Sat-nav secrets

For many people, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is all about in-car satellite navigation.

Popular ranges such as the Tomtom, Navman and Garmin devices are all-in-one magic boxes that guide us to our destination, taking the place of a map reader and sometimes adding a few extra features, such as automatically avoiding heavy traffic.

While there’s no doubt that simple-to-use sat-nav devices have been a revelation to millions, if all you use them for is getting from A to B you’re missing out on an awful lot.

In this feature we will be exploring the other uses to which you can put GPS technology without having to invest in lots of expensive gadgets or software.

You may be surprised at some of the things that you can do with even the simplest in-car sat-nav system. Tomtom’s Plus service allows you to download scenic routes, for example, which can be a great way to enhance a holiday trip without having to manually add lots of roadblocks or waypoints to try and force the route along a coast road instead of using a more direct but less interesting motorway. And there are now web services, such as www.travelbygps.com that provide free maps and tour guides for your sat-nav device.

As we’ll see, there are lots of other ways in which you can enhance your exisiting sat-nav system. We also hope this feature will equip you with the right information to help you decide what features to look for in your next replacement model.

Finding yourself
For those of you who are just entering into the world of GPS, it’s worth taking a quick look at what it is and how it works.

The GPS constellation of satellites (launched and maintained by the US military) constantly orbits the earth, with each satellite sending a stream of data towards the ground, which includes a clock signal and its identity.

A GPS receiver compares the time signals from a number of satellites and, by using them together with knowledge of how satellites orbit, it can work out where it is. By taking successive readings, it can work out which direction the unit is moving in and how fast. When we talk about sat nav, we usually mean a device that combines a GPS receiver with mapping software, so that it can show you your position on a map and offer other useful features, such as route planning with turn-by-turn directions. These, managed by a simple interface allowing you to find your start and end addresses, form the basis of sat nav as most of us know it.

But as we saw erlier this year, there are plenty of other types of GPS system out there besides in-car sat nav. Magellan’s CrossoverGPS has options for off-road use and boating, while companies like Garmin have a wide range of units for just about every conceivable outdoor activity, and Navman has a set of dedicated GPS receivers for different sports, including skiing and snowboarding.

With gadgets such as these, you can monitor your training performance (whether you’re a runner or cyclist), plot walking tracks over the hills and dales or participate in the treasure hunt-like pastime of geocaching. What is more, you can do many of these activities - and a lot more - without having to invest heavily in new equipment. A huge range of software and websites has sprung up over the past few years, spurred on by new web technologies such as Google Maps and the rapidly falling price of GPS receivers. Over the next few pages we’ll look at some of the most exciting ways you can use these system.

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