What is GPS?

Ever found youself scratching your head trying to decipher a map? If so, maybe you should invest in a GPS. If you are new to the world of GPS, be rest assured this nifty device will make your driving alot easier! GPS stands for global positioning system and is a satellite based positioning technology that is used for navigation. Once a very sophisticated technology, used only in the military, has now become a widespread commercial product. Satellite Navigation is a two element system that has a display unit (the screen in which you interact with) and a GPS data receiver. The GPS satellites send signals to the reciever and that information is then sent to the display unit, these signals are then detectected and the GPS unit is able to identify its exact position on the planet. The onboard GPS software interprets its position and will relay its location to the user in the form of a local map.

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Common uses of Sat Nav are for simple route finding around a country, or your city. It can help you located street names, tourist attractions and even postcodes to a great degree of accuracy. Most systems now have the ability to re-plot your course, should you take a wrong turn and even warn you of busy traffic spots or speeding camera positions (although of course you would never speed right?!).

The Sat nav units are also able to store information on popular destinations, such as “home” or “work”, so these common locations can be quickly revisited for ease of use. Although, for safety’s sake i would recommend never leaving “Home” stored into your GPS. The reason being, that if someone manages to hotwire your car, or steal your keys, they can drive straight to your (probably empty) home.

One problem with Sat Nav units is the way in which maps can become outdated, however most modern units can be updated for free online, by the Manufacturers own updating services. This enables the user to keep their local maps up to date and avoid taking a slower route to your destination. If you like your car journeys to be stress free, or simply hate reading maps, don’t hesitate to try a GPS – You won’t ever look back!