The Best GPS

In recent times there have been some tremendous advances in the technology behind GPS or Global Positioning Satellites, and now this exciting technology is available to the general public. There are many uses for GPS, but the particular use we will be looking at in this article is the benefit relevant to the motorist.

The in-car system comprises of an easily mounted small unit which you attach to your windscreen or place on your dashboard. The great benefit is that once you have the unit installed in your car, you just key in your required destination, it will then give you turn by turn directions by voice and in real time.

This is extremely useful for any travelers who are in an unfamiliar area, which of course applies to most of us at one time or another. A lot of car rental firms are installing auto GPS units in their entire fleet of vehicles as an aid to their customers, and of course this also has advantages for them.

Another benefit is that if you are unfortunate enough to have your GPS equipped vehicle stolen, the authorities can pinpoint the exact location of it with ease. There are several insurance companies that will offer you a discount if your car is fitted with GPS.

A lot of GPS systems on the market come equipped with monitoring services, which can help with roadside assistance, and help in an emergency situation. An in-car system has the capability to be automatically programmed to call the nearest 911 operator when an accident occurs.

The good thing is that as these services utilize satellites, the signal will never suffer any interruption wherever you may be. So you can see what a valuable piece of equipment an in-car GPS unit can be, as it is available 24/7. So, if you ever find yourself in an emergency situation, you will be glad you invested in this great little piece of technology.

The Garmin Quest 2 is another great innovation from GPS leader Garmin.  Highly portable and conveniently tucked away in a pocket or a purse this small wonder is no small feat.  Its high sensitivity and high speed processor make it a mammoth of a navigational aide.  Featuring automatic routing and USB data capability this portable GPS device maintains all the versatility you’d expect from advanced electronics without sacrificing quality.

With over 6 million points of interest and highly detailed metropolitan area maps and routes the storage capacity is clearly adequate for a full range of applications.  It even comes with 35 MB of extra storage space so you can store your own maps!  Bright screen and a simple to understand interface round this out as one of the best GPS devices available!

The Nuvi 200 series from Garmin GPS is a great simple device. It has an absolutely amazing screen, the voice prompts are easy to interpret, and the map is very easy to follow. If your navigation needs are simple and you just want to get a device that will remind you of turns and take you to new destinations, the Nuvi 200 would be a great choice.

A 3.5″ touch screen display powers the Nuvi 200. This screen is BRIGHT! It is brighter than the screen on the 300 series and is visible from a wider viewing angle. The whites are extremely white and bright sunlight never made the Nuvi screen difficult to read. The screen is one area where the Nuvi 200 performs better than the 300 series. This is one of the best 3.5″ screens I’ve seen.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its location, speed, direction, and time. Other similar systems are the Russian GLONASS (incomplete as of 2007), the upcoming European Galileo positioning system, the proposed COMPASS navigation system of China, and IRNSS of India.

Developed by the United States Department of Defense, GPS is officially named NAVSTAR GPS (Contrary to popular belief, NAVSTAR is not an acronym, but simply a name given by John Walsh, a key decision maker when it came to the budget for the GPS program).  The satellite constellation is managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. The cost of maintaining the system is approximately US$750 million per year, including the replacement of aging satellites, and research and development.

A quality GPS receiver is required to use the system.

The good thing about a Garmin Quest 2 is that it is setup and you can use it right out of the box! It is also so small you can put it in your pocket or purse.

Ever since I started hearing about GPS units I thought they were a total waste.  Just look it up on the internet, or a buy a map.  Whatever.  Just when you thought life couldn’t get any easier they come out with this type of stuff.  Suddenly I never get lost and never have to ask for directions.  I put in my destintion and my trusty Garmin Nuvi 200 GPS unit gets me there, with time to spare.

I had no idea that getting myself around town could be so easy.  Printing maps and buying maps is actually pretty inconvenient in comparison.  Your GPS saves me time and money and I’m grateful for that!