What Most People Dont Know About How Your GPS Actually Tracks Your Location

GPS stands for Global Positioning System, and is a navigation system that has become commonplace in our lives today.

How does GPS work?

Believe it or not the U.S. Department of Defense owns the GPS globally. The 24 satellites that are used to power GPS were originally put into orbit by the US, and in the 1980s access was granted to the global civilian population. As long as you have a receiver (generally this is a cell phone, other mobile device or in-built car system) the satellites can pinpoint your location within an accuracy of 1 meter.

How can I use GPS?

Many people turn to their GPS when they are lost. Gone are the days of endless driving around! GPS is also very handy in planning a road trip. There are products out there that allow you to punch in your starting point and the exact address of your next stop (or if you are more geeky you can use the actual GPS coordinates). Over the years most of the western world has been mapped and each unique location has GPS coordinates whether you know it or not. The coordinates work behind the scene to calculate the exact mileage for you. A good GPS product will give you an option of different routes, and even how long the journey will take under normal driving conditions.

Are there any downsides to GPS?

For GPS to work its magic, your receiver needs to have an unobstructed path to 4 satellites. Obviously you can’t always control that! In built up areas of major cities, buildings can get in the way and the other major culprit is tunnels. Generally speaking though GPS is incredibly reliable these days.