Description and Photographs of
Magellan and Garmin
hand-held Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Receivers

General Description of GPS including discussion on ways to use GPS, also some warnings. In brief, the Global Positioning Satellite System uses a constellation of low earth orbit satellites that transmit timing and position signals. Your GPS receiver listens to these signals, and in a rather complex process discovers the range to each satellite, and from that and their known positions, can determine its own position. It is truly amazing that a navigator in the palm of your hand can know your position sometimes within 15 feet, but more usually within 100 feet, certainly close enough to find your car in a busy parking lot, or a house, or a campsite, or a favorite fishing spot (and so on). When used with a built in map, it can actually help you choose a route to get to the destination. Hikers can load a topographic map right into the GPS.

*FLASH* The accuracy-degrading "Selective Availability" was turned off on May 1, 2000; at least for selected global regions. Now, your GPS is limited only by its internal accuracy and the geometry of the satellites. White House Press Release

U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center

Manufacturer Links

• Magellan Systems Corporation . Magellan has always been associated with adventure and exploration. The offerings include a wide variety of GPS receivers with emphasis on exploration, adventure and survival. One model offers combined GPS and INMARSAT satellite email!
• Garmin Corporation . Founded in 1989 producing GPS receivers for aviation, with embedded IFR, Jeppeson charts. Now offering a galaxy of about 33 products well suited for hiking, boating, bicycling and flying.
• Rockwell Collins , a widely recognized name in radio, electronics and precision scientific equipment. Job hunting? Rockwell Collins is looking for a few good GPS engineers. Here is Rockwell Collins Employment Page.
• Trimble Navigation Limited . Specializing in high precision, differential GPS for aviation, surveying, GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Founded in 1978, Trimble now holds more than 200 U.S. patents on GPS and related technology. They also seem to have the smallest GPS of all, a PC card (PCMCIA) that will fit right inside your laptop computer!
• Lowrance Electronics, Inc. , Tulsa, Oklahoma. Specializing in marine GPS. Lowrance was among the first to bring GPS technology to the consumer.

Almost any large department store carries them; but the best selection (and accessories) will be found in outdoor goods suppliers (Gart Sports, Cabela's, places like that). Online suppliers include:

• Affordable GPS Store
• GPS World Supply . (NEW, link added 1 June 2001) Located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Exclusively featuring the entire line of GARMIN GPS receivers.
• THE GPS STORE (www.thegpsstore.com) Supplier of several brands (Magellan, Garmin, Delorme) of GPS receiver and other related products. Located in South Brunswick, NC. Offers a wide selection, above average descriptions helping you to choose from an almost impossible range of choices. NOTE: Their webpage is Java enabled; if you have Java turned off then click on "product catalog" (lower left corner of home page) to get to the products.
• Adventure GPS Products , Lancaster, California, USA. Another provider offering diverse selection and links to information and adventures.
• GPS City , Great Falls, Montana, USA. Primarily features Garmin units; has excellent technical details on units.
• www.21store.com This British page describes several Magellan GPS receivers in excellent detail. Units can be purchased directly from this location.

NOTE: GPS come in "flavors" according to the lingo of the buyer and intended purpose: hiking, driving, flying, boating, mapping. These flavors influence the type and appearance of the navigation screens (display options) and the abbreviations you find. One will say HDG (heading) and another will say COG (Course Over Ground). Advertisements seldom indicate which way it is going to be, but the GPS Store has little icons to help you choose the application (icons indicating boating, aviation, hiking, bicycling, etc).

LINKS

• INCREDIBLE resource page! (http://www.hom.net/~mark/gps.html) with links to almost every manufacturer, dealer, scientific explanation, schools, coordinate lists...
• Don Downey's Unofficial Magellan Trailblazer Page

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