Tips On How To Decide On A Gps Or Satnav Right For Walkers
What exactly is GPS?
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a satellite-based navigation system (hence they are also called SAT NAV) made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. Sat nav was initially intended for military applications, however in the 1980s, the federal government made the system accessible for civilian use. Sat nav works in any weather situations, anywhere on the planet, 24 hrs every day. There are no subscription costs or setup charges to make use of Sat nav.
How it performs
Sat nav satellites circle the world twice per day in a very specific orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers acquire this information and use triangulation to calculate the user's precise situation. Fundamentally, the Sat nav receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it had been received. The time difference tells the Sat nav receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from several more satellites, the receiver may identify the user's place and show it on the unit's electronic map.
Today's GPS receivers are extremely accurate, thanks to their parallel multi-channel construction. When very first switched on they lock onto satellites and so they keep strong locks, even in dense foliage or urban settings with tall buildings.
Using GPS or SAT NAV for Walking
Regardless of whether you are out for a leisurely trek or a high energy walk in rough terrain knowing specifically where you happen to be at all times is particularly helpful, particularly bearing in mind how very easily the local weather can change. For walking you really require a device that uses Ordnance survey maps as these are really valuable when exploring a spot on foot or following a predetermined path an excellent Gps will mean you can know even if you're just a few feet away from the footpath. It is extremely desirable since you can see right away where that you're and also the particulars on the display are precisely precisely the same as a paper map. For this reason a dedicated outdoors GPS gadget is surely an appealing option for most walkers not least because of their robustness and ease of use.
PDAs and Smartphones are perhaps the most affordable way to get Ordnance Survey mapping on to a Sat nav, however, the downside is that they're not as rugged as a devoted unit for walkers. The brightness of the display might be an issue with cell phones in particular on a bright day. Dedicated Sat Navs aren't cheap and really the only one on the market dedicated to walkers is the SatMap. The quality and usefulness of these devices is improving all of the time. We, consequently, recommend the SatMap Active 10, a sat nav for walkers that we here at My Outdoor Store, use extensively ourselves.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a satellite-based navigation system (hence they are also called SAT NAV) made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. Sat nav was initially intended for military applications, however in the 1980s, the federal government made the system accessible for civilian use. Sat nav works in any weather situations, anywhere on the planet, 24 hrs every day. There are no subscription costs or setup charges to make use of Sat nav.
How it performs
Sat nav satellites circle the world twice per day in a very specific orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers acquire this information and use triangulation to calculate the user's precise situation. Fundamentally, the Sat nav receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it had been received. The time difference tells the Sat nav receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from several more satellites, the receiver may identify the user's place and show it on the unit's electronic map.
Today's GPS receivers are extremely accurate, thanks to their parallel multi-channel construction. When very first switched on they lock onto satellites and so they keep strong locks, even in dense foliage or urban settings with tall buildings.
Using GPS or SAT NAV for Walking
Regardless of whether you are out for a leisurely trek or a high energy walk in rough terrain knowing specifically where you happen to be at all times is particularly helpful, particularly bearing in mind how very easily the local weather can change. For walking you really require a device that uses Ordnance survey maps as these are really valuable when exploring a spot on foot or following a predetermined path an excellent Gps will mean you can know even if you're just a few feet away from the footpath. It is extremely desirable since you can see right away where that you're and also the particulars on the display are precisely precisely the same as a paper map. For this reason a dedicated outdoors GPS gadget is surely an appealing option for most walkers not least because of their robustness and ease of use.
PDAs and Smartphones are perhaps the most affordable way to get Ordnance Survey mapping on to a Sat nav, however, the downside is that they're not as rugged as a devoted unit for walkers. The brightness of the display might be an issue with cell phones in particular on a bright day. Dedicated Sat Navs aren't cheap and really the only one on the market dedicated to walkers is the SatMap. The quality and usefulness of these devices is improving all of the time. We, consequently, recommend the SatMap Active 10, a sat nav for walkers that we here at My Outdoor Store, use extensively ourselves.
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