Archive for the 'GPS' Category

Choosing a GPS tracking device to suit your needs

by Charles Simmon

The GPS system uses a series of satellites orbiting the earth to pinpoint the specific location, direction and even speed of any one receiver on earth. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and more and more are realizing the convenience of using GPS tracking capabilities. With units made available in a variety of compact, easily portable forms with a slew of uses, it is important when it comes to choosing a GPS tracking device to suit your needs.

GPS units were initially designed for military use however over time, people (outside of the armed forces) have found practical uses for GPS with the most popular being its ability to replace the need for maps. Easily incorporated into devices like mobile phones, personal digital assistants, automobiles, watches and even pets, the GPS tracking system is an extremely useful piece of equipment to have.

Cars and trucks are very commonly fitted with GPS tracking units. Here’s how to use a GPS tracking device: this piece of equipment is designed to help drivers find their way to their destinations without getting lost. With a GPS device, you will be provided with real-time directions; even if you take a wrong turn, you will be redirected to the right direction. If your vehicle breaks down and you find yourself stranded in a remote place, your GPS tracking function will help you get to be found.

More and more drivers want the security of having a GPS tracking system installed in their cars. Because of it’s growing popularity, more and more car manufacturers are designing their cars with Global Positioning Systems installed.

Apart from cars, a GPS tracking device can also be fitted onto boats and, because they are so compact these can also be incorporated into a mobile phone, blackberry or other personal digital assistant.

Apart from its navigational capabilities, many a sporting enthusiast has also made use of GPS functionality to help them achieve more focused exercises. For example, you can use your GPS tracking device to calculate how far and how fast you’ve traveled. A GPS can also be used to keep track of something valuable like a pet of your child. You can install a unit into a watch or backpack worn by your child and track your child’s exact whereabouts. This can give you assurance to know where you child is at all times.

If you own a business where you have to frequently ship or transport orders to customers (nationally or internationally), you may learn how to use a GPS tracking device to increase the efficiency of fulfilling your deliveries with much reliability and on time. By tracking your shipments, you can provide customers with real-time updates on the progress of their orders. Also, if your goods have been stolen or waylaid, having a unit fitted to your mode of transportation will help you track the stolen goods down within seconds if not minutes!

Ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of your goods will not only improve your business as you’d be able to service more customers but will also help you lower any costs of losing trucks and goods through theft. In cases where your shipment transportation runs into trouble, the GPS tracking system will be able to locate that truck or ship within seconds and help can be dispatched immediately.

With all the advantages that a GPS system provides, you may even be offered a discount on your insurance premium for installing and using a GPS tracking equipment. The benefits of using a Global Positioning System are numerous however it is important that you start by choosing a GPS tracking device to suit your specific needs so that you make an investment that is well worth your while.

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Why GPS Units Are Helpful

by Justin Clark

My family and recently took a trip to Florida. We rented a lovely minivan and spent several days visiting family, animal attractions, etc. When we were planning the trip, we realized that we’d have to either print off a bunch of maps to get everywhere we were going, or rent a GPS unit, or buy a GPS unit to help us get around.

Thankfully, we opted for buying a GPS unit. It proved to be well worth the money and we figured we could use it on other trips as well, so the cost could be spread out over more than just one trip.

We searched around for the best machine and best deal. We ended up buying a Garmin 550c off of eBay. It was a fantastic deal and had a bunch of cool new features that some of the older brands didn’t have.

That new little GPS really helped us get around! In fact, it did more that just help us find our way. It also helped us locate new places to go! When we turned it on, it’d figure out automatically where we were and would then give us lists of all kinds of things around that we might want to go to such a gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, beaches, etc.

My sister came on the trip as well, bringing her husbands new Magellan GPS unit that he got for Christmas. Unfortunately, her Magellan didn’t work nearly as well as our Garmin. It often couldn’t figure out where she was and got her off course quite a bit.

Obviously, from her experience, we learned that it pays to get a high-quality brand of GPS units! It wasted a lot of her time and cost her extra money as well trying to deal with that little machine.

Getting a GPS unit for any of your navigational needs is a fantastic idea. We’ve really enjoyed ours and highly recommend them to anyone who asks!

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Real Time Vehicle Tracking

by Fen Tan

Real time vehicle tracking is the pinnacle of civilian vehicle tracking systems. With real time vehicle tracking, information from the transmitter is sent to the receiver by the second, allowing the user to view vehicle movement as it happens and without delay.

The Global Positioning System or GPS is the most common method used to track vehicles in real time. A GPS has 24 artificial satellites that orbit the planet and continuously scan different its areas to get an accurate reading of a particular object’s location. Once that data is obtained, the satellites transmit the data to a GPS receiver in the form of microwave signals.

The GPS system is often mistaken to require a clear line of sight so the satellites can transmit the accurate location, speed and direction of an object. However, the artificial satellites can still provide a very useful reading even if the line of sight of the GPS is obstructed. This makes the GPS an excellent navigational tool because it can still track your location even during the most extreme conditions, such as being inside a tunnel, cave or jungle.

Another important benefit a GPS has over navigational systems that use low frequencies, is its affiliation with the government. The GPS satellites are entirely maintained by the government. With the government at the helm, the technology is constantly updated without sacrificing any taxpayer money.

You can choose from a myriad of options on how you want your vehicle tracked. You can opt to locate your vehicle from as frequent as every 10 seconds to as occasional as every couple of minutes. The best tracking service providers have a flexible plan that can immediately suit your tracking needs. Though knowing your vehicle’s location every second is a good way to fight car theft and carjackers, it won’t be good on your wallet.

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keep track of your pet with gps pet tracking

by Linda Cain

There are two parts to the GPS Pet Tracking devices: GPS receiver and GSM modem. GPS is the Global Positioning System. GSM is the Global System for Mobile communication. GPS pet tracking can be used to determine where you are while hiking or travelling in your car. It is also used for locating pets that get lost. GPS pet tracking is the most reliable pet tracking available — also the most expensive. If you have a dog or cat that escapes a lot, you might want to consider a GPS pet tracking device.

GPS is a satellite based positioning system that consists of a network of 24 orbiting satellites. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that are picked up and identified by GPS receivers. It provides accurate location and time information for an unlimited number of people in all weather, day and night, anywhere in the world. GPS has become a mainstay of transportation systems worldwide, providing navigation for aviation, ground, and maritime operations. GPS is rapidly becoming an integral component of the emerging Global Information Infrastructure, with applications ranging from mapping and surveying to international air traffic management and global change research.

GPS consists of three segments: space, control, and user.

The Space Segment includes the 24 satellites in 6 orbits 10,900 nautical miles above earth. They are placed so that there is always a minimum of 6 satellites in view at any time anywhere in the world. These satellites continuously broadcast position and time to users all over the world.

The Control Segment consists of 3 segments: a master control station in Colorado Springs, 3 ground antennas, and 5 monitor stations. The monitor stations track the GPS satellites that are in view collecting data. They send that data back to the master control station. That data is then re-formatted and resent back to each of the satellites.

The User Segment: the receivers that allow operators everywhere to receive the GPS broadcasts to compute their exact location.

There are several models of GPS pet tracking devices. Most of them come with monthly fees, along with their high initial cost. RoamEO is currently the only GPS pet tracking system that has a one time cost and no monthly fees. Zoombak, PetSafe GPS Locator, and Global Pet Finder all require monthly fees.

RoamEO is easy to setup to create a virtual fence anywhere you need it. You set it up just by walking the perimeter of your fence line, and it commits the coordinates to memory. Your pet wears a special collar, and you always know where your pet is. RoamEO’s pet tracking device can pinpoint your dog’s location and show you where he’s headed. RoamEO is designed to constantly track your pet, whether he is inside or outside the perimeter of your established GPS Fence. It is designed to track up to 3 pets at one time.

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