times. Besides that it also helps keep track of your teens with a couple other special features.

If you only need tracking during certain times of the day you can set this GPS device to do that and conserve the battery life. Maybe your teen only takes the car for school and you want to make sure they come right home, so you can use this to track only during the school hours and immediately before and after. There’s also a geo-fence option on this tracker that lets you specify a certain range for the GPS device. If the car goes outside that range an alert will be sent to you.

Another feature of the T-Trac XS is the ability to set the GPS unit to alert you if the car it’s installed in exceeds a certain speed limit. No more need to worry about speeding teens since you’ll know if they exceed the speed limit you’ve set for them.

Whereifone GPS Locator Phone – This is a good alternative for younger teens; a cell phone with GPS built in. It’s small, cool and fairly cheap so you won’t have to break the bank to get a GPS kids tracking unit. It also comes in a variety of colors so you can get the one that your child likes to help keep them happy. The unit is quite accurate and can locate a person within several yards, even if they are in a highly populated location. As far as cell phone GPS units go this is a great choice.

Cell Phone SIM Card Spy – This is not a GPS unit, but is a complimentary device used to track your child or teens cell phone use. It basically makes available to you all the information stored on the cell phones SIM card including text messages, incoming and outgoing calls. In these dangerous times we sometimes need to keep an eye on the things that our children may not consider as dangerous because they don’t have enough experience to know about them. I don’t advocate spying on your children, but in some circumstances it may be necessary to keep them safe.

Cell phone monitoring and especially GPS tracking are both great ways to ensure the safety of our children. It can keep them from trouble and harm while giving you the peace of mind to be able to relax when they are out of your sight.

By: Steven Walters

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