2010 January | GPS Compare and Save

Interesting Facts About GPS

GPS is getting to be more a part of our everyday life all the time. If you buy a new car, there is a good chance that an option is available to get a GPS navigation system with it. It is only a matter of time before GPS navigation becomes a standard feature in every new car that rolls off the assembly line. Cell phone GPS is also growing by leaps and bounds. Right now. if you make an emergency phone call to the police or fire department from a hard – wired telephone the police know exactly where you are calling from. But not so with a mobile or cell phone. That, however, will soon change. Virtually, all new cell phones will soon have a GPS inside somewhere. Even photography is getting into the act. Some new cameras have a built in GPS so when you take a photo it tells you the latitude and longitude of where you were and stamps that information on the photo.

We tend to take GPS for granted in the same way we do the Internet. We assume it is almost free for everyone and available everywhere but that really isn’t true. GPS was first developed in the 1970s and is owned, operated and controlled by the United States military. If the US military wants to cut off or control your access to the GPS system they can. In fact prior to May of 2000 all civilian GPS units had limited access to the GPS system called Selective Availability. Prior to that date your GPS would work just fine, but would not be as accurate as military GPS units. Normal GPS accuracy is greater than 20 meters but with Selective Availability it is only 100 meters. Today however, all GPS receivers – military or civilian – have the same accuracy. So at the moment, GPS is free for everyone around the world. But in the future, if a terrorist group or country were to get access to GPS guided weapons, the US military could cut off their access to GPS by encrypting the signal.

The GPS system is made up of 24 military satellites circling the earth at an altitude of 11,000 miles such that at any given time and location a GPS receiver gets a signal from at least 6 of those satellites at a time. They are set up in 6 orbital paths with 4 satellites spaced evenly in each of the 6 orbits. Signals from these satellites are available anywhere on the earth, 24 hours a day and are not affected by the weather. Older GPS receivers just had one channel so they had to cycle through the 6 or more satellites one at a time but newer units have 10 parallel channels or more so you get faster more accurate information.

The biggest headache for GPS systems is the time it takes for the signal to get from the satellite to your receiver. The 6 satellites you get signals from will all be at different distances from you and are rotating the earth at high speed. So the signals your GPS receiver gets will not automatically be time synchronized. Because of this problem, the military has limited civilian GPS units so they don’t work if they are moving faster than 900 knots or above 60,000 feet in altitude. But most non-aviation GPS units will give error messages if you are moving faster than 90 miles per hour. Clearly, if you are standing still, a GPS will be a lot more accurate.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to GPS

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How to Choose a GPS

The first thing to decide is how you plan on using a GPS, and the second is how much you plan on spending on a GPS. Do you plan on using it in your car, for hiking and backpacking, or for hunting and/or fishing? Current GPS receivers are limited as to what they can do and are optimized for a specific purpose. There are GPS specifically for flying, others for hunting and/or fishing, and others for car navigation. A few are just an electronic map that shows your position on the map screen. Others have no maps at all and can be just fine if you just want to know your longitude/latitude.

If you plan on using your GPS in an automobile, there are several choices: a basic or mapping handheld receiver; a dedicated automotive receiver; a GPS with a PDA; or a Laptop GPS.

Although handheld units can be used in a car there are several disadvantages-the screen can be hard to see due to its small size and some units need to be placed forward on the dashboard where they can get a better signal. With a basic (non-mapping) unit you can tell where you are, as long as you have a paper map with you, to interpret that data.

A mapping unit is the more useful choice considering driving usually involves roads. A dedicated automotive receiver is larger than a handheld in order to accommodate a screen large enough to be seen while driving. They are powered by the car’s electrical system and because of this; they can only be used in a vehicle. Automotive units usually have voice instructions to allow you to navigate without taking your eyes off the road. Prices start at about $500 US.

A GPS with a PDA needs clear access to the sky for satellite reception. Some receivers have the antenna built in or have the capability for an external antenna. An antenna on the seat of your car may or may not work. The console is the next best place – reception may be questionable. An air vent mount is better and a windshield mount or the antenna placed all the way forward on the dashboard is better yet. The most reliable place is for an external antenna to be attached to the roof of your car.

A laptop GPS requires a CF with an external antenna, a Bluetooth GPS receiver, a mouse-type GPS receiver, or be connected via a cable to a handheld GPS unit so the receiver can be placed in a position for good reception. Of course a laptop is large, but the main advantage is a very large screen for maps. If you have a need for a laptop in your car, this may be the best choice and a mouse-type receiver is inexpensive.

If you plan on using your GPS for hunting or backpacking there are three choices, a basic handheld receiver, a mapping handheld receiver and GPS with a PDA. It is also recommended that in addition to your GPS, you should take a paper map, and magnetic compass, and extra batteries. Weight and size need to be considered when deciding which GPS to choose. A basic receiver does not have mapping abilities, however it will display your location in a format that you choose, and most likely latitude/longitude. Providing your paper maps have your chosen position format marked on them, your GPS will allow you to find your location on the map. If your maps don’t have the position format grids marked already, this is something you’ll want to do yourself. These are going to be the least expensive choices for GPS, often less than $100 US and are as accurate as more expensive units; they just don’t have as many features. The main feature they lack is mapping capability.

For hunting or fishing many handheld models include best hunting and fishing times for a given location and date. Mapping handheld receivers are often larger, heavier, and/or have shorter battery lives than basic units. Shorter battery life means carrying more extra batteries adding bulk and weight. With a mapping handheld unit you will have the benefit of having the maps displayed on your GPS. These also include other benefits such as a barometric altimeter, an electronic compass, games, and a calendar and you can plan your route ahead of time on your PC and upload it to your GPS. These units display pre-loaded maps and map detail is reflected by the size and resolution of the screen. This means that mapping units are generally larger than basic units. The downside of a GPS with a PDA is that it will drain your battery quicker and it also of the top of your PDA. Mapping units are more expensive than basic units; prices start at about $150 US unless you get one with Bluetooth capabilities which are more expensive. For fishing a chart plotter/GPS or a GPS sounder are also available. The chart plotter/GPS and GPS sounders usually have a lot of features and start at about $400 US.

Angela Carter is writer and senior administrator for CartersGPS.com, which sells quality gps systems.

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GPS Review – What To Look For

What makes a good GPS review?

It is more than difficult to find a good GPS review on the Internet. The reason is this: GPS devices all do the same thing. They show your location on an electronic map, and then show you how to get where you’re going. Now, by GPS device I mean a car GPS device that you buy separately from your automobile and either hang from a bracket on your windshield or put next to you on the seat.

So, the key to a good GPS review is understanding the features that various GPS devices offer at each price point.

What do all GPS devices have in common?

All car GPS devices that are on the market today have a touch screen where you can enter information into the unit, such as your destination address. All auto-calculate the route to that address, and all give you spoken directions of some sort as you drive to your destination. In addition to this, virtually all GPS devices come pre-loaded with maps, usually at least of the continental United States, have an internal battery for emergency use, and can toggle between 2D and 3D map views. (3D gives you a slightly more realistic view of what you should be seeing in front of you.)

There are exceptions to all of these rules, but almost all are in the older models.

Who are the industry leaders?

There are three main manufacturers of car GPS systems, Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom.

Garmin sells about one out of two of all the car GPS systems sold in the world. They are known for making a quality product. Magellan was an early leader in GPS systems that can route you to more than one destination. They do not have nearly the market share that Garmin has. Tom Tom is a late arrival who is quickly catching up. According to Tom Tom, their GPS system, the Tom Tom One, is the best selling system in the world.

What are the main features to look for in a GPS system?

In this GPS review, let’s start at the cheap end and work our way up.

You can buy a GPS devices for less than $200. The Garmin nuvi 200 and the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition currently sell for less than $200 at Amazon.

As you increase price, the main features you can add are

Voice prompts that actually say the street name

Cheaper GPS devices only tell you where to turn. They say something like, “Turn right, here.” A good feature to be aware of is having the GPS device actually say the street name of the road you need to turn on. So, instead of “Turn right, here,” a better GPS system would say, “Turn right on Highland Avenue,” or “Take a left onto the entrance to I-95.” Devices with spoken street names usually start around $300.

Another feature to look out for is real-time traffic and weather capability

Wouldn’t it be nice if your GPS device could not only tell you how to drive from Atlanta, Georgia to Charlotte, North Carolina, but could alert you to bad traffic conditions in time to take a detour? Well, many of the more expensive units can. How does your GPS device know what the traffic is like up ahead? GPS devices that have this capability are tuned to either an FM or satellite radio frequency that broadcasts this information. If your device has this function, then it will usually come with a free trial subscription to this service. After that, it’s going to cost you, but the cost is fairly low, especially considering how useful real-time traffic is. Along with real-time traffic usually comes real-time weather — an added bonus.

Any of the Garmin nuvis from the nuvi 350 up have FM traffic capability. The nuvi 350 runs slightly less than $300 at Amazon. If you want a Magellan that route you around hold ups, you’ll be paying $300 to $350. All of the Tom Tom’s have this capability, even the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition, which is one of the cheapest units on the market, currently running around $200.

Do you regularly use your cell phone while driving?

I know I do. It’s problematic to hold the cell phone in one hand and negotiate your way through heavy traffic on a busy interchange. If your phone supports Bluetooth technology you can get a GPS receiver with that same capability and actually use it to make and receive calls. You answer an incoming call by just tapping on the touch screen. You make an outgoing call by either entering the number in your GPS’s touch screen key pad or by accessing numbers stored in the device — downloaded from your phone when you first set up your receiver. So, now instead of wearing that silly Bluetooth headset and looking like a member of the Borg Collective, you can just have your GPS device do double duty. If you make a lot of calls while driving, this is definitely a feature you need to think about.

As to what Bluetooth is going to run you, the Garmin nuvi 360 is their lowest priced Bluetooth model. It currently sells for slightly more than $300. Virtually all of their upper end products have Bluetooth. Two of the Magellan Maestro series, the 3250 and the widescreen version, the 4250 have Bluetooth. They run around $280 and $350 respectively. The Tom Tom GO series has Bluetooth. They run anywhere from $350 to $900.

Multi-destination routing

It’s not something that I use much, but it’s definitely worth knowing about. Multi-destination routing means you can enter multiple routes into your GPS at one time and it will calculate the best route that includes all of your destinations.

Garmin Nuvi 750 does this, as well as a couple of their StreetPilot series. Most of the Magellan Maestro series does this – they can be programmed to hold up to 20 separate destinations. As for Tom Tom, the GO 510 can hold up to 15 routes. As to price, the nuvi 700s run anywhere from mid-$400s to almost $700. The Magellans are slightly less expensive, running from mid-$200s to the mid-$300s. The GO 510 costs slightly less than $500 at Amazon right now. The voice prompts, Bluetooth, and multi-destination routing are three of the more important features to consider.

Also, you want to keep in mind what maps your device comes with. And, almost as important, how many preprogrammed Points of Interest are included in its database.

Points of Interest

(POIs) are names, addresses, and phone numbers of possible destinations, anything from the nearest Starbucks to Yellowstone National Park. The lower priced units come with less than 1 million POIs. That’s not enough, if you’re going to be using this feature. For use outside of your normal travel routes, you really want a few million POIs. Virtually all GPS devices now come with this, except the lowest prices models, like the Garmin nuvi 200, which only has regional maps and less than 1 million POIs. (There’s nothing wrong with fewer POIs, if you’re not planning on needing them, but they sure can come in handy.)

Yet another feature to keep in mind is screen size. The standard size is 3.5 inches. This is measured on a diagonal. So the screen for the nuvi 270, for instance, measures 2.8″ by 2.1″. The so called widescreens measure 4.3 inches on the diagonal. You’re actually getting 70% more screen this way.

Why is screen size important?

It has to do with ease and safety of use while driving. Personally, I like a wide screen, but then again, my car is fairly big and has a big windshield. The difference in price between a regular screen and a widescreen is about $80. That might be money well spent. On the other hand, if you drive a smaller vehicle with less windshield area, the wider screen might be more of a hazard than a safety feature.

Currently at Amazon, Garmin nuvis (their newer product line) run from $179 for the nuvi 200 to $699 for the nuvi 770. The Magellan Maestros are running from $168 for the 3100 to $356 for the widescreen 4250. Tom Tom’s GPS systems are currently priced from slightly less than $200 for the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition, to $899 for the GO 700 (which is overpriced).

Whatever you do, don’t procrastinate. Even with a good GPS review, with all of these confusing choices it’s tempting to just wait for whatever the next model is going to be. What you’re missing by doing that is lots less stress while driving! Imagine, if you’re a guy being able to always (really) know where you’re going despite what your wife or girlfriend says. And, even better, if you’re a woman you won’t have to pester your husband or boyfriend to stop at the local gas station and admit that they’re lost – not an easy admission for a guy. (I should know!)

To get even more information about these wonderful devices, hop on over to my website. You can get the link down below.

Lee Cole is a GPS enthusiast who has spent countless hours learning about and using GPS devices. He runs an informative website called http://www.hotgpsdeals.com There you can get more information to help you compare GPS systems.

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What to Know When Buying a GPS

Why are GPS units showing up everywhere? You might find one in your rental car, on your wristwatch or even built into your wireless phone. Anti-theft systems use one, heavy construction equipment might use one and having one on your boat now seems to be a requirement. Anytime we want to know our exact location on the face of the Earth, the GPS becomes indispensable. Like many other technologies, feature rich GPS units are now affordable for the average person. So how do you know which one to purchase? Let’s look at few things to consider prior to buying your next GPS unit, but first, what is a GPS unit?

A GPS (Global Positioning System) unit has the primary function of calculating its own location on land or water by using satellite signals. Once the GPS unit knows its own location, it can help the user determine direction and distance to other known locations. For instance, a GPS on a boat can tell the captain how far it is to the shoreline or how far it is to a favorite fishing spot. For the outdoor sportsman a GPS can help with finding your campsite, your vehicle or your next geocache. Popular outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing, trail running, backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering and canoeing are all made more enjoyable and safer when you take along your GPS.

When buying a GPS system the first thing to consider is how you intend to use it. If you plan on using it while on foot, you’ll want a GPS that is lightweight, compact, weather resistant and that is equipped with features important to foot travel. WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) is one such feature. WAAS greatly increases the accuracy of your GPS, in most cases to within 10 feet. Accuracy within a few meters is important for the outdoor enthusiast but not nearly as important for navigating through town in your rental car. Next, be sure your GPS has at least 12 channels of reception too. Since your GPS will only work when it receives signals from satellites orbiting the Earth, less than 12 receiving channels will not get the job done in wooded areas or in steep terrain. If you plan on using your GPS to navigate while driving in your car, its weight is not nearly as important as its ability to display street maps. The GPS mounted to the dash of your truck probably doesn’t need to be weatherproof, but the one on your boat better be.

Here are the features and products I recommend. For the outdoor athlete or sportsman, be sure your GPS has these features: topographical mapping, back tracking, a computer interface, weatherproofing, 12 receiver channels and WAAS. I recommend portable GPS units in the Garmin eTrex Series and the Magellan Meridian Series. For driving applications, be sure your GPS has these features: street mapping, large display, a computer interface and external antenna compatibility. I recommend automotive GPS units in the Garmin StreetPilot Series and the Magellan RoadMate Series. For boating and other marine applications, be sure your GPS has these features: marine mapping, color screen, active sonar, back tracking, a computer interface and weatherproofing. I recommend marine GPS Units in the Garmin GPSMAP Series.

Prices for GPS units vary a great deal and in general, you get what you pay for. While some units cost around $100 and offer relatively few features, others may cost as much as $1000 or even more and are loaded with dozens of features. Here is a good rule of thumb for determining how much money to spend on your next GPS. You should expect to pay between $200 and $300 to get a decent GPS Unit. I own a Garmin eTrex Vista. I believe it is the best GPS available for under $300.

If you don’t have a GPS or yours is more than five years old, now’s the time to get one. Adding a new GPS to your inventory of backcountry toys will take your outdoor adventures to a new level of enjoyment. Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!

Chuck Fitzgerald is the owner of Arizona based BackCountry Toys, an online specialty store with the “Best Gear Out There” and dedicated to helping outdoor enthusiasts to “Get It Right The First Time” with timely educational information. Please visit http://www.BackCountryToys.com to find great gear and to receive the Fact & Tips e-newsletter, “FreshAir”; (800) 316-9055.

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Where Can I Find A GPS For My Car And What Should I Look Out For

Where can I find a GPS for my car? If you are like a lot of people these days, you’ve been asking yourself that question. You want a vehicle GPS, but don’t know where to start. You have spent hours checking all the online GPS websites but are more confused than ever. So let’s go over some of the GPS basics.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It is a technology that lets you quickly figure out where you are, anytime and anywhere. GPS consists of a number of dedicated satellites that were placed into space and allow anyone who has a GPS receiver to determine their position anywhere on the globe within just a few feet. The system was originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense as a guidance and navigational tool, but is now being used in commercial and civil markets for transportation, mapping, surveying and rescue operations, and numerous other uses.

The use of GPS for navigation and mapping is a natural. With a GPS receiver on board, you’re never lost. And you even know how fast you’re going, what altitude you’re at, and how long it’s going to take to get to your destination. Many new cars come with GPS systems, and rental cars have had them for years to keep people from getting lost. While factory-integrated GPS systems in cars are still fairly expensive, you can pick up a standalone system from online GPS stores for amazingly little money.

But before you buy a vehicle GPSyou first need to decide what type you need. For example, if you plan on using GPS both in your car and with a computer, you may want to buy a GPS receiver that wirelessly connects to a laptop or handheld computer via Bluetooth. The advantage of these small GPS “pucks” is that you can use them with more than one computer.

If you want flexibility, you may be interested in a handheld computer that comes with an integrated GPS receiver and works both as a Pocket PC and a GPS. Such systems often come bundled with a suction cup windshield mount. The advantage of a PDA/GPS combo is that you can also use it to listen to music, watch video, or even do email or browse the web if it has wireless communications capabilities.

If you’re only interested in mapping, you want a dedicated GPS, one of those handy little gadgets that quickly and easily mount in any car and locate satellites within seconds. The advantage of dedicated GPS units is that their displays are landscape oriented, just like those of integrated units. Landscape makes it easier to see what’s going on.

Once you have decided what type of GPS you want, you must make sure it is easy to use and operate. This is where it gets tricky, as even the best GPS websites do not always have full reviews of vehicle GPS. Trust me, even though everyone uses the same maps, the difference between a good GPS and a mediocre one is huge. Fortunately, there are some GPS websites that do have fairly detailed reviews.

So how do you find a GPS online? And where do you find a GPS at the best price? Or even a used or refurbished one if cost is a priority? There are many ways, but personally, I’ve had good luck with auction sites. There are even some that specialize just on GPS!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Tips for Auto GPS Systems or Majon’s Automotive directory

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GPS Compare and Save

Tracking the Best Prices on GPS Navigation Systems

Interesting Facts About GPS

How to Choose a GPS

What to Know When Buying a GPS

Where Can I Find A GPS For My Car And What Should I Look Out For

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