What It Is and How It Works - For the uninitiated, GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It's a method of finding a receiver anywhere on earth or in orbit, and it's probably one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. GPS can be used in so many varied ways that new technologies are constantly being developed and improved in order to take advantage of it. Now why is GPS so important and useful? First, we have to understand how it works.

In order to work, a satellite network orbiting the earth is used. These satellites each broadcast a specific signal, which is received by inexpensive aerials and passed on to GPS devices where it is then decoded and used by dedicated software. The information garnered from these signals allows the GPS software to identify the satellite, its specific location, and even calculate the exact time it took for the signal to travel from the satellite to the receiver. Using different signals from different satellites, the GPS software can now analyze the position of the receiver, in terms of latitude and longitude.

Mapping It Out - Knowing where the device is in space is one thing, but it is fairly useless information without something to compare it with. This is where the mapping comes in handy; thru this, GPS can analyze our location and maps out possible routes. Actually, the mapping data is what makes a GPS device expensive. It must be accurate and updated reasonably frequently.

Several kinds of maps are created for different users. Road users, for example, require that their mapping data contains accurate information about the road network in the region that they will be traveling in, but will not require detailed information about the lie of the land. Hikers, however, might require a more detailed map about the local terrain, water spots, and tracks or trails, but they won't need extensive information about the road systems. Marine users need very specific information relating to the sea bed, navigable channels, and other pieces of maritime data that enables them to navigate safely.

And what about fishermen? They also use marine GPS to keep track of the movements of fish in real time and to predict where they'll be the next day. In fact, cooperative fishing has become much easier with GPS, allowing boats to relay locations to each other while looking for the best fishing spots. There are also GPS devices called 'fish finders', which combines GPS and sonar functions to track and store detailed fishing and maritime information.

Get Started with GPS - Consumers can avail of several GPS devices that are specifically designed for a variety of uses and functions. In-car systems have advanced features like voice guidance, dynamic route calculations, and even upgrading your maps from a CD-ROM. Rugged handheld GPS devices, like those from Garmin and Magellan, have a map inside and are usually used for outdoor activities. They do not have detailed road information and the user has to find his own way from point A to point B without any route calculations.

A more recent solution has appeared on the market which uses the power of a PDA to run the actual GPS software. A GPS receiver can be easily attached to these devices, so these tend to be the cheapest, easiest to use and most flexible solutions. Bluetooth technology has also started to make use of GPS, using a single PDA device wirelessly connected to several receivers.

Chiun Masters is a researcher and writer working for http://www.audioavi.com, where you can get quality GPS and audio equipment. Visit us for all your audio equipment needs.