The global positioning system (GPS) is a very accurate and sensitive equipment to monitor the movements of any object and to provide needful information to the receiver. Originally used by the US Defence Department to monitor the movements of the ships or planes and also to detect encroachments of their sea or air space, this utility was later made available for public use. The system receives signals from satellites and provides the user with details about the position of any object and the timing of any event. There are three phases like Space, Control and User. The Space and Control sectors are under the supervision of the Government, but user facility has been made free from Government control.
Many private enterprises are manufacturing and marketing the GPS systems for commercial use. Today it is widely used to monitor the movements of vehicles as well as to locate stolen vehicles. GPS are also used to track shipments of goods. The system is being used to prevent crimes like hijacking and kidnapping which are widespread. In modern life the GPS is used to locate missing persons during travels. In racing and similar types of sports activities, GPS has become an effective tool to locate and retrieve vehicles as well as the persons involved. Educational and commercial uses of GPS are becoming popular due to the efficiency and accuracy of the system. The GPS plays a vital role in the information technology for mapping details of locations from websites. The antenna on the receiver picks up satellite signals which then calculate the distance between the location and the receiver. The system is used in aircrafts to provide automatic navigation and enable them to fly in the right course.
As GPS has many applications, those who want to use the system should choose the right device to obtain required benefits from it. Portable GPS with or without mapping facility are available. The device without mapping facility is cheaper than its counterpart with mapping. The portable facility is powered by batteries whereas vehicle mounted GPS will have 12 V wiring with antenna installed inside the vehicle. There are GPS which can be linked to the laptops. Varieties of GPS are in use today. Car GPS systems, handheld GPS, car tracking system and map based navigation system are some of them.
Internet is a good source to seek information about the GPS devices that are used for diverse purposes. The shoppers should locate a reputed dealer to avoid ending up with substandard products. Special features or requirements are to be specially mentioned while placing orders. Many online dealers offer free shipping and cheaper price tags with exemptions from the taxes. The buyers should take care to get the system installed only by the manufacturers or their authorized dealers to avail warranty benefits.
By: Victor Thomas
Posts Tagged ‘Satellite Signals’
GPS Systems-Not Technical Enough to use a GPS? Don’t Worry- You Can Buy an Automatic GPS System
November 4th, 2009
This may come as a surprise… you do not have to be a technical person to use a GPS.
Although the concept and technology of Global Positioning Satellite systems was originally created by the Department of Defense for military uses, it has lately been made useable to the general public and today you will be able to get an automatic GPS system easily and promptly to keep you on track while driving. An automatic GPS system is becoming more and more popular amongst people and the latest vehicles actually include it among the vehicle accessories.
An auto GPS system is basically a GPS receiver that’s put on the dashboard of the vehicle. You program in the address you’re thinking of going and the system will provide you stepwise directions -audio directions in the latest ones. The days of paper maps and argument over whether or not men could ask for directions are all over. Nowadays, all you require is an auto GPS system and you’re ready to go where you wish.
The automatic GPS system receives its signal from four out of twenty-four possible orbiters that are constantly revolving the Earth. The receiver overlays this positioning data onto map files stored on the unit, to provide a present location on the map in addition to previous course. The receiver perpetually recalculates location, passing on real time location. A regular auto GPS system comprises:
* A twelve channel receiver – the quality of the receiver decides how long it takes the device to acquire a 3-D fix.
* Antenna to receive satellite signals – placed to get an unobstructed view of the sky.
* Central processing unit to process the information and place on maps
* A DVD Hard-drive – where maps on DVD’s or those downloaded from the net are uploaded and put in. Some cheaper units don’t upload the maps; they just reference them off the DVD or CD.
* A Display Screen – generally color with hand-held units using black-and-white
* Audio Interface
The first time you switch on your automatic GPS system, its information store is empty so it has to gather satellite data to find out your location. This is named as cold start. Some units just take thirty to forty-five seconds to get a 3-D fix during a cold start, while others could take several minutes. Future position updates just takes three to four seconds. Whenever you go out of range from losing line of vision, like passing behind a large building or through a tunnel, a good receiver will immediately recover, whereas weaker units will need more time to reacquire a 3-D fix.
Nowadays, automatic GPS systems are not as costly as you guess they might be. A few of the automatic GPS systems could be obtained for under two hundred dollars and the flashier devices will cost you as much as a thousand dollars. However there’s no doubt that owning an automatic GPS system could surely make life more comfortable for everybody.
By: Kamran Chy
