GPS How It All Started

Twelve billion US dollars.

That was the amount spent by the American government for its global position system or GPS for short. Satellites are expensive, but when you seriously think about what a GPS can accomplish, it may well be worth every single cent.

The United States Department of Defense no doubt had the proper rationale for inventing the GPS. In fact, in light of recent events that have developed as a result of 9/11, military and defense strategists are probably heaping praise on the DOD for its GPS efforts. GPS has turned out to be a very useful tool in their strategies to protect the country and its allies from potential disaster.

They also have Ivan Getting to thank.

GPS: how it started

Funny how Ivan Getting's name almost fits in with the primary function of GPS - "getting location." GPS is a tracking tool, if you will, and for it to remain in optimal working order, a budget of $400 million a year is required to monitor the satellites so they don't fall out of orbit, so to speak. The budget is also allocated to replace aging satellites.

Ivan Getting was born in New York City in 1912. He enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute Technology with an Edison scholarship and received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1933. After MIT, he went on to pursue his Master's Degree as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.

Dr. Getting obtained his Doctorate in Astrophysics in 1935 - a rare accomplishment in those days.

Less than 20 years later, Dr. Getting joined Raytheon Corporation as Vice President for Engineering and Research. When the Air Force announced a need for a guidance system to be used in conjunction with an ICBM that would achieve mobility by traveling for railroad use, Raytheon came up with a three-dimensional, time-difference-of-arrival position-finding system, the first of its kind at the time. It is a technique that represented one of the most sophisticated technologies in the world, since the concepts that were integrated into its design served as the stepping stones for the development of the global position system - GPS.

Dr. Getting directed aerospace engineers and scientists to evaluate satellite use - the core for a navigational system for rapidly-moving vehicles based on three dimensions. This eventually led to the concept utilized for the design of GPS.

In 1993, the military declared that GPS was now a fully operational world utility - an essential component for modern navigation on land, water and air. Its use extended to map making and land surveying. Today's uses for GPS, however, go beyond these preliminary applications.

As to be expected with technologies of this magnitude, GPS underwent major improvement in the year 2000, when the Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS) was employed to increase the accuracy of signals emanating from GPS. This accuracy is made possible by one of many techniques known as the differential GPS, or DGPS.

When the United States Department of Defense developed the system, it was called NAVSTAR GPS - the acronym for Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging Global Positioning System.

But it wasn't just Ivan Getting

Let's give credit where it's due. Ivan Getting's impressive role in the establishment of GPS - now a public good - cannot be denied. However, for several decades, people have been trying to figure out the means to pinpoint their exact location on earth. People no longer follow stars to find their way as they did in biblical times; these days, satellites can do that much more effectively.

GPS has come a long way. From the original designers of the think tank group within the United States Navy, GPS has now "arrived" with its 24 satellites.

Remember the Sputnik program back in the 1960's?

When Sputnik was launched, the United States Navy had actually run two programs that were said to be GPS's predecessors. Transit was the name given to the first functional satellite-based navigation system, developed by Richard Kirschner in 1964. Those programs had seven satellites, and it relied on radio signals.

In 1967, the second satellite navigation system, Timation was born. It was an improvement over Transit; one innovation was an atomic clock integrated into its design.

In 1973, the US Navy and US Air Force eventually combined efforts to form the Navigation Technology Program, which became Navigation System and Ranging or NAVSTAR. The first four satellites were launched five years after that joint effort.

Based on its history, therefore, the raison-d'être of GPS was purely military in nature. Today, its uses encompass certain activities engaged in by the private sector. It must be mentioned, however, that for reasons of national security, the system used by the public is not as accurate as the one used by the military.

Amazing Features of GPS Software

By : Sandra Stammberger

GPS software or Global positioning system technology allows people to effectively, create their ideal maps. It works off with 28 satellites, and allows anyone with a GPS unit to triangulate a position, anywhere in the world.

GPS software brings this home to the consumer, lending a degree of unmatched knowledge and insight to any outdoor endeavor.

This software allows a person to map the area from their departure to their destination, and then to break up the journey with "waypoints" and to further map each of those legs of the journey. GPS maps are customizable, allowing the user to zoom in or out as needed.

The right software makes trip planning exciting and realistic, and allows you to carry only the map you need, rather than having to find two or three maps to cover the area of exploration.

Saving a waypoint at every major turning point on one's route is one important rule that many people who use GPS stress. Where in, it allows you to calculate time and distance from point to point, and from every major landmark or turn.

Maps generated by GPS software are so important since it gives us the picture of the events outside of our GPS screens, so we are aware of what to look for and how best to approach the leg ahead. These units tell us time, distance, and altitude. It can also draw and print maps of the raw GPS data or superimpose this upon a scanned map image.

Aside from these features, GPS software can also transfer data between a GPS Receiver and a PC. It also edits, sorts, and filters your GPS data. In addition to that, GPS also produce reports of your data either in tabular form or graphically.

Moreover, it exchanges data with other GPS information source. It is useful if you wish to obtain waypoints/routes/tracks from other GPS applications and transfer this to your GPS or export your data for use in other programs.

Furthermore, GPS can allow you to find your vehicle whenever you want on a computer map or through phone.

More and more companies are turning to Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to improve their outside sales force productivity.

It helps companies get a grip on labor costs, especially overtime. With the GPS system, those timesheets are replaced by precise reports printed straight from a computer, which list the history of each vehicle from the time it started to the time it finished, including how many stops it made and the length of each stop. It also monitors who, what, where and when your vehicles are or have been.

Salespeople are finding GPS mapping hardware and software with systematic guides helpful in locating the exact address of customers in unfamiliar areas.

With a receiver and mapping, software they can avoid delays due to heavy traffic, construction work, or road accidents so that they arrive on time and ready to do business. GPS technology helps sales people arrive unflustered, unscathed and on time.

The detailed, accurate information available from GPS has made it popular within aviation, sea navigation, various outdoor activities and sports, and automotive vehicles. GPS equipment has become highly affordable over the past few years and Sales Managers have begun discovering the benefits of equipping their sales force with this technology.

Understanding How To Upload Your GPS

When people purchase a GPS unit, it comes with a few maps. If a certain area that the user wants to see can't be found, it has to be uploaded from software readily available on the Internet.

These software programs have aerial photos, topographical maps and important landmarks. This can also be modified to show the exact longitude and latitude making it easy for the device to tell the user how many miles to go before arriving at the desired destination.

The first thing that you should do is look for these using one of the major search engines. After a few seconds of browsing through the choices, the user will click on it and then follow the instructions in order to download it. The designers of these programs have made them available in different formats so it doesn't matter if you are using a PC or a MAC.

One thing that should be pointed out is that not all the software programs are compatible with the unit you may have at home. This is because there are some that will only work with a particular brand so it is best to check this first.

Those who don’t have access to a computer will still be able to download such information into the unit. This can be done if you have a PDA or the cellphone that is able to send the data to the GPS receiver.

Let's say a friend has the same GPS unit and he has more maps than you. Instead of going online, the information stored can be passed on since these devices are able to talk to one another.

Given that there is a high demand for GPS handheld devices, it has been translated to 12 different languages. No longer will this be a hindrance especially for those who aren't very good with english.

The best places to check out for detailed maps are sites run by hikers and trekkers. Those who love to fly or sail should also check those managed by aviation and marine hobbyists.

It won't be long before almost everyone has GPS unit. Currently, those purchased in stores have only general maps of the US, Canada and Mexico. Those who are planning to bring it on a trip to Europe or in Asia should have it updated to avoid getting lost when seeing the sights.

Playing Around With The GPS

Some children have grown up with the notion of finding treasure buried by pirates many years ago. When the kids are old enough, the parents buy a metal detector then go searching for stuff on the beach or in other places.

So far, no one has been able to find a treasure chest using such equipment. Instead of seeking fortune, there are those who do this for fun. The name of the game is geocaching in which one person will hide a few items, give a few clues and let others find it. Once it is discovered, the finder will then change and replace a few things and the hunt starts all over again.

Geocaching isn't something new that developed because of the global positioning satellite or GPS. This game has been going on for more than 150 years and the introduction of new technology has simply taken it to a new level.

There are different ways by which people can play the game. A series of clues could lead the searches to a number of caches until the actual prize has been discovered. This will not only involve looking at the GPS unit but sometimes solving a puzzle because there isn't any challenge by just getting a fix on the location.

There are certain rules that players have to follow in the game. For instance, a variety of mediums are permitted to be used in giving out clues. Some examples are internet, SMS messaging, stamps, landmarks and anything else that may come to mind.

Once the cache has been found, the person should log one's name, the date and time it was discovered. In the event that the item can't be taken out, simply taking a picture is enough to determine who is the winner.

There are a lot of organizations that sponsor Geocaching such as the Geological Society of America. Smaller ones will offer free memberships while others will ask for a small fee.

You can work alone or in groups when looking for the prize. The most important thing to have of course is the GPS receiver because without it, other people will be able to find it first.

In the end, this is just for fun. The chances of finding some long lost treasure worth millions probably won't happen so those who are thinking of doing this shouldn't even bother.

Never Get Lost With A Magellan GPS

Many years ago, an explorer by the name of Magellan was able to sail from Portugal all the way to Asia. Because of this individual's triumph, a company that specializes in electronic equipment specifically global positioning satellite systems decided to name it after him.

Magellan GPS has been in the business of providing GPS receivers since 1978. This company is based in Santa Clara, California with another office located in France. All of its units are handheld and lightweight. This makes it easy for you to mount it on the windshield instead of holding it in the palm of your hand.

Before going on a trip, you just put in the address of the desired destination. The computer will then compute the distance and estimated time of arrival. Because it has real time updates, the user can change the route if there is traffic reported up ahead.

One example of this is the 2500T. It weights 7.8 oz, is waterproof in case it is brought out for camping, a rechargeable battery and has visual and audio guidance telling the driver when and where to make a turn. This little toy costs $499 and can be bought in an electronic store or online.

Another is the Roadmate 2000. It is just like the first model mentioned but is much cheaper for about $349. It has a set of preprogrammed maps and can be uploaded with new ones by simply connecting it to the Internet.

There are other uses for the Magellan GPS. In the event of a car theft, it will make it easy for the police to find it. Kids that are allowed to drive can be tracked so parents don’t have to worry when they aren't home yet.

As a result, businesses are also taking advantage of this technology. It allows entrepreneurs to locate where the trucks or the cabs are. After all, gas burns when such vehicles are on the move and it is only right that these are used properly.

There are other models that Magellan can offer to the public. The customer can visit its website or check these out together with other brands in stores. After trying a few, you can't go wrong with this handheld GPS receiver that will get you and the family to the desired destination.