Portable GPS, GPS Navigation, and Bluetooth GPS

Portable GPS

Welcome to gpscontrol.com. This site aims to provide you with helpful information on all things related to GPS technology. Whether you are simply curious about some of the contemporary uses of GPS technology, you are looking into investing in your first GPS, or you don’t travel anywhere without one, gpscontrol.com should have something informative and useful for you.

GPS stands for “global positioning system.” In many ways, this technology has revolutionized the navigation options available to travelers. The traditional option, maps, have always been able to guide you where to you want to go, but now GPS systems are equipped to tell you the exact location of a restaurant about which you might have heard, and give you specific directions for getting there. Moreover, they can be updated more easily than a map. GPS provides reliable navigation, positioning and timing services anywhere on the planet, day or night, regardless of weather. For parents, this technology sets them at ease, knowing their children wont be getting lost. Tracking you child with gps is a whole other issue. This can be expensive or not, depending how sophisticated the equipment is.

GPS technology is made up of three parts: the satellites orbiting Earth, the control and monitoring stations on Earth, and the GPS receivers owned by users. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that are used by GPS receivers to provide three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus the time.

The first satellite navigation system was called Transit. It was utilized by the U.S. Navy in 1960. This system used five satellites capable of pinpointing a location approximately once per hour. The potential military benefits of this kind of pinpointing ability were numerous, and the Navy continued to develop the technology from there. In 1967 they came up with the Timation satellite, which provided the ability to place accurate clocks in space.

The Soviet launch of Sputnik also played a factor in conceptualizing the GPS technologies we recognize today. A team of U.S. scientists discovered that, because of the Doppler Effect, they could pinpoint the location of the Sputnik satellite as it moved through space. This opened up new ideas and theories about how these satellite-pinpointed times and locations could be utilized.

GPS wasn’t available for civilian use in the late 1980s. The first satellite for this specific purpose was launched in 1989, with a total of 24 satellites being launched from 1974 to 1994. However, when it was first introduced, civilian use of GPS technology was intentionally inferior—the highest quality signals remained for military use only. This practice ended in 2000, bringing us close to where we are today as far as GPS technology possibilities for the average person.

It didn’t take long for masses of people to embrace GPS technology once it was made available. Today, GPS technology has become an immensely popular navigation tool, and its use is still growing. GPS is available in phones, MP3 players, and in cars. It is used by demographics as diverse as travelers, hikers, fishermen, parents, and more.

Choosing the best GPS for you can be a challenge. Naturally, the best system depends on what functions you are seeking. Most any GPS system can help you get from one place to another successfully. However, the best GPS can additionally alert the user about what is nearby.

Additionally, there are many different features and screen sizes in GPS devices. And, of course, the cost usually varies with the capability. Further, the capabilities desired by first-time users may be very different from what a long-time user is thinking. For the casual user looking to use GPS only for occasional travel or recreational use, a basic model might be all that requires. These models do not necessarily work less effectively, they simply offer fewer features. Others might not be content until their technology is full up-to-date.

With the plethora of GPS options available today, determining the various functions, advantages and disadvantages of each kind can be intimidating, especially for first-time users. Here at gpscontrol.com you will find lots more information, both basic and advanced, about GPS technology, GPS uses and the GPS choices available to you, which should make you feel informed on this process. Please feel free to browse our site, and check back frequently, as we are often updating our information.

 

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