GPS Information

Before long GPS will become almost as basic as the telephone, or more likely included with every cell phone.  GPS can calculate locations accurate to a matter of feet.  In fact, incredibly with advanced forms of GPS it is possible to make measurements to better than a centimeter!

In a sense it’s like assigning every square meter on the globe its very own address.  GPS receivers have become extremely economical as they have been miniaturized to just a few integrated circuits.  Nowadays days GPS is incorporated into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially  phone handsets.

Tracking cell phones is a active topic getting a lot of interest.   A lot of the discussion dealing with GPS tracking, cell phone GPS and cell phone tracking software programs would be more meaningful with a GPS Satellite introduction and glossary.

GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System.   GPS satellites broadcast signals from medium earth orbit that GPS receivers use to estimate three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time.  The GPS network is made up of 3 main segments: Space Segment, Control Segment and User Segment.

The GPS Space Segment is composed of 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 make an orbit once every 12 hours.  They are not geosynchronous, they travel at over 7,000 mph.  GPS satellites are solar powered but have battery backup for when they are in the earth’s shadow. They are positioned so that there are at least 4 satellites ‘visible’ from any point on earth.  Small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them flying in the correct path.   The satellites last about ten years until all their fuel runs out.

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 gravitational force and centrifugal forces are offset and are in equilibrium. 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 geo-synchronous satellites need to travel at about 7,000 mph to maintain position.  This is just about the same speed as GPS satellites, but since earth-synchronous satellites are 10,000 miles further away they don’t move relative to the earth.

The GPS Control Segment made up of Master Control Station, an Alternate Master Control Station, and numerous dedicated and shared Ground Antennas and Monitor Stations that work together to ensure the satellites are functioning to specification and the data they send to earth is accurate.

The GPS User Segment includes of GPS receivers  taking the shape of devices and , laptops, in-car navigation devices and hand-held tracking units along with the people that use them, and the software programs that make them work.

GPS receivers compute 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 fundamental difference between smartphone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation.  GPS cell phone tracking is usually associated with someone maintaining records of either real-time or historical mobile phone  location, while Navigation deals with the mobile phone  user figuring out how to get from point A to point B.  Neither use works without some sort of third-party software application.

A very good software package that includes  remote control of device settings, and combines Cell 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 Glossary of basic terms.

GPS is made up of  24 GPS satellites, portable GPS receivers, and various ground-based support facilities.

The GPS receiver is typically a standalone handset  device or electronic unit mounted on a  automobile dashboard or other movable item such as a shipping container, and now particularly common to be included with  phone handsets . Abbreviated “GPS” in common use.

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