GPS Tracking System - How Its Components Work

Born of the best minds from a concept so simple is an exceptional complex system, the GPS tracking system. It is made up of three components: satellites that orbit the earth, control and monitoring stations and the GPS receivers. It is a radionavigation system providing reliable positioning, navigating, and timing services not just for the military but also to civilian users as well in any part of the world. The GPS tracking system has drastically changed the world of navigation through land, sea and air, in all weather, 24/7.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S. space-based radionavigation system that provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to civilian users on a continuous worldwide basis -- freely available to all. For anyone with a GPS receiver, the system will provide location and time. GPS provides accurate location and time information for an unlimited number of people in all weather, day and night, anywhere in the world.

In the 1960s the U.S. Navy and Air Force worked together on a number of systems that would be able to provide a variety of navigation applications. In 1973 the Department of Defense aimed to direct the services in unifying their systems. The concept of the tracking system would be atomic clocks onboard satellites was tested successfully by an earlier Navy program called TIMATION. The Air Force would operate the new system called the Navstar Global Positioning System. From then on, it has since been known as simply GPS or Global Positioning System.

The GPS tracking System Satellites

Today's GPS Operational Constellation is funded and controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense and being operated by the U.S. Military. It is comprised of three major components: a "constellation" of satellites in Earth orbit, ground stations that controlled the system and receivers hand carried by the users. It was so designed so that these receivers could be made small and inexpensive and would not require atomic clocks.

The GPS tracking system is an aerospace technology comprising of at least 24 operational satellites at all times. Each satellite is on a circular orbit 20,000 kilometers above the Earth on a 12-hour period. In order to make sure that these satellites are detected from anywhere on the surface of the Earth, the satellites are divided into six groups having four space vehicles each. The six orbital planes completely surround the Earth, equally spaced 60 degrees apart and at an angle of about 50 degrees with respect to the equatorial plane. Each group is assigned a different path to follow. The orbit altitude is such, that the GPS satellites recapitulate the same ground track and configuration at approximately over any point each in 24 hours. The GPS tracking system's navigation message consists of time-tagged data bits that mark the time of transmission of each subframe at the time they are being transmitted by the space vehicle. A data bit frame consists of 1500 bits divided into five 300-bit subframes and a data frame is being transmitted at an interval of 30 seconds. There are three six-second subframes containing orbital and clock data. Precise clock corrections are sent in subframe one and orbital data sets or ephemeris data parameters for the transmitting space vehicle are sent in subframes two and three. Various pages of the system data are being transmitted in subframes four and five. So the GPS tracking system has an entire set of twenty-five frames or 125 subframes creating the complete navigation message sent over a 12.5-minute period.

The GPS Tracking System Equipment on the Ground

Ground stations are used so that each satellite orbit are accurately tracked. The GPS tracking system has ground stations which is comprised of a receiver and antenna, as well as communication tools to transmit the data to the data center. When the GPS satellites supply specially coded signals, the omni-directional antenna at each site picks up the signals and that is processed in a receiver. The receiver then separates the signals in various channels for a particular satellite and frequency at a particular time. Once the signals are isolated, the receiver now decodes them and splits them into individual frequencies to calculate position, velocity, direction and time anywhere on Earth.

At least four GPS satellite signals consisting of space segments are used in computing positions in three-dimensional locations - latitude, longitude and altitude - and the time offset in the receiver clock. All GPS tracking system satellites have synchronized operations so that the signals are transmitted at the speed of light to the equipment on the ground. Each GPS satellite broadcasts data indicating its location and current time.

Since the GPS tracking system sites are constructed throughout the world and are being monitored by different institutions worldwide, there are many different data center locations. The role of the data center is to both monitor and control the GPS tracking system stations. The data center uses an automated computer system in retrieving and analyzing data from the receivers. Once processed, the data, including the original raw data, are sent to scientists around the glob for use in various applications.

From laboriously built landmarks by our ancestors to shooting the stars to chronometers to satellites, our technology has evolved faster than we could ever imagine. The GPS tracking system is the most recent and significant advancement in navigation and positioning technology. This new constellation of artificial stars serves this important need for both the military and civilian users and is now fast becoming important in everyday life.

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GPS System Tracking - Applications of GPS Tracking System

The General Positioning System (GPS) tracking system is the latest breakthrough of the technology aiming at improving people's lives. The GPS tracking system is reported to be used as a travel guide and as a tracking device of vehicles. No matter its application, GPS devices are good traveling companions.

The actual process of GPS tracking system is straightforward. In short, there are exactly 27 satellites rolling around the center of the Earth. Out of them, 24 are used by the GPS technology and the remaining ones are used for storage purposes. A GPS receiver installed in your car emits a signal to these satellites. Four available satellites will be used to find out your exact position. The mathematical tenet involves in this computing process is called trilateration. It can be achieved in either two dimensions or three dimensions.

Adverse weather conditions can affect the accuracy of the position. This issue is still to be addressed by GPS vendors as they are struggling to tweak their devices as a way around this problem.

Applications of GPS devices are twofold: the first one being as travelling guide as you can set your destination and the receiver will work out your location. It will also tell the best trajectory to reach your destination. It should be noted that some devices are able to talk as well. The GPS technology is also reported to be used in the military industry as it was first created for such purposes.

Another application of GPS devices is for tracking purposes. For instance a car company may decide to install GPS device in their cars in order to record their position all over the time. This can help them improving their delivery times and also increase their efficiency. An employer also can make use of this device to make sure that his employees are not abusing company car privileges.

Private investigators also make use of GPS tracking devices in order to keep track of cheating wives. Law enforcement also makes use of GPS devices to locate people who steal cars. Recent GPS devices are also able to report a driver's habits therefore deciding if the driver is responsible enough to carry on.

The GPS tracking system is also a perfect way around home construction site thefts. Indeed, recent news from the Tennessee reveals that GPS tracking devices have helped identify a rash of construction site thefts where many thieves were used to nicking home appliances. A Tennessee police spokesman later on claims that these hard to break burglaries could be tracked down in less than 24 hours with suitable GPS tracking devices.

Still in the US, it is well known that some school buses are equipped with GPS tracking devices for emergency response purposes. Indeed, school buses equipped with the GPS tracking devices can be used to shuttle emergency responders such as fire fighters, and evacuate those in need, including nursing home residents.

In summary, GPS device applications are growing more and more over the time. There are mainly used for military and civilian purposes as we described in previous sections. It is nowadays commonplace to see GPS devices almost everywhere as we saw in the previous sections.

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Truck and Car GPS Tracking

New miniature GPS technology has made GPS Tracking available to just about anyone. Many people are interested in vehicle or car GPS tracking. Fleet vehicle managers are saving there respective companies thousands of dollars each day with this new technology. In addition private citizens are also using the technology to keep track of there family members and their valuable assets. The cost of a GPS auto tracker has dropped over the last year. However the new smaller portable or personalized units are still relatively expensive.

There are two technologies to choose from when looking to purchase a GPS tracking device. The older logger unit is not only less expensive to purchase but it does not rely on an expensive subscription with a GPS tracking company. These devices are placed in the target vehicle during the period that you want to track then retrieved. The unit then is attached to a personal computer where the tracking information is downloaded into the logger's software package for viewing. Logger GPS tracking devices have the ability to be very small and discreet. The major drawback of a using a logger is that all the information is relatively stale or historic in nature. Never the less they are very effective vehicle or car GPS tracking devices.

Real time GPS tracking devices just as their name implies provide tracking information that is relatively current in nature. These GPS tracking devices are larger than loggers due to the fact that they must have a transmitter to upload the tracking information to a GPS tracking service provider. The most common method of uploading the vehicle or car GPS tracking data is through existing cell phone technology. The service company will make a query of the GPS auto tracker on a predetermined time frequency and then display it on their website. These tracking service providers charge you a month fee for this service. The more frequently they download the GPS information to their website for your use the more expensive the service becomes. The current standard for tracking updates is about 5 minutes between tracking updates. In many cases you can save a lot of money by selecting longer periods between downloads.

Real time GPS devices are relatively more expensive when compared to loggers. The smallest portable units can cost as much as $1200.00 while standard vehicle or car tracking devices that are permanently installed can cost less than $300.00. It should be remembered that a quality unit is will be more expensive but it will also be more dependable over time. Delivery and fleet vehicles by their nature are not always easy on electronic systems. In other words when it comes to purchasing a GPS auto tracker cheaper is not always better.

Vehicle and car GPS tracking devices are becoming more available to private citizens. They are an excellent method of keeping tracking of family members and your valuable assets. James Kesel, MS is the Publisher of GPS Auto Tracker providing information on Garmin and the latest GPS Tracking and Navigation systems. Check us out at http://www.gps-auto-trackers.com for more information.

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Where You Can Buy GPS Tracking Systems From

Are you interested in having GPS tracking capabilities installed in your cell phone or one of your vehicles? If you are, you will need to have a GPS tracking system installed in your phone or in your vehicle. When it comes to getting the needed GPS tracking system, you may be wondering exactly where you can get your system from. In all honesty, it depends.

Once you have decided that you would like to have GPS tracking activated in your vehicle or on your cell phone, your first thought may be to run to your local electronic store or start shopping online. Of course this is possible to do, but you may first want to find a GPS tracking company to do business with. A GPS tracking company is the company which records and monitors all of your whereabouts, as well as makes all coordinates available for you to view, often in real time formats. What you may not know is that many GPS tracking companies like their clients to use certain GPS tracking systems. For that reason, it may be a good idea to first examine GPS tracking companies before you start examining GPS tracking systems.

If the GPS tracking company you wants to do business with has a preference as to which GPS tracking systems are used, you will want to see if the company in question has GPS tracking systems available for purchase. If so, you will want to think about making your GPS tracking system purchase from that company. It is not uncommon for customers to be offered discounts for not only agreeing to do business with a GPS tracking company, but also for making their GPS tracking systems purchases from there as well. Also, when it comes to repairs or technical support, you may find a number of benefits to doing business with just one company.

If you find a GPS tracking company that doesn't have a particular preference as to which GPS tracking systems can be used, you will want to find a company to do business with. Many GPS tracking systems can be purchased from local stores, as well as online. Even if your intended GPS tracking company does not require that you purchase a particular GPS tracking system, you may want to think about seeing if they, the company in question, sells GPS tracking systems. If they do, you may at least want to see what GPS tracking systems they have available for sale, if any. Of course, you don't have to make a purchase from them, but it may be worth your time to take just a few minutes to examine their online website or speak with a company representative.

In short, when it comes to examining GPS tracking systems, it is advised that you examine the GPS tracking company you are interested in doing business with, to see if they have any preferences. After that has been determined, you will also want to keep price and quality in mind, when examining GPS tracking systems to find the one or ones that you would like to purchase.

Quentin Chamberlain is a writer for RM Tracking . com where you can find accurate information about GPS Tracking Systems and other related information.

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GPS Tracking System: The Key to Saving Money on your Business

It is natural for a business to have its ups and down. Since everything is beyond your control no matter how you strive of putting all things into its right place, sometimes it still fails. Sometimes you just assume that everything is fine though it's not.

Forget about all your worries because with GPS tracking, all will turn into proper places, everything will easily be tracked. The GPS tracking system has helped reduce cost in both personal and professional life of a person and the benefits have been huge.

GPS tracking isn't for every business, but if your company employees drive company vehicles, it is best suited for you. With active GPS tracking technology, you can monitor a driver's speed and location in real time. That's how convenient it is. A unit in a car or truck records the vehicle's speed and location, sending the information back to your office instantaneously. Or consider the cheaper passive GPS tracking technology, which records a driver's speed and location on an onboard unit, which can be accessed later when the driver returns to the office.

The GPS tracking system is designed so that you can track your trucks, containers, trailers, and other vehicles easily. By the use of fleet management you will know when your assets stop, sit idling and the road they are on. With the latest GPS Tracking systems, you can monitor the activities of all your vehicles.

A GPS Tracking System works this way:

You may have heard of GPS technology as a navigational tool. 24 satellites constantly emit signals to be received by handheld computers, such as the GPS Magellan units. A microchip then processes the signals to determine the user's location. Many then display this information on a map, so you can see exactly where you are and how to get to your destination.

GPS vehicle tracking works in a similar fashion, with a couple extra steps. As in GPS navigation, a GPS tracking unit, stored in a vehicle, uses satellite signals to calculate the vehicle's location. It then calculates the vehicle's speed and stores or transmits this information to be accessed by a third party.

As of now, there are already some technical support teams that function, focusing on user-centered design and usability applications. To improve its range and provide for different markets, many GPS services have many add-ons to enhance the performance.

Since the foundation of any company is to stick on their philosophy that in order to maintain long term business relationships, it must be based on reliable service, high quality and strong industrial design and information technology support to adapt to the rapid changes in the markets and the business world.

These companies have dedicated themselves in the use and development of GPS products and applications, including Bluetooth GPS Receiver with SiRF Star 3 chipset, GPS Car Tracking System (Integrated GPS with mobile communication technology), Personal GPS Burglar - proof Tracker, GPS Data Logger, GPS Post-tracking System (off-line tracking). Many companies have invested so much to manufacture products designed to flexibly and rapidly customize their GPS to meet market demands.

These GPS vehicle tracking products are designed and built to provide precise information so that the services of the company who uses them can monitor their fleet as well as enhance the quality of their services.

S. Stammberger is the owner of GPS Navigation Systems. For more information on GPS and GPS Tracking Systems visit http://www.gps-navigation-systems.net.

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How to Detect If Someone Put a GPS Tracking Device on My Car?

If you're like many people, you may be wondering how to detect if someone has placed a GPS tracking device on your vehicle. GPS Tracking devices have gotten so small, they are commonly the size of a pack of cigarettes, and some are even as small as a quarter! With devices that small, they can be hard to detect, especially if you've got a large vehicle.

The first thing you need to know is that there are two different types GPS tracking devices:

GPS "Loggers"

A GPS Logger is a passive device, meaning that it doesn't actively transmit your GPS location. This means whoever put a GPS logger on your car will have to place it on your car, and then retrieve it later in order to view the driving data, which is stored on the device. A popular example of this is the Sleuthgear iTrail GPS Logger, which is only 1.5"X1.5" big.

GPS "Trackers"

A GPS Tracker is an active device, meaning that it actively transmits your location "live", usually to a secure website, where the person who placed it there can view your location and driving information via a web browser or special program. Once they put it on there, they do not have to retrieve it, they can just view the information online. They will likely come back later though, because the battery life on active tracker is usually less than 30 days.

Here's where knowing the difference between the two types of tracking devices is important. A GPS Logger (like the iTrail GPS) can only be detected manually - meaning you'll have to physically search for it. The reason for this is because since they don't actively transmit a signal (they just store data to the device), then a bug detector or bug sweeper won't be able to pick up any kind of transmission or signal. If you suspect that you might have a GPS logger on your vehicle, the first place to look for it is UNDER THE VEHICLE. This is the most popular place to hide a GPS tracking device, and is accomplished by placing the device inside a magnetic case, which securely attaches to the metal on the underside of your vehicle. Other places to look are in the glove box, center console, and the truck (including under the spare tire).

If you suspect that you might have an active GPS Tracker on your car, a manual search is always the first step. Look under the vehicle, in the glove box, and in the trunk. These type of units are usually bigger than GPS Loggers because they need a bigger battery in order to actively transmit a signal. If you don't have time to do a manual search, you're in luck, because active GPS Trackers can be easily detected by a GPS Detector.

A GPS Detector is a handheld device that is usually battery powered that allows you to "sweep" your vehicle (or wherever else you want to locate a GPS Tracker) and will alert you when it detects a transmitting GPS signal that is sending out your location. There is an adjustable sensitivity knob that allows you to hone in on the exact location of the tracker, so you can remove it from your vehicle.

A GPS detection device will also detect cell phone signals, because cell phones are commonly used as makeshift GPS tracking devices, since owners of cell phones can often use a "locate" feature of their phone to find out where it is at.

So if you want to find out if someone has placed a GPS tracking device on your car, first conduct a manual search, and for a quicker and easier search, use a GPS Detector.

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GPS Tracking Devices - Which System Is Right For Your Life Style And Budget?

It can be worth your time to educate yourself about the features of the GPS tracking devices and in the end decide which unit will best suit your needs, life style and budget.

There is certainly no shortage of GPS tracking devices available, so I think doing a little research can save you a lot time and hassle in the buying process.

Most of newly designed and developed GPS tracking devices these days feature a voice prompt that tells the direction for you to take during the entire trip.

There are basically four main types of GPS tracking devices to consider.

1. The first is in-car navigation systems, which helps you to identify your location from point A to point B in your car.

2. The second type is the portable outdoor units for outdoor type of people.

3. The third are a handheld type of GPS tracking device that have built in radios which not only allow you to communicate with your fellow hikers, but will also display everyone's location on your screen.

4. The fourth type is a combination of the first and second type, known as PDA/GPS hybrid. GPS tracking devices of this kind offers you large screen and a PDA to help you keep organized.

If you're on a budget, then it is necessary to decide which features of the GPS tracking devices are most important for you. If for instance you want a full featured car navigation system, it can easily run for more than $1000. The marine GPS tracking devices vary widely in prices, but a very good choice may cost no more than $1000. And, if the PDA/GPS hybrid devices interest you, the typically cost of these GPS tracking devices range from $400 to $900.

Here are some features of GPS tracking devices to consider.

In -Car Navigation System

These GPS tracking devices can be built in to your car. You can also buy a device that mounts onto your dashboard. Perhaps the desirable features of these systems include the voice guided directions, detailed built in maps, touch screens, rerouting in case you get off course, and a database with points of interest to help you locate the nearest gas station, and other establishments.

Portable Outdoors Unit

The portable outdoor units are perfect for those who want a GPS tracking device that is not limited to the car. The features that one should look for in a handheld GPS tracking device are lightweight, waterproofing, rugged, color screens, long battery life, and mapping features.

Note that the handheld GPS tracking systems are geared towards people who spend a significant amount of time outside, that's why it is named "outdoor units".

The Marine Systems

If you are on the water and fishing is your passion, then the marine GPS tracking devices are the right one for you. These systems are designed to be on and around water. They usually feature waterproofing, easy-to-read screens, color chart plotters, onshore and offshore maps, fish hotspots, and sonar capability.

PDA/GPS Hybrid

This type of GPS tracking device offers a good combination of the car navigation systems and handheld devices. You'll get the large screens and a PDA to help you keep organized. However, only limited companies have tried to make these units and all have some serious limitations.

There are many companies that offer GPS devices online. You can read the reviews of each type of unit to get a better idea of the quality and if the unit will be cost effective for your budget.

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What is a GPS Tracking Device?

What is GPS tracking and how would I want to use it?

In short, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is a series of US owned and operated satellites which circle the earth and send one-way signals (back to the earth) providing information on position, navigation, and timing. The GPS devices which consumers can purchase decipher this data so that one can determine their GPS coordinates, or location (along with a bearing and the time).

GPS tracking simply adds a step to this process by recording the location so that one can determine where the device is located (or has been).

GPS Tracking has become more common and used in a variety of deployments. Vehicle tracking is a great example as many delivery, installation, and packaging companies have a need to see where their trucks are located at a given time. Consider the following example: your cable TV goes out of service so you call the company to request a repair person. With GPS tracking, a dispatcher could easily locate a service vehicle near you, call the technician, and request they stop in after their current job.

We now have the ability to use this same technology on a personal level and the ideas are unlimited: tracking vehicles, children, pets, boats, assets, equipment, valuables, elderly, cargo, motorcycles, planes, RV's, ATV's, or trucks. If it can move, it can be tracked!

What types of GPS tracking exist?

There are two types of GPS tracking devices on the market. We'll first cover the "Historical" GPS tracking devices. These units are similar to a simple GPS device, however, they have a recorder built in which records the location of the device (at certain intervals). So, one could place a Historical GPS tracking unit on top of a vehicle, wait for its return, remove the GPS tracking unit, and then analyze the data to see where the device has been, how fast it traveled, how long it was stationary at its different locations, etc. These units are usually lower in cost and require no monthly fees.

The other type of GPS devices are "Real Time" GPS tracking units. These allow one to instantly see the location of the GPS tracking device. Instead of having a recording device like the Historical GPS tracking devices, they have a built in transmitter that sends the GPS location information back to a central computer. As an end user, you're able to login to a computer and track the GPS device in real time. How is this data being sent back? Over the cellular phone network. This is why monthly service fees are associated with Real Time GPS tracking devices. Just like your cell phone, there are limitations to a real time GPS tracking unit. If it doesn't have cellular service, then it can't send information back to you.

If you have an idea of where the device might be headed, you can ask about which cellular provider will be providing the service to the GPS device you're looking at. Based on this information, you can go to the cellular provider's website and look up coverage maps. Remote areas far from civilization can be problematic, along with underground caves. However, if a device goes out of cellular network coverage and then returns into coverage, tracking will resume. Some devices will even send post-data so that you can see where it went while out of cellular coverage.

Are threre any free GPS tracking options available?

Rarely is something free, but if you already have a mobile phone capable of supporting the latest Google Maps software funcionality, you might be able to experiment with a GPS tracking application. Google Maps works on a variety of mobile phones, and offers location assistance on phones that don't even have an integrated GPS chip! How do they do it? They use cellular towers to triangulate your approximate location (within a 1000 meter circle). All newer mobile phones made are required to have this basic ability for 911 location requirements. Some phones also have an integrated GPS chip, which mobile programs (such as Google Maps) can take advantage of to locate your precise location. However, GPS alone can sometimes take a long time to calculate your exact whereabouts, so phones with integrated GPS can use the above "polling the network" option to speed things up, which is referred to A-GPS (or assisted GPS).

Google Maps has added a new feature called Google Latitude to their mapping software. This feature enables those coordinates calculated on your phone (that show where you are) to be uploaded to the Google Latitude service. This is the key to any tracking or location service, the ability to access the location data from a remote point. While Google Latitude is primarily designed for you and your friends to see each other's whereabouts, this could possibly be used to track something. Simply activate Google Maps on a phone, enable the Latitude feature to share the location, then you can pull up the location of the phone from a web browser.

However, there are several drawbacks to this: 1) you lose the use of your phone, 2) your phone's battery can drain rather quickly when using the GPS functionality, 3) you incur data usage rates, and 4) your phone wasn't really designed for this.

Consider what you want or need to track and how quickly you need the data to determine the type of GPS tracking unit that is best for your needs.

Mark Nicholson
Elite Asset Protection - protecting what matters
http://www.eaprotection.com/gps-tracking.aspx

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GPS Tracking Devices - Choosing the Right Model For Your Needs

Global Positioning Systems, also known as GPS tracking devices or simply GPS's, have become an integral part of our lives and are changing the way we get around. They are some of the most versatile and useful consumer technology products available in the marketplace today.

Whether you are driving, running, boating, hiking, or even just camping out, you may find a GPS tracking device indispensable. With real time GPS tracking device you will no longer have to worry about getting lost in the woods or when driving to an unknown destination. Your GPS device will tell you exactly where you are at all times, sometimes saving you hours of frustration.

There are many types of GPS tracking devices on the market today, with many features and accessories. Choosing the one that fits your needs can be overwhelming when you first start trying to figure out which GPS tracking to buy.

The two most common types of GPS units are small portable GPS devices that you can carry around with you or wear as a wristwatch, and GPS auto navigation systems for your car. As GPS technology is developing, more and more variations are becoming available for almost any situation imaginable. Many auto GPS models have a pedestrian mode, which means they can used as handheld units when walking around. There are special models for bicycles, motorcycles, and boats; there are GPS/PDAs hybrids, GPS sport watches for running and other activities (they can even record your heart rate); GPS collars for pets, GPS cell phones, GPS walkie-talkies, and even GPS devices for tracking fish or hunting dogs.

Before you buy a GPS tracking device, consider how often and how far you travel, and which means of transportation you use most frequently.

If you are mainly using your car to travel your best bet is the auto navigation system. If you want a GPS device that isn't limited to the car, you may want to consider a handheld GPS unit. If you spend a lot of time fishing, then you should probably consider a marine GPS or GPS fish finder. These units are specifically designed to be on and around water. If you don't travel much and need directions only occasionally, choose an inexpensive model in the $100-$250 price range. If you expect to use it daily to get to clients or for service calls, you may want to invest more and purchase the best model you can afford.

As useful they are, GPS tracking devices are not for everyone. If you are not a person who travels to new places, and you know your way around well, there is no point in spending money on something you will never use. However, if you like exploring new places, by car, bike, boat or on foot, a GPS will make your life much easier and safer.

Whether you are looking for a handheld, auto or marine GPS, GPS accessories, cellular GPS, or if you are considering to use a small portable GPS tracking device to track a person, the GPS Tracking Device blog can be a good source of information.

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