GPS and RFID Package Tracking

It was not that many years ago that package tracking was almost totally guesswork. If you ordered something that needed to be shipped to you it might arrive in 3 days or 3 weeks and where the package was in between the shipper and you was a complete mystery. All of that is changing not only because of GPS tracking but also because of radio frequency identification (RFID).

GPS is a wonderful technology that is revolutionizing many areas of our lives; but it is simply too expensive to put a GPS receiver on every box, package or envelope that is shipped. But it really isn't necessary to GPS track every package. Inevitably packages are in a building, or a truck, so all you need to know is which truck or building has your package and where the building or truck is. Buildings obviously don't move so you don't need to GPS track the packages in a building you simply need to know constantly exactly what packages are in the building.

Shipping and delivery trucks, of course, are a different matter. Trucks must be GPS tracked in order to track the packages in them. Very soon every new delivery truck that hits the roads will have a fully integrated GPS tracking system. Older trucks will end up being updated with GPS, sooner rather than later, or the trucks will be likely retired completely. GPS in shipping trucks is used primarily to let the shipper and shipping company know where the packages are. The GPS can also be used for navigation, but most truckers already know their territory and don't need GPS navigation. The big push for GPS-equipped delivery trucks is for tracking packages.

So the only thing left to make the system work is to electronically tag each package. In the state of the art system of the near future packages will be identified by RFID. It will not be long before a RFID electronic tag will be attached to almost all packages shipped everywhere. Unlike current bar coding systems, RFID electronic tags do not require a visual scan and can carry significantly more information. Bar coding is almost everywhere these days, but it requires a close and accurate visual scan by a bar code reader. It is simply too slow and often inaccurate. RFID tags on the other hand require only that the package be within radio frequency range of the RFID receiver or RFID interrogator. The days of running a package under a visual scanner by hand are almost over.

Even today most shipping companies have prototype shipping and delivery trucks with fully integrated RFID interrogators, RFID antennas, GPS tracking and a cellular computer network to tie it all together. Factories, shipping and mail centers are also starting to use RFID throughout their facilities so they know exactly what packages are in their facilities. So the package-tracking circle will soon be complete. The package sends, or is induced to send, out a radio frequency signal, the RFID interrogator inside the back of the truck or in the building picks up the signal, the computer network on the truck or in the building sends out a cellular message letting the shippers computer know what is where and finally the GPS system tells the shipper where the truck is if the package is currently on a truck.

Autor: Michael Russell

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to GPS

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/index.php

Technorati tags: gps, rfid

Police see rise in thefts of GPS devices

Global positioning systems join stereos, cellular phones and iPods among key targets of vehicle burglars.

First it was car stereos, sunglasses and wallets.

Then cellular telephones, laptop computers and iPods added to the list as targets for vehicle burglars.

Now there's something else to worry about leaving in the car: global positioning systems.

Los Angeles police have received 10 GPS theft reports in less than a month in the Harbor Area, prompting an alert to residents to hide the devices when they park their cars.

"It's a fairly new trend," Harbor Division Capt. Dave Lindsay said.

Police received two theft reports Wednesday night from Harbor Gateway and San Pedro. One car was parked in front of a house, the other at an apartment building.

"I'm trying to get the word out before it becomes dozens," Lindsay said.

Most people, Lindsay said, believe the devices are part of their cars and not subject to theft. But many of the portable units are stuck on the dashboard with Velcro and are easy to steal.

"We are seeing more of that," Torrance police Lt. Rod Irvine said. "Even the in-dash mounted ones. We are seeing those taken along with (head-rest) DVD systems."

Although a new trend here, police across the country already have been dealing with the crime. Police at Stanford University in Palo Alto and Brandeis University in Massachusetts issued alerts to students recently to make them aware of the thefts in campus parking lots.

"It is not uncommon for suspects to walk down a row of vehicles and check vehicle doors to see if they are unlocked," the Stanford alert posted in March on the Internet said. "Suspects have been targeting vehicles parked in campus parking structures, as well as those near residential dormitories."

Last month, police in Suffolk County, N.Y., arrested two men spotted pulling at a car's door handle, breaking the window and removing the GPS units.

A man sitting in his car eating M&Ms watched them and called the police. Officers took the thieves to jail, recovered five stolen GPS devices, other stolen goods and suspected the men were responsible for thefts at malls in three Long Island communities.

New global positioning systems cost anywhere from $300 to $800. Thieves tell officers they sell the devices on eBay and on street corners, Suffolk County police Detective Sgt. Steven Bluethgen said.

Bluethgen said that during the last year, thieves hit his jurisdiction outside New York City in spurts, targeting 10 cars at a time in mall and train station parking lots.

"We are definitely seeing an increase in the thefts," Bluethgen said. "They'll hit the new car dealerships and rip them out."

Thieves move between parked cars, smashing windows and grabbing the devices, Bluethgen said.

The problem can be solved, police said, if motorists take the GPS units with them when they park, or put them in the trunk. That's the same advice they give for laptops, cell phones and MP3 players.

"A lot of them will just clip in and out," the LAPD's Lindsay said. "Just keep them out of sight just like any of the other valuables."

source: www.dailybreeze.com

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Practical Uses for Your GPS

The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the US Department of Defense for military use. The device serves the military for air and sea navigation throughout the world for tracking and navigation purposes. On top of military applications, many are finding that there are commercial uses for the GPS. GPS units today are now indispensable units for even average people.

Navigation

Perhaps the most popular form of GPS is in cars. Brands such as Garmin, TomTom and Megellan dominate the industry. So why are GPS units popular with cars? Of course, you get the benefits of knowing where you are at in a region or location. However, with voice navigation, GPS units can tell you where to turn or provide you with alternative routes to get to a destination. All of this is done through the convenience of voice navigation that allows you to concentrate on driving, not on a LCD screen in a car. Moreover, car GPS units can help with efficiently getting you to the right place, which can save your gas consumption.

There are plenty of other navigation applications. For boat owners, GPS units can aid one’s navigation through large bodies of water such as lakes and oceans. Another application is that it can allow you to mark exactly where a person has fallen overboard. This is ideal for emergency situations.

Hikers, too, can determine where they are in a long trail by use of the GPS unit. One can load maps in a GPS that can show where in the trail they are at and how close to other locations such as roads or buildings. Waypoints (points of interest) can also be entered in the map so that you will know how far you are from a specific waypoint.

Interestingly, even in commercial flights, individuals are able to locate their current location over land through a GPS device. More airline companies are allowing passengers to use GPS to track their movements over land since it rarely interferes with the plane’s electronic equipment.

Tracking Devices

A GPS can be equipped with a tracking unit. A tracking unit allows another party to track a location of an individual or a vehicle by use of the GPS. Essentially, the tracking information is stored in the tracking unit, which can be transmitted to a central database by satellite or radio modem in the unit. Another party can then pinpoint the person by another GPS unit.

For commercial trucking companies, tracking devices are used to monitor company fleet vehicle locations. This is ideal for supply chain management as one can determine the location of parts or products throughout the world. Today, corporations can benefit from real time applications with global positioning systems.

Concerned parents can also use tracking units to determine where a child or teen is. The tracking system allows them to track every move of the child, even if the parent is on the other side of the state. A parent would simply stick a tracking unit in a car or a child’s bag, thus allowing them to be tracked through the parent’s GPS map. This application is useful for parents of teens who often get in trouble.

Although the tracking applications do have benefits, there is a growing concern about privacy. Before buying a tracking unit for the GPS, consider how it will impact someone’s privacy.

More people are now buying GPS units for commercial or individual use. Although the applications explained here are more of the common uses of a GPS, there are plenty of other applications that can benefit your lifestyle.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to GPS

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

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GPS Tracking System - Know Where Your Kids Are

Has your kid recently obtained a driving license? Now you are probably constantly worried if she or he is driving safely. And you also wonder where they go. There is a little piece of modern technology that can help parents who are worried about whereabouts of their children - it is called GPS tracking system.

With GPS tracking you can reasonably accurately know where your son's or daughter's car is at any given time.

GPS tracking system benefits for you:

- Knowing the location of your children
- Monitoring your kids driving skills and habits
- Easy to find a car if it has been stolen
- Safety of your teenage kids

GPS tracking system is important for your kid's safety

We all know that young drivers are often at risk. They are less experienced and more arrogant than those who have been driving for many years. Teenagers are more likely to take unnecessary risks and drive at high speed. But luckily for you, you can monitor their speed too. GPS tracking systems offer speed monitoring. So you will always know if your kids don't obey the road rules.

Also if their car breaks down or there is an accident, GPS system will tell you straight away. Even if your child has no idea where he or she is, GPS tracking will give you an accurate location. You receive the data from the tracking system to your home computer or even mobile phone in real time.

Knowing where your kids are

And of course, the main function of GPS tracking system is to tell you the exact location of your child's car. So if, for example, you don't want them to drive certain busy and dangerous roads or go to certain places, you will know if they go there or not. This way he or she can't say that they go to the city library to study, but go to a party instead.

GPS tracking installation

Most systems are small and easy to install. They are only about a size of your TV remote control and are usually powered by batteries that need to be changed about once a month. The technology itself is free and is controlled by US government, so there will be no monthly fees. You only pay for the hardware and the software once. Tracking devices are not cheap - a good one will cost you 400-500 dollars. However, when you think that you are really investing in the safety of your family, it is a small price to pay.

Should you tell your kids that there is a tracking device in their car or not? Tracking other people cars without the knowledge of the owner is illegal, but that doesn't apply to parents tracking their kids. So it is really up to you. However, it might be a good idea to tell your teens that you are installing a tracking device for their safety. If you install it secretly and than your son or daughter finds out that he or she has been tracked, they will never believe it is for their own good.

Autor: Tanya Turner

Tanya Turner publishes GPS System Central On this website you can find information and buying advice about different types of GPS systems including GPS tracking system

Added: April 5, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

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GPS - Basic Definition

GPS (Global Positioning Systems) have been around for quite some time now. Its first use was with the military, but they have more recently been associated with civilian navigation devices. The latter is the topic of this discussion.

There are three components necessary for the success of a Global Positioning System. Those components are made up of 24 satellites, GPS Receivers, and ground stations. Each component must work in harmony or there will be inaccurate readings. A brief description of each and their functionality follows.

• GPS Receivers act just as their name indicates. They receive information from the chosen satellites using radio waves to calculate their exact location. Once this information has been received, feedback is provided to the user.
• Ground stations have a two-fold operation. The first is to ensure the health of the satellite. The second is to respond to the satellite with its exact location. This location is very important as it is used to later determine the exact coordinates of a GPS device.
• Satellites determine the coordinates of a GPS device using trilateration. Basically, three satellites use radio signals to determine the total distance from the GPS device. This can become very complicated because of a variety of interference possibilities. Therefore, most civilian GPS systems use additional satellites to increase accuracy.

GPS systems continue to grow in popularity. There is a belief they will one day be as common as the telephone or television. There is also a belief that the high popularity will help to push builders into furthering the technology with improvements much in the same way as the cellular phone in recent years.

Autor: James D. Allen

James D. Allen is the successful small business owner of Happy Jays, Inc, a provider of GPS equipment and accesories. You may find all of your GPS and Fish Finder needs at http://www.happyjaysgps.com Remember to "Find your way at Happy Jays!"

Added: April 18, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/index.php

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Lion Monitoring in South Africa

Everyday, at dusk and dawn, hop into a 4x4 and set off into the South African bush to track lions. Literally. The i-to-i lion monitoring venture is exactly what it says it is. Volunteers set out with trained trackers and rangers and use radio telemetry to seek out the lion prides. Due to the terrain, the tracking is often taken out of the 4x4 and on foot into the bush. The main focus of the tracking is to record the lions behavior. This includes diet, interactions with hyenas and jackals, and general movements using GPS coordinators. While out in the field, the trackers use every presented opportunity as a time for education, whether they spot a giraffe or a grasshopper. When volunteers return back to the station, they enter their information into data capturing programs on the stations computers and see it broken down for them.

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Lockheed Martin Receives $6 Million Contract to Add Additional GPS Signal to Modernized Satellite

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin LMT a $6 million contract to develop and integrate a demonstration payload that will temporarily transmit a third civil signal on a modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite.

This new contract directs Lockheed Martin and its navigation payload supplier ITT in Clifton, N.J. to provide an on-orbit demonstration capability for the new civil signal. The signal, located on the L5 frequency (1176MHz) will comply with international radio frequency spectrum requirements. The Block IIR-M spacecraft with the demonstration payload is planned for launch in 2008.

"We are pleased the Air Force has entrusted Lockheed Martin to provide this important on-orbit demonstration on a Block IIR-M spacecraft," said Don DeGryse, Lockheed Martin's vice president of Navigation Systems. "We take great pride in the programmatic and on-orbit performance of the GPS IIR-M spacecraft and look forward to helping our customer with this initiative."

Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Valley Forge, Pa., is the prime contractor for the GPS IIR program. The company designed and built 21 IIR spacecraft for the Global Positioning Systems Wing, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. The final eight spacecraft, designated Block IIR-M, were modernized to enhance operations and navigation signal performance for military and civilian GPS users around the globe. ITT supplied all 21 navigation payloads for both the IIR and IIR-M spacecraft.

The GPS constellation provides critical situational awareness and precision weapon guidance for the military. The worldwide system also supports a wide range of civil, scientific and commercial functions -- from air traffic control to the Internet -- with precision location and timing information.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.

Media Contact: Steve Tatum, 408-742-7531; e-mail, Stephen.o.tatum@lmco.com.

Copyright 2007 PR Newswire

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Cell Phone GPS Surveillance

Boyfriends are using it to stalk their girlfriends, employers are using it to track their employees and parents are using it to control their kids. But, is it legal? The cell phone GPS surveillance industry is exploding. In the next few years it is expected to be a 20 billion dollar a year industry.

For a relatively small fee you can contact a cell phone provider and turn a portable phone into a surveillance and tracking device. But in most countries surveillance of an individual without their explicit consent is against the law. Whether it be monitoring whom you call, the contents of the conversation or your location it is a violation of privacy laws in just about all civilized countries around the world. You either need a law court's permission or that person's documented consent to use a cell phone GPS surveillance device to monitor them. Unfortunately the new technology is being used illegally far to often.

A terrifying example of abuse of cell phone GPS surveillance occurred recently in Oregon in the USA. A wife divorced her husband because he was trying to control everything she did. This type of situation is not unusual. Often the ex-husband will continue to stalk and try to control his ex-wife long after the divorce. In this case everywhere she went he would follow. There was nothing she could do to shake him off night or day. She was justifiably afraid he would kill her. If you look through the history of murders this situation often ends up being the motive. An excessively controlling man feels that he is losing his wife or ex-wife and in a fit of rage murders her as the ultimate act of control. She complained to the police but there was not much they could do. After several months of this going on the police checked her vehicle and found a cell phone behind the dashboard. The ex-husband had purchased a cell phone with GPS surveillance, hooked it up so that it's battery was charged by the car's battery and set the cell phone to silent answer. At any time he could call the cell phone and unless she was out for a long walk he would know exactly where she was and could even listen in on conversations going on in the car.

Unfortunately, your own cell phone can be used against you in a similar fashion if you are not careful. All it takes is for someone else to get a hold of your portable phone for about 5 minutes without you knowing about it. They can go on the Internet, register your phone with a cell phone GPS surveillance service and pay for it with their own credit card. All of this can happen without you knowing about it. The service will send several messages to your phone right away notifying you that you are being tracked but if the person erases those messages you will never know they set up GPS surveillance on you.

This GPS surveillance technology is not just for cell phones. It is showing up in a variety of portable electronic devices. It appears that watches will be the next big item to integrate GPS surveillance and tracking. Even today you can buy any of a dozen or more Timex watches that have integrated GPS tracking and surveillance. But along with this incredible micro technology goes a huge legal problem. Currently the software for these GPS surveillance devices does not contain significant safeguards against legal and privacy abuses but hopefully that will change before things get out of control.

Autor: Michael Russell

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Surveillance

Added: April 18, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/index.php

Technorati tags: gps, cell phone

What Can A GPS Handheld Unit Do For The Hiker?

Handheld GPS units are a hikers best friend. Any hiker knows that being able to find your way around, especially in wilderness areas, is important. Hikers also know two of the deterrents to hiking in the wilderness are how to find the head trail and then how not to get lost during the hike. A handheld GPS unit can give people the freedom to explore the experience hiking in the wilderness areas that they have not attempted before.

A typical handheld GPS unit is powered by standard batteries and is 2 to 3 inches wide and 4 to 6 inches long. These handheld GPS units have a small screen which shows an icon representing your current location and pre-plotted locations. Various models also have maps showing roads and streams, topography, etc.

Handheld GPS units which can be used for hiking in the wilderness, use satellites orbiting over 12,000 miles above the earth to determine the position of the handheld GPS unit on the ground. It does this by using travel times to the handheld GPS unit's signals being emitted from some of the 24 Navstar satellites. Consumer grade handheld GPS units need to receive signals from at least three of these satellites to calculate your "XY" or map coordinated position. At least four of these satellites are needed to also calculate your altitude.

There are several physical elements which may prevent a handheld GPS unit from receiving a satellittes signals. Mountains, canyon walls, high metropolitan buildings, and dense forest growth can limit the number of low in the sky satellites that are visible and therefore useable by the handheld GPS unit.

Once a handheld GPS unit has a location fixed in it, here's what it may do for you while you are hiking in the wilderness.

1. Waypoints: A waypoint is a single point location. It can be saved in the handheld GPS unit's memory. As you are hiking in the wilderness you can see your current position in relation to the point you want to go to. Waypoints may be created and saved in the handheld GPS unit's memory before leaving for your trip or while you are in the field exploring. Sometimes a series of waypoints are sequentially linked to form a route.

2. Routes: A route is a series of locations that are linked in sequence to describe a path along which you intend to hike in the wilderness. The maximum number of positions that can go into a route varies depending on the type and model handheld GPS unit you have.

3. Tracks: A track is essentially a route that is made up of many linked sequential locations which a handheld GPS unit automatically creates and saves as you hike in the wilderness. This is analogous with leaving markers along a trail, so you can retrace your path that your came in on while hiking in the wilderness. This helps the hiker avoid getting lost while enjoying and exploring in the wilderness.

Waypoints, routes, and tracks are the three principal categories of locations that are fixed by a hiker in a handheld GPS unit. An understanding of these three basic categories gives the hiker insight into how a handheld GPS unit can help one navigate and explore safely while hiking in the wilderness. It can be used to preplan trips and to guide the hiker along their from their start to the destination and back again. A handheld GPS unit is ideal for the hiker to track and show them where they are going, where they have been and to reverse the course and return the hiker safely to their starting point.

Beth Appel is the author of this article. She is a member of the staff at http://www.gpseasynavigation.com which sells handheld GPS Units for outdoor adventures. She has a degree in English and Social Studies education from Fairleigh Dickenson University and is certified in Holocaust Education from Stockton State.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beth_Appel

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GPS and RFID Package Tracking

It was not that many years ago that package tracking was almost totally guesswork. If you ordered something that needed to be shipped to you it might arrive in 3 days or 3 weeks and where the package was in between the shipper and you was a complete mystery. All of that is changing not only because of GPS tracking but also because of radio frequency identification (RFID).

GPS is a wonderful technology that is revolutionizing many areas of our lives; but it is simply too expensive to put a GPS receiver on every box, package or envelope that is shipped. But it really isn't necessary to GPS track every package. Inevitably packages are in a building, or a truck, so all you need to know is which truck or building has your package and where the building or truck is. Buildings obviously don't move so you don't need to GPS track the packages in a building you simply need to know constantly exactly what packages are in the building.

Shipping and delivery trucks, of course, are a different matter. Trucks must be GPS tracked in order to track the packages in them. Very soon every new delivery truck that hits the roads will have a fully integrated GPS tracking system. Older trucks will end up being updated with GPS, sooner rather than later, or the trucks will be likely retired completely. GPS in shipping trucks is used primarily to let the shipper and shipping company know where the packages are. The GPS can also be used for navigation, but most truckers already know their territory and don't need GPS navigation. The big push for GPS-equipped delivery trucks is for tracking packages.

So the only thing left to make the system work is to electronically tag each package. In the state of the art system of the near future packages will be identified by RFID. It will not be long before a RFID electronic tag will be attached to almost all packages shipped everywhere. Unlike current bar coding systems, RFID electronic tags do not require a visual scan and can carry significantly more information. Bar coding is almost everywhere these days, but it requires a close and accurate visual scan by a bar code reader. It is simply too slow and often inaccurate. RFID tags on the other hand require only that the package be within radio frequency range of the RFID receiver or RFID interrogator. The days of running a package under a visual scanner by hand are almost over.

Even today most shipping companies have prototype shipping and delivery trucks with fully integrated RFID interrogators, RFID antennas, GPS tracking and a cellular computer network to tie it all together. Factories, shipping and mail centers are also starting to use RFID throughout their facilities so they know exactly what packages are in their facilities. So the package-tracking circle will soon be complete. The package sends, or is induced to send, out a radio frequency signal, the RFID interrogator inside the back of the truck or in the building picks up the signal, the computer network on the truck or in the building sends out a cellular message letting the shippers computer know what is where and finally the GPS system tells the shipper where the truck is if the package is currently on a truck.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to GPS

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

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Nokia N800 - PC In Your Pocket!

The launch of the latest internet tablet from Nokia, the Nokia N800, was announced at the Las Vegas CES summit held in January 2007. Since that day all the technophiles have been keen to know about the latest gizmo in the market but only few people actually have been able to unravel this mystery. A smart upgrade of the stylish Nokia 770, the N800 is based on Nokia"s Maemo Linux platform.

The OS is the latest developed by Nokia and is called the Internet Tablet OS 2007 edition which is a significantly improvised version of its previous edition. The N800 looks much sleeker than its predecessor and at just 206 grams is considerably lighter as well! The display is extravagant at 800x480 pixels that is better than any other device of this segment. A VGA webcam is added to help the user utilise the services in all possible ways.

The WiFi integration allows the user to surf web at high speeds but it is not a mobile phone! Users generally relate the brand of Nokia with mobile phones but with its internet tablet Nokia has begun a process to establish its monopoly in this market segment. This device integrates a useful email client, RSS newsreader, multimedia player, games and a host of other useful applications. So despite lacking phone facilities it is still a useful telecommunication device.

The N800 deals with the major flaws that were there in the N770, be it the design of the handset or its lack of memory. The N800 is compatible with various external memory cards and even the internal memory of the device is improved with 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of flash memory. After a few software brush-ups the N800 can also be used with a GPS receiver as a satellite navigation system. The device is futuristic in its looks and even the segment to which it belongs hasn"t joined the mainstream as of yet, but with the N800 Nokia has made a bold bid to capture this market segment.

Autor: Adam Jaylin

Know more about Cheap Mobile Phones and Nokia N800 here.

Added: April 4, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Technorati tags: gps, mobile, nokia

A Brief Introduction to GPS

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are growing in rapidly popularity and are becoming an everyday navigational tool. You commonly see GPS installed in a vehicle but it is also available in a hand help form that is similar to size of a pocket PC or cell phone. GPS units have the ability to be loaded with map data of any where in the world.

A GPS uses a series of satellites to pinpoint your exact location with amazing accuracy. There are more sophisticated systems that have the ability to determine you position on the ground as well as an altitude reading.

GPS units have grown so much in popularity that it forced the prices down to a reasonable amount as long as you are looking for a basic unit that provides you with your latitude and longitude. If you want more features you can go with a more expensive sophisticated unit. Considering there is such a large range of options on a GPS unit need to determine what you will be using the system for before purchasing.

Garmin is the world"s top manufacturer of GPS unit. You can choose from an enormous range of Garmin units that are on sale in retail stores and online. These Garmin GPS units range not only in features but in color and size as well, so you are sure to find the unit that is perfect for you.

Those who are purchasing a GPS unit to aid while they are hiking should go with a waterproof design for when you are crossing rivers and to protect you if you were to get stuck in a storm. Some models have different numbers of waypoints which is another word for terrestrial coordinates such as latitude, longitude, and altitude. Basic waypoints are effective for the majority of hikers but you can always upgrade to a model that offers more features.

A popular Garmin GPS model for hikers is the eTrex because it is lightweight, waterproof, and has the ability to display up to five hundred waypoints. This device also features a number of controls on the side which gives you the ability to control the size of the display.

A Garmin Aviation GPS is fully equipped with Jeppesen databases as well as background land mapping. The newest GPS has log-book compatible features which make flight reporting much easier.

Most Garmin GPS units range from one hundred to three hundred dollars, but there are some systems that are priced well above the three hundred mark. Purchasing GPS units is just like any other electrical device; you get what you pay for. If you spend around two hundred dollars you are able to get a device that is suitable for hiking.

Autor: Natalie Aranda

Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. She writes on communications and technology. A Garmin Aviation GPS is fully equipped with Jeppesen databases as well as background land mapping. The newest GPS has log-book compatible features which make flight reporting much easier. Most Garmin GPS units range from one hundred to three hundred dollars, but there are some systems that are priced well above the three hundred mark. Purchasing GPS units is just like any other electrical device; you get what you pay for. If you spend around two hundred dollars you are able to get a device that is suitable for hiking.

Added: March 31, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Technorati tags: gps

Geocaching - A Great Use Of GPS Technology

There are many uses for GPS, ranging from the traditional role for hikers who don"t want to wander off the map to more technical issues like getting a rough location for new construction before the surveyors show up.

A growing use is Geocaching. A box of items is stowed somewhere and GPS coordinates are placed on the internet. Others will then seek out the cache and remove some of the items, replacing them with their own choices. There are more specialized subsets of the hobby. Items in a cache might include pictures, toys or trinkets of little actual value. A logbook will be present so the geocacher can record the date and time the cache is found.

Geocaching builds on traditions for Letterboxing, a 150 year old tradition in which the box is hidden with clues in a story. These contained a logbook and a stamp, and the Letterboxer would carry a stamp and logbook. When the letterbox was found, the stamp in the box would be used on the seeker"s logbook and the seeker"s stamp would be used on the logbook in the letterbox.

In 2000 the GPS Stash Hunt was created. The name was quickly changed to GPScaching or geocaching. One variation is the travel bug or Geocoin, which has its own logbook and is moved as people find it and its movement from cache to cache recorded. Some caches are short term, intended only for use during a specific event. Some caches are sequenced, so that finding the first cache reveals the location of the next, until the actual cache with the treasure is found. Some caches require solving a puzzle to determine the actual coordinates. Reverse caching involves seeking out some type of object or location, such as a schoolhouse, and sending back a picture and coordinates. There are even webcam caches, where you are required to find webcams in public locations and get your picture taken on the cam as proof.

There are many websites that provide locations, advice and rules on geocaching. Geocachers have to follow several rules for safety and convenience. For instance, when geocachers are too obvious in their activities, they occasionally get reported to the police. At least once geocache has been blown up by the bomb squad since it was in an old ammunition can. It is also common for poorly hidden caches to be found and cleaned out by those not taking part in the sport, a process called "muggling" from the Harry Potter books.

There are several sites recording geocaching information, and some of those are not fully cooperative with some of the others. The more specialized types of geocaching are controlled by bodies such as the Geological Society of America. There are many options for free access to geocache sites, but there are others which require paid memberships. These may be because of generally higher quality treasures or more interesting locations.

Autor: Alan King

Practical Solutions provides complete GPS, mobile navigation/mapping and other hi-tech solutions! Check us out at: http://www.ps-gps.com

Added: March 31, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Technorati tags: Geocaching, gps