GPS, or Global Positioning System, has become for the 21st century what bloodhounds and used to be for police forces and bread crumbs were for Hansel and Gretel: both a way to find a person or target, and a way for a person to keep from becoming lost. GPS uses its “eyes in the sky”, a group of twenty-one operating and three backup satellites in orbit nearly twelve thousand miles above the Earth, to interpret the signals sent from GPS devices down below.
GPS translates those signals into information about the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the device that sent it, and beams the information back to a GPS receiver in the same device. The whole operation is done in split seconds, accurate to within five meters, and is the result of over three decades and twelve billion (and rising) dollars spent by the US Department of Defense.
Military GPS Applications
While the DoD initially installed GPS systems in their Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles to help them locate their targets with pinpoint accuracy, the GPS technology has now fund applications far beyond its use in weapons systems. The US military used it once again in 1991, during the first Gulf War, when GPS was essential for the mapping of huge uncharted tracts of desert.
Because GPS information can be provided as a readout, interpreted, and printed as a map of the target terrain, it saved the military countless man-hours and risk to the personnel who would otherwise have had to map the desert while airborne. GPS has its defensive purposes as well; it allows a country to monitor the movements of military troops in another country across the globe and to prepare for an attack well lin advance.
Commercial GPS Application
The first non-military use of sGPS was for marine applications; those lost at sea and unable to navigate by traditional means could simply push a button to signal the GPS satellites and have their latitude and longitude appearing on a screen in a matter of seconds. Today GPS is most widely used in the aviation industry, as an aid to routing aircraft.
GPS technology has advanced so much, in fact, that it is now possible for ships’ computers to be linked to a GPS system which automatically navigates to a preprogrammed destination. GPS can function as both s ship’s navigator and captain, although it is highly improbable that it will replace them.
GPS, in both its military and commercial applications, has made the world a much smaller and safe, place!
By: David Faulkner
Posts Tagged ‘Latitude And Longitude’
Benefits of a GPS Laptop Receiver
February 15th, 2010
A Global Positioning System or GPS uses satellites to transmit signals that can give you the position of anything or anyone that you are searching for by using latitude and longitude. When you think about using a GPS system for traveling you most likely think about one that mounts in your vehicle that can give you directions to any location you desire. These are great systems, but there is a newer more modern version being used today that is called the GPS laptop receiver.
So what are some of the GPS laptop receiver advantages you can look forward to? The first thing that you will enjoy is how simply it is to install on your computer. However, you are required to have windows XP as this is the only one that is compatible at this time. After purchasing the GPS tracking system you are ready to start the installation. Turn on the computer and put in the CD and the installation will begin. It is fast and easy to do. You will get some mapping software with the original CD, but the good news is that you can always add to this as much as you like. If you love to shop, buy CD’s that show you where all the shopping malls are located. Enjoy eating at the finest restaurants; you can have these mapped out for you as well.
You can avoid delays by learning where construction sites are located. Mobile devices make it easy for you to connect to the wireless internet provided by public services so this is a big advantage to using it. You get to choose the mapping information that is stored in your computer so it will be exactly what you need for your travels. You can add or delete information as often as you need changes to be made. You will always have the control needed to make this tracking device suit your individual needs. You will even be notified in advanced by a beep or warning light before losing power to your system, which is a great plus.
If you choose to use this innovated GPS laptop receiver for all of your traveling needs, make sure that you have windows XP as this is the version that is compatible with the systems. The GPS systems that connect to laptops come in a wide price range so there should be one available for your individual needs. They are great for anyone that does a lot of traveling or for the person that only vacations once a year. You can plan your trips in advance with reliable information to get the most from your travels.
By: Kaloyan Stolinov
What Is GPS and How Can It Be Used?
February 8th, 2010
GPS stands for Global Positioning System and was initially designed to be used by the U.S. military and is operated by the U.S. Defense Department. This system consists of 24 satellites, these satellites are 12,000 miles above us, are constantly moving in a precise orbit, have an atomic clock, and are solar powered. They do have a battery backup so they will continue to run in the event of a solar eclipse, and each satellites has a small rocket booster to maintain their orbit. The first satellite was launched in 1978 and it wasn’t until 1994 when there were a total of 24 satellites. Each satellite has a life expectancy of about 10 years, so new satellites are constantly being built and launched. Each satellite weighs about 2,000 pounds and is approximately 17 feet in width when the solar panels are extended. In the 1980s the GPS became available to the public, and although it is still maintain by the U.S. Defense Department there is no charge for its usage by the public.
These 24 satellites orbit the earth twice a day and continuously sends the location of the satellite. A GPS system can tell how far a satellite is away by comparing the time difference between the time a signal was transmitted and the time it was received, the longer it takes the signal to be received by a receiver, the farther away the satellite is. If a GPS is receiving signals from three satellites it can calculate latitude and longitude. Altitude can be determined if the GPS is receiving signals from four satellites.
GPS can be used for navigating your car through traffic day-to-day or tracking a fleet of vehicles. Not only can a driver use a GPS for directions the main office knows where that vehicle is and the speed of the vehicle. GPS can be used while on vacation for activities such as hiking, camping, or hunting. Is your passion fishing but get frustrated trying to find the fish? With a fish finder which uses both GPS technology and sonar you’ll know exactly where to go to find those fish. GPS technology is also being used as a way to track your pet if he wanders off or to safeguard a pet from being stolen.
Another use for GPS is as a child finder with a receiver in a child’s cell phone or wristwatch to ensure a child’s safety. It can be used in a teenager’s car in order to both know where they and how fast they are driving. This could also be used to keep track of someone who tends to ‘roam’ but is not capable enough to find there way back; i.e. someone with Alzheimer’s disease.
As GPS technology improves, it uses will increase. Who knows where it will take us next?
Copyright 2006 Angela Carter
By: Angie Carter
