Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have been around long enough for most people to have a basic idea of what they do. Originally developed by the government for military use, the technology has evolved and now drives many GPS tracking devices commonly used by consumers. The variations include GPS watches, GPS tracking surveillance units, GPS enabled cell phones, GPS vehicle tracking, GPS navigation systems for boats, automobiles, planes and portable handheld tracking devices, among others.
Over the years the accuracy of all GPS devices has improved to the point (within a couple meters) of being almost mind boggling. Fortunately, for all of us, the cost of the technology has steadily decreased, even while the performance and reliability has improved. Only a few years ago the thought of buying a well made GPS device for under $100 would have seemed impossible, yet today, it is a fact. With the reduction in cost, the popularity of these devices has almost literally, exploded.
The GPS evolution has also meant a drastic reduction in the size of the units. This breakthrough may have allowed the popularity to increase even more than the reduction in price. Who would want a device the size of a shoebox mounted on the dash board of a car or strapped to ones arm? Clearly, a GPS watch would never have become practical without the reduction in size. I still have a “handheld marine unit” from the early 1990’s that makes me laugh at the size, whenever I see it, which admittedly, isn’t often. Thankfully those days are long gone.
GPS tracking devices, receive signals from orbiting satellites to determine the user’s latitude and longitude usually within a couple meters. This makes its simple to track your current location, speed, direction of travel, distance to go, exact time and many other functions. For the serious running/walking enthusiasts using a GPS watch a heart rate monitor adds the ability to tailor the exercise to personal targets and monitor them along the way.
The biggest challenge may be the decision of which GPS tracking watch is best for you, that’s where we will help.
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