Gps

GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM -- GPS is a satellite system set up and operated by the U.S. Dept. of Defense, originally for the military, but there are now thousands of civil users worldwide--and you can be one of them! And get this: It is a free service!

There are at least 24 satellites in the GPS system, set up in such a way that at almost anyplace on earth, at least 4 are "in site". Very simply put, the satellites emit low-powered radio signals which are picked up by your GPS "receiver" which then can give your location, speed, time, direction if moving, distance to destination, etc. GPS operates every day, everywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, in any weather conditions. It is extremely accurate.

GPS is used by aircraft, boats, trucking fleets, hikers, bikers, and plain people like me driving in cars--perfect for the man who cannot ask directions! It is used by surveyors, contractors, sportsmen, farmers, even animal rights activists in the tracking of endangered species! More and more technologies are developing ways of using GPS, making it one of the most important inventions of our time.

While some vehicles come with built-in GPS, there are several manufacturers (top choices include Magellan, TomTom, Garmin, Cobra) of portable GPS units, each offering several models with various features, according to your particular needs and purposes. You might look for: touchscreen, zoom, color navigation, real-time traffic, voice commands, or MP3 music playback! There is quite a dramatic price-range, from around $200 to $700, so check out several before you buy!

By: Suzy-Q

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