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How GPS Works
Humans have always sought to use tools to help them survive. Through out millennia, Mankind has used tools to adapt and overcome the sometimes harsh environment he has found himself in. As time has dragged on, Man has fashioned ever more complex and high tech tools. These tools have enabled him to build the hunt for game, build the Pyramids and cross oceans. Today, that same thirst for invention has given us GPS, or Global Positioning system
Millions of people around the world have adopted the use of GPS to the point that it is fast becoming a house hold accessory. GPS allows them to help plan their trips, keep tabs on their children and keep track of their vehicles. It helps though to understand the technology that makes this all possible.
The way GPS works is a relatively simple concept when broken down completely. Strategically placed satellites that are orbiting the Earth, relay a signal searching for any GPS receiver on the surface of the Earth. The signal is received by the GPS unit and then decoded. The unit and the satellite then communicate with each other and the satellite then transmits the coordinates to the GPS unit. This transfer of data allows anyone looking at the GPS screen to see where they are currently located.
GPS was developed in the 1970's and early 1980's exclusively for the United States military to use. For almost two decades, the wonderment that is GPS was the U.S. military's sole domain. Then in the 1990's the technology was made available to the general populace. After it became commercially available, GPS slowly began its appearance int he marketplace and gradually accelerated its adoption into our culture to the point that a good GPS unit can be had for under $200.
Cheap GPS units mean only one thing - the adoption of their use by a large swath of the population. These inexpensive units mean that pretty much every car on the road has them on the dashboard so that the driver doesn't get lose or waste money on gasoline spent going the wrong way.
If you purchase a car and it has a GPS option, you are well served to purchase it as it will not only help you, it will increase the vehicles resale. If your vehicle did not come equipped with a GPS as an option, you will want to find one that fits your budget and individual preferences.
The last thirty years, GPS has gone from military hardware to an item on our dashboards that we cannot live without. What a journey, huh?
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