GPS Gadgets and How They Work

You may question why portable GPS units cost as much as they do. Learning about the technology behind them may help make the price tag a little easier to accept. More often than not, we are seeing cheap GPS units being automatically embedded in PDAs and cell phones as well as the newest car models. The succeeding paragraphs will attempt to provide a simple overview of how GPS systems work. If you were hoping for all of the technical details, you certainly should have no trouble finding that information elsewhere on the web.

Here We Go

Did you know that there are approximately 2500 satellites currently orbiting the globe? Rather a large percentage of them are global positioning satellites. I know that sounds impressive, but only about 36 of them are actually in operation. A large number consists of retired global positioning satellites. A low-power radio signal, which can be picked up by your portable GPS unit, is constantly transmitted by the global positioning satellites. By accurately measuring the distance from three of these satellites, the global positioning system can compute its exact position on earth.

GPS systems satellites are about seventeen feet across when their solar power panels are fully spread out. They run on solar power and as extra insurance have backup batteries installed. They are designed to be functional for a minimum of ten years and weigh approximately 2,000 pounds. There is a “senior” satellite that has been working since 1978. Rumor has it that this one often relates tales from the old days when satellites had it much tougher than they do today. Just kidding!

But Seriously

Earlier I wrote a little about GPS receivers. So what are they exactly? It’s basically any device that is able to receive signals from GPS satellites. There was in all probability a GPS receiver on that cruise ship you were on last summer, another in the taxicab you had to the airport last week and then there’s that Navigon 7100 GPS that your boss just purchased for his car. The current average price tag for a personal GPS system is about $300. Considering you didn’t have to pay to design and launch the satellite into space, $300 is a pretty reasonable price.

The US government is responsible for paying the costs required in fabricating and launching satellites into orbit.|Our government here in the US has decided to take on the costs needed in creating this network of GPS satellites. All you have to do is click on your GPS system in order to make use of the data that is freely broadcast by them. I hope this article has done its job and that you now feel you have a more thorough idea of how the whole GPS thing works.