Soon GPS will become almost as common as the telephone, or more likely included with every phone handset. GPS can determine positions accurate to a matter of. In fact, amazingly with advanced equipment it is possible to make measurements to better than a centimeter!
It’s just like assigning every square meter on the planet a unique address. GPS receivers have become extremely economical as they have been miniaturized to just a few integrated circuits. These days GPS is finding its way into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially phone handsets.
Tracking mobile phones is a active topic getting a lot of interest. Much of the discussion dealing with cell tracking, cell phone GPS and cell phone track software applications could be helped by a GPS Satellite primer and glossary.
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that GPS receivers use to calculate three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. The GPS system is composed of 3 primary segments: Space Segment, Control Segment and User Segment.
The GPS Space Segment includes twenty-four to thirty-two satellites that orbit the earth in medium earth orbit MEO. These satellites are also known as as the GPS Constellation, and they are orbiting twice a day. They are not geosynchronous, but rather move at over 7,000 mph. GPS satellites are solar powered but have battery backup for when they are on the dark side of the earth. They are placed so that there are at least 4 satellites ‘visible’ from any point on earth. Small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them properly positioned. The satellites last about ten years until all their fuel is exhausted.
GPS Satellites are not communications satellites. Geostationary or communications satellites are parked in space 22,300 miles above the equator. These satellites are used for weather forecasting, satellite TV, satellite radio and most other types of global communications. At exactly 22,000 miles above the equator, the earth’s force of gravity and centrifugal forces are canceled and are in balance. This is the best location to place a communications satellite. The earth rotates at about 1,000 miles an hour, and because of their high earth orbit the earth-synchronous satellites need to travel at about 7,000 mph to keep position. This is approximately the same speed as GPS satellites, but since geostationary satellites are 10,000 miles further away they don’t move relative to the earth.
The GPS Control Segment includes Master Control Station, an Alternate Master Control Station, and a host of dedicated and shared Ground Antennas and Monitor Stations that work together to ensure the satellites are functioning correctly and the data they send to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment made up of of GPS receivers taking the shape of mobile phones and , laptops, in-car navigation devices and hand-held tracking units along with the people that use them, and the software applications that make them work.
GPS receivers determine location by precisely timing the signals transmitted by GPS satellites. This information includes the time the message was transmitted, precise orbital information (the ephemeris), and the general system health and rough orbits of all GPS satellites (the almanac).
Consider that there is a basic difference between mobile phone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation. GPS cell phone tracking is typically associated with a third-party keeping records of either real-time or historical handset location, while Navigation deals with the handset user figuring out how to get from point A to point B. Neither use works without some sort of third-party software program.
An impressive software package that includes remote control of handset settings, and combines Mobile Phone Tracking with SMS text message, Call Log, MMS multi-media message monitoring, and a web account for storage and review is PhoneBeagle.
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Global Satellite System FAQ
Why does GPS receiver only work outside?
GPS satellites are orbiting such that from any location on earth there are a minimum four satellites visibile at all times. Even though they use radio signals, the signal needs a clear of site to the receiver. If the GPS satellite slips below, or a building, or even heavy cloud cover, the radio signal may be lost.
What do the satellites do?
Each satellite is broadcasting the time. Both the satellite and the GPS receiver use atomic clocks for extreme accuracy. By measuring the difference between the time given by the satellite and the time in the GPS receiver, the GPS can calculate the distance from the satellite.
How do GPS satellites know their location?
The satellites keep position archived inside in calculated tables. But they can get off course over time. To correct this, the satellite communicates with fixed reference stations positioned around the world. Whenever it connects with the ground stations, the satellite adjusts its internal position tables.
Does a GPS receiver send information back to the satellite?
No, they don’t do that. GPS equipped mobile phones will send data but it isn’t going back to the satellite.
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