The most important thing about GPS navigation: what is GPS and why is it needed? What is a navigator.

Brief and inaccurate background.

Since ancient times, mankind has been trying to find answers to two questions: "Where am I?" and "Where are we going?" In order to answer these questions, we humans have come up with a lot of ways to navigate: by the sun, by the stars, by the moss on the trees, by the Christmas tree paws. They invented such a wonderful device as a compass and drew maps of the area. And then, when they began to walk on the sea, a whole science called Navigation appeared on its own. When people realized that the earth is not flat, but round, they made a globe “outlined” it with parallels and meridians. Now, where the north, south, west and east are located, any student knows. But even this was not enough, and then, the US military launched several satellites into orbit and taught them how to communicate, by means of radio transmission at a special frequency, with special devices called GPS navigators. This excellent navigation device in the hands of the military shows its location on the ground with an error of up to a few centimeters, and this whole system is called "NAVSTAR".
Over time, the US military launched several more radio channels on satellites and shared them with civilians. Only now, that it would not be insulting, they spoiled a few of them. If in the hands of the military the error is centimeters, then civilian equipment can be mistaken within 100 meters. However, civilians still did not abandon navigators, but on the contrary, they introduced them wherever possible. First, sailors and aviators received navigators, then ambulance workers, but now we have reached the point that a miracle device is built into some civilian cars at the production stage. And the GPS-navigator in the car becomes as familiar and necessary as the cigarette lighter.
The topic of how the military uses the GPS system. We will not consider it, but let's take a closer look at civilian options.

"Global Positioning System" (GPS) - in Russian "Global Positioning System".

In general, it works like this:
A bunch of satellites fly around the earth at the same speed, 24 to be exact. They are placed in such a way that wherever you are, several of them are in the sky above you. Searching for satellites with your eyes is useless. they are high (17,000 km) and small (about 5 meters with solar panels). In order to determine your position on the plane, it is enough to be in the visibility zone of 2 satellites, but the more of them seeing you, the better and more accurately it will be determined.
The people who invented GPS deserve all the credit for the idea itself, which is that the satellite has an internal, ultra-precise clock and always knows what time it is where it flies. The device (Navigator) receives a signal from the satellite, which reports its (satellite) time and location. The device compares the difference in the time of sending the message and its own time and understands how far it is from the satellite. Two such deletions and we already know a point on the plane, and if three, then we can add height or depth. The device that fell into my hands saw 5 satellites at a time. Like this.

The negative side, or I would like better.

It is good that there is such a device and that it helps so well on water and in the air. However, if you decide to do speleology, or get lost in your own apartment, the navigator will not save you. For communication, radio waves are used so weak that they cannot penetrate the structure of buildings, or the ground. Therefore, the GPS system can only be used in places where the sky is visible.
In addition, we must not forget about the dirty tricks of the US Military. And it consists in a nutshell: Selective Availability (SA). "Selective access" was introduced by the United States Department of Defense in order to give a potential adversary the opportunity to use the invention against the United States itself. That is why the adequacy of civilian radio channels is deliberately reduced.
It is stated that one hundred weather conditions do not affect the accuracy of the Navigators in any way, but this can also be called into question. The fact is that the speed of light with which the radio signal is transmitted cannot be greater than itself, but passing through clouds and other atmospheric seals, it may well slow down. The best clear example of such a slowdown is a split picture on a TV screen in cloudy weather, which, like a navigator, receives a signal from a satellite.

GPS navigation devices or what may be in your hands.

If you are the driver of a tank or armored vehicle of the US Army, then I will not tell you anything. Let the high command conduct briefings. Well, what if you have a civilian car and are tired of carrying a navigator with a paper map or an atlas of roads, or you like to fish with nets and can’t remember where they were scattered, or a tourist and don’t know how you got here and where to go now . The best solution is a GPS navigator.

What can a navigator do and what does it represent?

Let's start with the fact that navigators are divided into several types, the main ones are:

Marine - These devices are distinguished by the presence of an echo sounder, as well as replaceable cartridges with information about the relief of the underwater landscape, coastline, etc. They are very similar to automobile ones, with the difference that they are significantly superior in weight, reliability and cost.

Aviation - Everything is the same as before, only in our time a rare aircraft does not
equipped with a GPS navigation system. And of course, other landscape maps with other marked points and functions + 100% altimeter.

Car devices are an outstanding type of navigators designed for use in any land transport. This device is supplied with maps and knows which road is which. Thanks to this, at the request of the user, he can calculate the route from point to point, and also select the shortest or fastest route, and through several points. As a GPS navigator in a car, you can also use portable navigators and those built into other equipment, for example, a PDA or a laptop.

Portable navigators are small in size and light in weight. They are used by both car drivers and tourists and everyone who makes hikes or walks, passes unfamiliar routes. They fit well and work the same.

GPS receivers are devices (modules or maps) that do not display information, but can only receive and transmit information to another device, being built inside or connected outside.

Specifically. Let's take a quick look at a few different devices.

Magellan Maestro Elite 4370 is a portable car GPS navigator equipped with a 4.3" color touch screen bracket and an external speaker. This device is installed on the dashboard of your car. You, touching his monitor, set the necessary parameters of the road, i.e. Where do you want to go and how do you want to get there.
GPS navigator is the best navigator. He does not drink anything, does not chew and does not mumble. He only holds a map showing the position of the car and keeps it always in front of his eyes. From time to time, aloud reminding (in the voice you set): “After 200 meters turn left”, “After 10 meters turn right”, “You deviate from the route!”
On the maps of the area, which can be loaded into the device, you can also see the surroundings of the area and find the desired street or building through the search system. Maps are loaded using a USB cable, via Bluetooth or recorded on a Flash card. By the way, the amount of memory of this instance is approximately 2 GB.
In addition to its main function, the device can perform a number of other tasks. Want to listen to music or the radio? No questions asked, here's an MP3 player and a radio. See pictures? Yet again. Even with video files there are no problems. If you have a Bluetooth headset, the navigator will tell you where to go only to you and will not reveal the secret to all passengers of the car.
Powered by the car's electrical network, it makes the duration of its operation almost endless.

And here is another wonderful navigator "Magellan eXplorist 300". Already not so big and powerful, but portable. In a pocket, in a bag or on a belt, you can even go to Kudykina Gora, if you only know its coordinates.
Purely tourist model of the navigator. It is especially convenient for river, sea and rainy trips. equipped with a waterproof case. The screen of this device is not large and not beautiful, but 4 colors will be enough to understand what's what.
Two AA batteries (AA batteries) are enough for 18 hours of continuous operation. And since devices of this type are still not kept on all the time, then a set of batteries can be stretched for three days. Unlike a car navigator, this one does not show pictures and movies, but it has indispensable travel functions for measuring atmospheric pressure and temperature. This device weighs nothing - 164 grams.

And here, look, Digma BM110 is what is called a GPS receiver. In general, there is nothing to tell about him. With the help of Bluetooth or a USB cable, it connects to something that "can think" i.e. to a computer or PDA with the appropriate software installed on them. Dimensions of the device Width 64x22x15 mm and weight 35 grams.

Approximately the same as Digma BM110, only without wires and bluetooth, CF and SDIO modules work, outwardly similar to Flash cards of the corresponding formats. They are installed in PDAs or communicators in the same slots as memory cards.

The Garmin Edge 705 is an example of a great bike GPS navigator. Like a car, it can calculate a route, show it on a map of the area and signal where to go. Although his display is colored, it is smaller, only 2.5”. You can't see the map on this one, especially while driving. However, riding with it is still better than without it. This apparatus weighs only 105 grams, and from interesting and relevant gadgets, it has a pulse rate meter.

"Garmin GPSMAP 296" - this is what can be called a serious and male model without question. Probably, everything is due to the fact that the Garmin GPSMAP 296 belongs to the class of aviation navigators, which are generally distinguished by seriousness and masculinity. This device will talk to you, and show the direction, and the landscape, and pressure, and altitude, and besides all this, this navigator is equipped with the simplest and most reliable magnetic compass. Information can be downloaded using USB, CF or COM port. The navigators of this group can keep a “Logbook” and remember routes, but there are no modes for watching movies, pictures and listening to music.

In pursuit of the powerful aviation "GPSMAP 296", we will put the no less powerful sea "Seiwa Barramundi". Just like Avia-Navigator, there is no possibility of viewing images and a player. But there is a 10.4” color screen with a resolution of 640x480 and it commands a lot of respect. That's really what, in fact, it was possible to make a TV. And if a tourist or bicycle Navigator weighs 100-150 grams, and an Avia Navigator is about 600, then the weight of this model of a marine GPS navigator is 1,400 grams.

However, it's time to move away from the depths of the sea and return to our drogs, changing four wheels to 2. "Tibo A4550" is a Navigator designed to be mounted on a motorcycle. And if sailors and pilots cannot listen to music and watch movies and clips on the way, then motorcyclists on the way home are very much allowed. Probably, for this "Tibo A4550" is equipped not only with the necessary properties for the Navigator, but is also "trained" in playing music and video. Of course Flash cards, Bluetooth and headphone jack. The device can talk and if you do not have headphones, then even through a helmet, it will yell at you a sacramental phrase: “After 200 meters, turn left!” :).

And the last thing I want to tell you about is wrist GPS navigators. Like the Garmin Forerunner 305. Externally, these navigators resemble wristwatches with slightly unusual features and often with an unusual shape. The Garmin Forerunner 305 can measure heart rate, calculate a route, and pronounce a sacramental phrase. Knows what USB is and knows how to work with it. The log book does not keep, does not remember the points, but it weighs 70 grams and runs on a battery for 10 hours. Do you want to go into the forest, so that no one bothers you, and then return? Throw away your mobile, put on a navigator on your hand and go for a walk in the thicket without even looking back. Or maybe you are a mushroom picker? Did you find the "mushroom place" and strip it naked? Well then, press the button. And go home, and after a week (or after a rain) press another and the arrow will lead you exactly to where new mushrooms have already grown.

Solid guidelines!

The GPS navigator has become an integral part of human life. In the 21st century, all the free space was literally filled with roads and it becomes unusual to navigate them. To solve this problem, navigators were invented that help motorists every day.

What is a navigator? The most common JPS device is a device that allows you to determine the exact location, as well as plot routes according to user preferences. Using video technology, the navigator communicates with satellites, which serve as a source of information for the gadget:

A-GPS;
GLONASS;
GPRS.

The Jeepies device also notifies the driver of upcoming obstacles:

pedestrian crossings;
traffic lights;
traffic jams;
repair work;
speed cameras;
police radar.

Navigators are easy to use and do not require any special technical knowledge from the car owner. There are also more "fancy" and pocket models, including portable, portable navigators.

Features and varieties of navigators

There are many types of navigators. It is worth paying attention to two main models of modern navigators.

Car GPS

What is a GPS navigator, you can find out by getting information about its capabilities:

Error-free determination of the user's location using a GPS sensor.
Supports 3G, and in some cases 4G connection.
Full HD maps.
Record your favorite places in a journal.

The update requires an internet connection (minimum 3G). If you adhere to the standards, then you can safely choose the navigation device "Explay". This is a simple navigator that includes all the necessary functions that may be required by the car owner of both freight and passenger vehicles.

Navigator 7 in 1, video recorder and radar detector

This is a multifunctional model, with more advanced features:

Error-free determination of the user's location using a GPS sensor.
Route planning error-free to anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds.
Voice prompts.
Identification and early warning of upcoming speed and information signs.
There is a G-sensor that caches data about the car in three axes during sudden acceleration or braking, which will help to prove the rightness of the driver without legal action.
There is a camera that captures events in high quality in Full HD format. There is a possibility of photo and video shooting.
The navigator itself is a PC, with the ability to install all available applications in the Play Market.
Screen resolution - Full HD.

Supports 3G, and in some cases 4G connection. What the gadget looks like can be seen in the photo.

A 3G internet connection is also required to update maps and software. If trips are frequent, and you have to travel long distances, there is an opportunity to spend more money, then the 7 in 1 Navigator from Fujikam is suitable.

What is Navitel?

Navigators with software from "Navitel navigator" - prevail over a number of advantages over other navigation devices:

faultless work;
precise positioning;
laying the route "from door to door";
user-friendly interface and no-frills design;
HD maps;
models of pocket navigators are produced.

Navitel produces a wide variety of models, including pocket portable navigators. Most of them support the 3G standard. The most popular updater is GPS HD IGO (for navigators with HD resolution and navigators with a 6″ and 7″ display).

So what is a GPS navigator? Jeremy Clarkson said it best: “When you get used to navigating with a satellite navigator, you stop noticing a lot of important things. Even if the sun suddenly rises in a different place than usual, you are unlikely to pay attention to it.

Navigator is a special device that is designed to to determine your location using the global satellite positioning system. To date, the main such systems are GPS and GLONASS.

Navigators give the user information about latitude and longitude, as well as the height of his location. However, such information is more suitable for land surveyors. For an ordinary user, such information will seem redundant, however, navigators are increasingly used in everyday life.

Facilitates the use of the navigator is that the display of the device displays a map of the area and the route of movement. On the map on the screen, you can visually determine your location relative to various objects(settlements, streets, houses, etc.) and plan a route.

Electronic card

Where to get a navigator

Today, such as a GPS navigator in a smartphone or tablet is a necessary and indispensable element. The navigator built into the smartphone receives satellite signals, and the software processes the received data and translates it into a user-friendly form.

However, in some smartphones and tablets, such a program is either absent, or, for some reason, the available software does not suit the owner of the device. In this regard, many navigator programs for domestic use are constantly being developed and improved.

These navigators differ in the operating system, purpose and functionality. You can install the navigator on your mobile device by contacting a specialist or by yourself by finding a suitable application on the Internet (for example, on Google Play). Navigation apps can be found on the Internet

Autonavigators

In addition to navigators built into mobile devices, special navigators for cars are also widespread. Autonavigators can not only indicate the location and plot a route, but also take into account traffic congestion situation.

Using a car navigator helps a lot when traveling to an unfamiliar city. Timely navigator commands about turns, changing the speed limit, as well as a built-in database of food points, gas stations and other infrastructure allows you to quickly, without wasting time, reach your destination.

Satellite part

As mentioned above, the second component of the navigation process is the satellite systems, the signals of which are received by the instrument. For the navigator to work correctly, signals from several satellites are needed, that is, the more satellites are currently above the device, the more accurate the positioning data will be.

Therefore, when purchasing a navigator for a car, it is worth giving preference to a device that works both in the American GPS system and in the Russian GLONASS. Indeed, in this case, the number of satellites “visible” by the device will be greater than when using one of the systems.

Reference cartographic systems of cities

In addition to navigators, such services as or others make it very easy to navigate in the city. These services display an electronic map of the locality, on which you can plot a route, measure distance, find out the location and opening hours of various institutions, and much more.

The Global Positioning System - appeared in the 50s thanks to the launch of the satellite. When the first Soviet satellite went into orbit, the Americans noticed that as it moved away, it evenly changed the frequency of the signal. Scientists analyzed the data and realized that the satellite signal allows you to accurately determine the coordinates of objects on earth, as well as the speed of their movement. The military was the first to use the GPS system: the Ministry of Defense launched satellite navigation for its own purposes, but after a few years it became available to civilians.

There are currently 24 satellites in Earth orbit that transmit anchor signals. The number of satellites changes periodically, but always remains sufficient to keep the Global Positioning System running smoothly. In case of force majeure, spare satellites are provided, and every decade new, modernized spacecraft enter orbit, because nothing should disturb the operation of GPS.

The satellites rotate in six orbits, forming an interconnected network. It is operated by dedicated GPS stations that are located in the tropics but linked to a focal point in the United States. Thanks to this network, you can find out the exact coordinates of a person, car or aircraft at the speed of the signal from satellites, that is, almost instantly, and the accuracy of the readings does not depend on weather conditions and time of day. At the same time, the use of the Global Positioning System itself is free, and the only thing you need to use this navigation system is a navigator or other device that supports the GPS function.

How GPS works

The technology is based on the simple navigation principle of marker objects, which was used long before the advent of GPS. A marker object is a landmark whose coordinates are precisely known. To determine the coordinates of an object, you also need to know the distance from it to the marker object, then you can draw lines on the map in the direction of the markers from the possible location: the intersection point of these lines will be the coordinates.

Satellites in near-Earth orbit play the role of marker objects in GPS. They rotate quickly, but their location is constantly monitored, and each navigator has a receiver tuned to the desired frequency. Satellites send signals that encode a large amount of information, including the exact time. Accurate time data is one of the most important for determining geographic coordinates: focusing on the difference between the return and reception of a radio signal, the satellites calculate the distance between themselves and the navigator.

How GPS works in smartphones

Navigators are one of the most popular products on the gadget market, only smartphones overtake them in popularity. But manufacturers also embed GPS chips in smartphones so that the device can perform the functions of a navigator. However, a trap can lie in wait for the user here, because in the pursuit of profit, manufacturers make intentional or accidental inaccuracies in the description of their goods, allowing buyers to confuse GPS and AGPS technologies.

Jeepies is a free high accuracy navigation system. There is no subscription to it and cannot be, because the Americans allow the use of their satellites for navigation free of charge. If smartphone owners pay, then only applications or cards. GPS receivers have small disadvantages: they only work outdoors, and bad weather can cause problems with receiving a signal from the satellite, but these disadvantages were solved using A-GPS technology (not to be confused with AGPS). The bottom line is that the signal from the receiver is redirected to the server, which contains all the information about the position of the satellites, so there are no difficulties with receiving the signal. A-GPS is used by all modern car navigators.

But there is also AGPS cellular navigation - it works only in the coverage area of \u200b\u200bthe cellular network and determines the location with an accuracy of up to 500 m. It is less accurate than GPS, gives a general idea of \u200b\u200bwhere you are, but offers a satellite map of the surrounding area. It is important that the mobile Internet service is connected, and the money remains on the account. Google Maps works with the AGPS service. While cellular navigation is often sufficient, it should not be confused with an accurate and free GPS system.

Types of GPS devices

The simplest navigation device is an external receiver. It accesses satellites and receives a signal from them, but in order for you to use the information, the receiver must be connected to another device - for example, a smartphone or laptop, fortunately, it is compatible with all popular gadgets and programs. As a last resort, you will need a card. GPS receivers are used by hikers: the device is inexpensive, and even an ordinary tourist map of the area can be used to decipher the information it receives. It just needs a navigation mesh overlaid on it.

But the most popular GPS device today is a car navigator. It is much more complex and more functional than the receiver: the navigator is more like a smaller version of the computer. All the necessary software is already installed by the manufacturer, the operating system is closed. Many additional functions are added to navigation, including Internet access.

A separate class of devices is smartphones with built-in GPS receivers. Do not confuse them with models using cellular navigation! The system does not work as smoothly on smartphones as it does on standalone devices. Not all models allow you to install full-fledged navigation software, and if you use online solutions, the function will become unavailable when the Internet is turned off, and then one of the advantages of the technology will disappear: constant access. However, satellite navigation smartphones are suitable for pedestrians - it is convenient to navigate and the data is accurate, so you will not get lost even in impassable thickets.