The GPS Advisor

With triathlons as competitive as they are today, it is not surprising that there is a surge of amateur atheletes who are utliizing the GPS technology of the pros to make our athletic pursuits more enjoyable and survivable.

As an very amateur triathlete, I am very jazzed about the potential of using a GPS watch to help me get through the long training sessions as well as the grueling races.

A GPS Watch Keeps Your Training Log

Anyone who has ever trained for and competed in a triathlon knows the immense amount of preparation, coordination and dedication that is required. Additionally, training for a multi-sport event is such a significant undertaking, we want to see the results of our hard work.

Most triathletes keep a written log of their long journey in training to racing to see their progress and plan ahead. Instead of spending all of that time writing, why not let your handy GPS watch log your endless hours of training, distance, heart rate data, and other training data? Read the rest of this entry »

Your GPS Device (that you are about to own) is a sophisticated electronic device that is capable of constantly listening to many satellites and crunching some serious numbers into perfect navigational coordinates at your disposal.

In simple terms, your GPS unit is basically an antenna that picks up signals from the network of orbiting satellites and uses complex mathematics to “triangulate” your position on Planet Earth.

As long as your GPS unit is up and running, it will be getting information from at least 3 of the orbiting satellites to use in calculating your position, as well as your current speed and direction.

The Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Network consists of many satellites that are orbiting the planet twice a day and provide the ability to get an Earth position on the surface, as well as up to 60,000 feet above the planet.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Global Position Satellite (GPS) Network

In this post, we give you an overview in human terms of what the Global Position System is and how we consumers and earthlings use it in our everyday appliances, cars and handheld devices.

The Global Positioning Satellite Network (GPS) was launched into space in the early 70’s and consisted of 25 (or so) satellites that were positioned strategically in 12 hour orbits around Planet Earth. There are also five ground stations around the world that keep things in working order.

These navigation satellites broadcast signals constantly to the Earth’s surface, which are used by GPS receivers to calculate exact positions in 3-dimensional space (latitude, longitude, and altitude).

How Does a GPS Navigation Device Determine Your Location?

Your handy compact GPS navigation device acquires signals from at least 4 of the GPS satellites in orbit to generate what is called a 3-D fix on your location. From this fix, your GPS device can determine your location, current and average speed, directional heading, and even your elevation in relation to sea level.

If you want to remember back to Trigonometry class (dont’ worry, most have no recollection here), it is possible to use angles and the distance between points (meaning between you and the satellites) to precisely measure a location. The good news is that you don’t have to know HOW they work…just that they DO work brilliantly!

GPS Was Developed by the Government for War Fighting

GPS navigation works so well, that it was conceived by the U. S. Government to fight wars and guide nuclear missles to their targets with accuracy down to less than one meter. I love it when we actually benefit from military technology, instead of just paying for it!

At first, the Government would not allow us meager civilians to use the system at it’s full accuracy, concerned that our enemies - both local and abroad - would use it as a precise targeting system. This restriction was lifted, allowing us to get the full accuracy that our military enjoys.

The brilliant scientists and our hard-working tax dollars have created a wonderful system for terrestrial navigation with the GPS network, allowing us to benefit in a myriad of ways in our personal lives. I am personally grateful for the technology and love using it in my life!

Turning GPS Navigation Signals into Meaningful Uses

Your GPS receiver uses the precise latitude, longitude, and other location data to overlay this information onto map files stored on the GPS device, revealing your current position on the color graphic map as well as where you’ve been since you started collecting GPS location information.

This is the power of putting GPS navigation into other devices. Now your toaster can be tracked in 3-D space. How did we ever live without this stuff?

Since the GPS receiver is constantly recalculating your position relative to the satellite’s position, the GPS unit can track your location in real time as you progress along the trail or in your car. Just make sure your GPS antenna has an unobstructed view to the sky (day or night) at most times to catch the GPS satellite signal.