Does this scenario seem familiar to you? It is time to drive to a new destination and all too many times you find out your map is outdated, the roads are torn up by construction, or you find your self seeing some new parts of the country that is no way related to where you are suppose to be going. Again, I ask, does this scenario seem familiar to you when you have had to drive to a new destination. Take hear, new technology is here to help us destination challenge individuals. Having the right Global Positioning System or better known as a GPS navigation device, getting from point A to point B (and beyond) no longer has to be an exercise in frustration. No more "going where no one has gone before".



What does GPS stands for? Global Positioning System is a worldwide radio-navigation system of 24 satellites and their ground stations on earth. Airplanes, astronauts, hikers are using this great GPS devices. The satellites are used as reference points for locations on earth. By measuring the distance from three satellites, GPS devices can triangulate a position anywhere on earth. That is pretty cool if you think about it.

Where did GPS come from? GPS is funded by and controlled by the U. S. Department of Defense (DOD). Can you believe that? While there are many thousands of civil users of GPS world-wide, the system was designed for and is operated by the U. S. military. GPS provides specially coded satellite signals that can be processed in a GPS receiver, enabling the receiver to compute position, velocity and time. Four GPS satellite signals are used to compute positions in three dimensions and the time offset in the receiver clock. This is really a very neat product that provides an excellent reliable service.

GPS is rapidly becoming an integral component of the emerging Global Information Infrastructure, with applications ranging from mapping and surveying to international air traffic management and global change research. The growing demand from military, civil, commercial, and scientific users has generated a U.S. commercial GPS equipment and service industry that leads the world. Augmentations to enhance basic GPS services could further expand these civil and commercial markets.

GPS is managed by the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Executive Committee, supported by the PNT Executive Secretariat. The PNT manages GPS and U.S. Government augmentations to GPS, Consistent with national policy, to support and enhance U.S. economic competitiveness and productivity while protecting national security and foreign policy interests.

The basic GPS is defined as the constellation of satellites, the navigation payloads which produce the GPS signals, ground stations, data links, and associated command and control facilities which are operated and maintained by the Department of Defense; the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) as the civil and commercial service provided by the basic GPS; and augmentations as those systems based on the GPS that provide real-time accuracy greater than the SPS. GPS permits land, sea, and airborne users to determine their three dimensional position, velocity, and time, 24 hours a day in all weather, anywhere in the world.

Mom and Dads are installing GPS vehicle tracking systems in their children cars so they can make sure they are staying away from places they shouldn't be visiting. Trucking companies are installing GPS fleet tracking systems to determine where there trucks are at all times. Naturally some privacy issues can occur with this ability to monitor movement but the benefits definitely over shadow the concerns. Hiking out in the wilderness is much easier and now safer with the GPS handheld units.

Where can you find GPS systems? A good place to start is the internet. Not only is the internet a good source to start where but also you can learn more about GPS and how it works. All the major retail stores carry the major brands such as Magellan, Garmin, TomTom, DeLorme, and Lowrance. There are handheld GPS units, dash mounted automotive GPS units, fish finders GPS, and even GPS for PDA's and cell phones.

The United States Government has recognized that GPS plays a key role around the world as part of the global information infrastructure and takes seriously their responsibility to provide the best possible service to civil and commercial users worldwide. This is as true in times of conflict as it is in times of peace.

The U.S. Government also maintains the capability to prevent hostile use of GPS and its augmentations while retaining a military advantage in a theater of operations without disrupting or degrading civilian uses outside the theater of operations. We believe we can ensure that GPS continues to be available as an invaluable global utility at all times, while at the same time, protecting U.S. and coalition security requirements. Who said the U.S. Government didn't care?