Tips on buying a GPS System
October 22, 2009
A GPS device comes handy when making a trip to the unfamiliar outside and the navigation is made lot easier when you get hold of one.
When on a boat cruise or motor vehicle expedition, hiking or even camping outside, the old compass has become obsolete for a satellite era. A GPS gadget will be your guide on a tour to tell exactly where you are or how close are you to a landmark or petrol station.
Many types of GPS systems are in the market as well as lots of applications for specific uses. As soon as you reckon buying a GPS gadget, confusion sets in. Here we are to offer a handful of tips that might be of help to choose the best GPS device to suit your needs. A clear definition of your requirements is absolutely necessary before making the critical step of your first GPS purchase.
Four types of GPS available are Car inbuilt device, Portable outdoor device, Marine system and The PDA/GPS hybrid. If you want to make a trip on your car and does not envisage any other usage, going for an inbuilt car GPS is the best bet. But if you don’t want your system to be limited to the car, a hand held GPS is your thing. Boating or fishing requires a marine GPS specified for the purpose. The fourth tracking device is PDA/GPS hybrid, which is a combination of the auto GPS and hand held device.
Spoken navigational instructions are considered essential for a motor rider. If you are a hiker certain important requirements you may need your GPS to have, such as light weight, rain proof, back lit screen for night time viewing. For marine versions, you may need the gadget to act as a fish finder as well. PDA/GPS are convenient as they provide multipurpose solutions but you got to watch out if they can also provide talking instructions while driving.
Plenty of extra features are available on the GPS gadget like hands-free for mobiles etc. that make your life safer. Many of these features are appealing but the advice would be not to go for a system with too many features because an average outdoor lover finds many of these features unnecessary. Do not go for the cheapest model as well. A quality GPS is always worth the investment.
GPS Jargon buster
May 22, 2008
Almanac
GPS data that contains the location of satellites at a specific time. GPS satellites continuously transmit this information to GPS receiver so that its distance can be computed.
Atomic Clock
GPS satellite has an atomic clock which is so precise that it shows just one second time error in every million years. GPS receiver synchronizes its less accurate clock with atomic clock and computes the time taken by GPS signal to reach it.
Bluetooth
A way of transmitting data without the need of wires. Both transmitting device and the receiver should have compatible Bluetooth devices to achieve this.
CDMA
Code Division Multi Access. A telecommunication method that GPS receiver uses to find out the unique code sent by satellite to find its location.
Cold start
When the GPS receiver is turned on for the first time, it starts to collect essential GPS information like almanac and this takes a few minutes to compute its initial location. This is called cold start.
Control segment/component
One of the three parts of GPS system that controls the satellites and updates the information received from them. Control segment consists of four unmanned, ground monitoring stations and one master control station. The unmanned ground stations receive the data from satellites and send it to the master control station which corrects and update the information and sends it back to satellites using antennas.
Differential GPS (DGPS)
A network of GPS receivers placed in fixed locations gets the satellite signals and corrects the errors and transmits the precise GPS information to other receivers. DGPS provides better accuracy than standard GPS system and computes its location with an accuracy of less than 5 meters.
Ephemeris
One of three bits of information that GPS signals transmit to GPS receivers. While almanac contains time & position information based on where the satellites are supposed to be at any given time, it has to be updated as the satellites may deviate from their orbital paths at periodical intervals. This updated information containing the exact location of satellites is called ephemeris. It is the master control segment that sends ephemeris data back to satellites.
GPS Receiver
Also known as user component/segment, GPS receiver has antenna to pick the signals from the satellites and the in-built processor computes the its location and other information and displays it on user-interface like touch-screen, LCD display.
GPS signal
There are two types of signals. Unencrypted, SPS signals transmitted at 1575.42 MHz for civilian GPS users. Another type is encrypted PPS signal that is used for military purpose. GPS signal contains three kinds of information - pseudorandom code, almanac and ephemeris.
GPS signals are low powered and travel on line of sight so they can be easily blocked by solid objects like rocks, thick foliage, tunnels and mountains.
Mapping software
Most GPS units come with base map that show regional information like major roads, important places, airports, rivers, lakes etc. Some GPS navigation receivers can download detailed maps that contain streets, restaurants, petrol stations, marine navigation details, topography etc. These maps can be purchased and need to be updated now and then. GPS sat nav system can store the mapping software in their memory cartridge or in their hard drives using DVD drive.
Multi-path signal error
One of the potential time errors that occur when GPS signals gets reflected off tall buildings or other solid structures before they reach GPS receiver. This means, the signals took more time than usual, resulting in time errors. GPS receivers rectify or minimize this error by calculating the average time taken by different multi-path signals and determine the location.
Mhz
Mega Hertz. Measure of unit used to find the frequency of radio signals. For example, GPS signals travel at a frequency of 1575.42 MHz.
NAVSTAR
A constellation of GPS satellites that orbit the earth and aid satellite based navigation for both military and civilian use. The US Department of Defense launched the first NAVSTAR satellite in 1978 and completed stationing the full constellation of 24 GPS satellites in 1994.
Orbit
The path of GPS satellites that round the earth. GPS satellite takes nearly 12 hours to make one orbit thus it completes two orbits every day.
Pseudorandom code
A kind of noise that contains coded information which is transmitted by GPS satellites to GPS receivers. Pseudorandom code helps the GPS unit to identify a specific satellite so it can find out its location and distance.
Points of Interest (POI)
POIs include airports, restaurants, petrol filling stations, hotels, tourists attractions and other places of importance. Most GPS units come with POIs
Precise Positioning Service (PPS)
A type of GPS signal which is encrypted and transmitted by satellites so that only military service can access it.
Satellite
Man-made object that orbits the earth and transmit various data to the ground stations. Digital TV, weather forecast and GPS navigation are some of the applications of satellite based technology.
Availability (SA)
One of the sources that affected GPS signals earlier. SA was the outdated method practiced by the US Department of Defense to deliberately degrade the GPS signals as a military maneuver. However, SA has been dropped now.
SPS
Standard Positioning Service. A type of GPS signals, which are unencrypted and transmitted at 1575.42 MHz.
Triangulation
Method by which GPS receiver deduces its location. For more information, read How does a GPS work?
TTFF
Also known as acquisition time, TTFF signifies the time that a GPS receiver to acquire GPS signals and compute its location when it is turned on for the first time.
User component/segment
See GPS Receiver
WAAS
Wide Area Augmentation System. Advanced GPS system that provides better accuracy and computes a location with a preciseness of less than 3 meters.
GPS - A booming technology in portables!
October 25, 2007
Everyone is in a compulsion to move here and there in our day to day life. No one knows about every place. We may feel unsafe or unfamiliar while we travel to a new unfamiliar place. GPS navigations are a popular system which can perform as a perfect tourist guide. Apart from that this unit will inform various needy instructions about the traffic alerts, alternative road routes, points of interests etc. Some advanced navigation units have come with the power to indicate even the petrol level, weather conditions etc.
Technology behind GPS
These Global Positioning Systems mainly function with the support of satellite signals. These signals play an essential role to find any location and even the actual position of your vehicles can be known. GPS navigation system feature has the stuff to offer ’round the clock service’. You can fix these units in your automobiles and enjoy various navigational benefits. The unit can give additional information’s like velocity, time, live traffic alerts while you are being moved a particular destination.
GPS navigational devices have an interesting history. Finding an exact location with the support of Global positioning technology was introduced for civilians. But the now the technology has reached even a common man in the world. You can see most of the automobiles in the UK have GPS enabled devices. The reason behind the growth the product is that people has understood the needs and benefits of these GPS navigations.
Believe it or not, your laptop or your PDA can assist you to find an exact location. Yes, PCMCIA GPS cards have been recently introduced to enable the navigational features in your notebook computers. Don’t panic these PCMCIA units consume reasonable power. You should use an external antenna which has to be equipped with a connector port. Mobile phones are also manufactured with this GPS technology.
How will you pick a right GPS unit? Do a small research to get familiar about the available brands, must-have features, hidden holes, and the basic functionality. Never compromise with the quality. Lots of models are available in the UK at affordable prices. Portable navigation systems are also becoming popular all over the world.
Be choosy when you buy these GPS navigational units. Prefer units have advanced features like:
• LCD display
• Voice alerts
• Rerouting capabilities
• Traffic alerts
• Black spot indications etc.
