Thursday 11 June 2009

GPS Systems

By Colin Samuels

Getting a quality GPS system has become something that almost all motorists want for their cars. If you get your hands on a great GPS system to install into your car, you are going to be able to see some great results. You will not have to print off a novels worth of directions from your computer, and spending days messing around with bulky maps will be a thing of the past. A GPS system will also help you avoid any kind of traffic obstruction that could hinder you from getting to where you need to go. Being able to avoid things like traffic jams will greatly reduce stress during your travel time, and what motorist will not be able to appreciate that? Having an exceptional GPS system can be just as important to travel as having an excellent sound system in their car. There are countless consumers that are dying to know just how these systems work. Are they really worth spending the money to put in your car?

The basic functioning of a GPS device is to pinpoint a person in an exact spot on the globe. What consumers purchase is technically a Global Positioning System receiver, not a GPS per say. The GPS, the real GPS, is a constellation of more than two dozen satellites the United States military installed in an earth orbit. These satellites orbit the earth twice a day. The GPS receivers consumers can buy are able to locate at least four satellites at any given time and determine the distance to each. This process results in the GPS receiver being able to pinpoint its own location on the globe.

While GPS receivers are able to operate under a wide variety of different circumstances, they are not always completely perfect. For example, a GPS can be very accurate during most all weather situations and no matter what time of the day it happens to be. Unfortunately GPS can be blocked by things like thick forests and other dense obstacles.

Signals that are sent to a GPS are technically free to get, but it is through the paid services that motorists are able to successfully navigate from place to place. Thanks to the great computerized backing systems that GPS have, you will be able to access many great extras to make your travel even more easy than it has ever been. The features that you receive with a paid service will include road map functioning, allowing you to download information that assists in walking your way right through to your travel destination. There are many systems that can help a driver go from point-to-point, while giving turn-by-turn instructions along the way.

Road map functioning " A GPS receiver can be used in conjunction with downloadable road maps to walk a motorist through a trip. Some devices will even determine the best route to take a driver from Point A to Point B and give turn-by-turn verbal directions along the way.

Real-time traffic updates " Some services enable motorists to receive real-time traffic updates as they travel along a route. Intuitive services will help motorists avoid jams ahead and provide them alternative routes to take to avoid problems.

Trip planning " When the GPS system is backed by a computerized service, motorists can receive invaluable information for trip planning. Not only will a GPS system in a car determine the best route for a motorist to take, but it can also calculate travel time, distance and other important factors.

So now you know that a good GPS system is going to be able to assist you in knowing exactly where you are -- at all times -- while you are driving.

When you go ahead and supercharge your GPS, you are really going to be able to travel with ease.

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