GPS : Computer Hardware Buyers’ Glossary

I used my brother’s unit and discovered I live at: Latitude N+48° 26’ 188”, Longitude W-123° 21’ 158”.

Contrary to what you may have heard on a science channel on TV, GPS units are passive. They don’t broadcast anything to the satellites. If they did, the hand held units would need hugely more power, and the satellites would need the processing power to simultaneously handle millions of conversations.

The electronics are so compact they can easily fit into a hand held unit, a cell phone, a lap top, an automobile, a boat, wrist-mounted compass etc. Some units have Bluetooth connectivity. Some have built-in maps of entire continents so they can display where you are or direct you to where you want to go by roads. Some speak. Some take voice input.

The GPS scheme was originally developed by the US military for use in guiding weaponry. At first they hobbled its accuracy for civilian use, then dropped that on the understanding they might shut the system down at any time that they felt the GPS system might be used for military purposes against US interests. The military then built an even more accurate system strictly for military use.

People hide treasures for strangers to find then post the GPS coordinates on the web. The game is to hike the remote spot, possibly climbing cliffs, then searching for the treasure. They call this geocaching.

Spot is a two-way GPS service that sends your location to a satellite where it can be relayed to 911 emergency service or your friends. It costs $170.00 USD for the unit and $8.50 USD a month.

	recommend Amazon⇒Garmin 3.5 inch Portable Navigator
	asin: B000UU7ZPS
Gives directions using real street names for North America and Hawaii.
amazon.de amazon.co.uk amazon.es amazon.ca amazon.fr amazon.com amazon.it
Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock