Big Brother is watching you!
2 years ago i bought my boyfriend a not-so-cheap weatherproof Garmin GPS so that when we go out on the RIB he wont get us lost. Obviously I didn’t know what I was buying and I certainly haven’t ever used it, come to think of it he's only used it twice... So today’s blog is about the basics of GPS.
Firstly; how to use it:
1. Buy the hand-held GPS set.
2. Buy some batteries, because you didn’t read the small print that said they weren’t included
3. Turn it on
4. Pace round the room wandering why it doesn’t work
5. Find the instructions, note that it says on first usage you should be outside with an unobstructed view of the sky.
6. Find a field (preferably with no bulls)
7. Walk round looking really stupid, while the thing triangulates itself with 4 satellites so it knows where it is.I got the boyfriend to do that
8. Ummm, keep it on when you go out - and it draws a pretty pattern to let you know where you have been. It also tells you how long it took you to get there, and what speed you averaged on your way. Really useful... if you have a crap sense of direction.
Secondly; the technical bit:
There are at least 24 operational Global Positioning System satellites orbiting the earth (this takes approx. 12 hours) sending a constant signal to any equipment on the ground that can receive it. Each satellite has an atomic clock so that it can transmit a start time. Once the handset receives the signal (they do not transmit) from 4 satellites it can calculate its position in 3 dimensions, the accuracy being about 10-20 meters, and know how long it took.
Firstly; how to use it:
1. Buy the hand-held GPS set.
2. Buy some batteries, because you didn’t read the small print that said they weren’t included
3. Turn it on
4. Pace round the room wandering why it doesn’t work
5. Find the instructions, note that it says on first usage you should be outside with an unobstructed view of the sky.
6. Find a field (preferably with no bulls)
7. Walk round looking really stupid, while the thing triangulates itself with 4 satellites so it knows where it is.I got the boyfriend to do that
8. Ummm, keep it on when you go out - and it draws a pretty pattern to let you know where you have been. It also tells you how long it took you to get there, and what speed you averaged on your way. Really useful... if you have a crap sense of direction.
Secondly; the technical bit:
There are at least 24 operational Global Positioning System satellites orbiting the earth (this takes approx. 12 hours) sending a constant signal to any equipment on the ground that can receive it. Each satellite has an atomic clock so that it can transmit a start time. Once the handset receives the signal (they do not transmit) from 4 satellites it can calculate its position in 3 dimensions, the accuracy being about 10-20 meters, and know how long it took.
posted by tabilda at 10/27/2006
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