Handheld GPS Helps People Find Themselves

The next time someone tells you they need to find themselves, give them a handheld GPS unit and tell them it will only take about two minutes to exactly where on the Earth they are located. A handheld GPS unit can receive signals from multiple satellites at one time and by the unit s internal computer, can triangulate its relative position and speed based on the information transmitted, by microwave, to the receiver.

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p>The use of a handheld GPS unit is primarily used for outdoorsmen and in surveying work. Instead of relying on walking methods to find a precise point while measuring a property line, using a handheld GPS unit can help surveyors know their precise location at any given point along the line. People trekking through unfamiliar territory can find them useful in the even they become lost or disoriented in heavy woods.

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p>The key to using a handheld GPS unit for finding directions is based mostly on where the user wants to go. The unit will let them know where they are, usually by latitude and longitude, but they have to know the coordinates of their destination to know in which direction they have to travel to get there.

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p>Mapping Software Aids In Getting Directions

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p>Since most people will not have a clue what the latitude and longitude may be for a given destination, most handheld GPS units will contain software to put these locations into a language people can understand. Many of the units are also capable of changing the mapping software to update it for any given location a user is likely to visit. These user-defined maps can be downloaded and used by the handheld GPS owner, based on their individual preference.

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p>Used as a navigational aid for airplanes and ships at sea, the handheld GPS units are typically used by individuals or by companies that require their employees to find exact locations on the planet. Unfortunately, the microwave signal shooting out from the satellites is of a low power and subject to interference from many things, such as the Earth s atmosphere itself, as well as sun flares affecting the side of the Earth facing the sun at that time.

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p>Typical atmospheric interference is known to slow signals down and these conditions are usually programmed into the handheld GPS units. However, unknown interference, such as spurious signals from a nearby transmitter can actually succeed in blocking the signal from reaching the user s unit.