GPS, What exactly is it and how does it work? When we talk about GPS we are actually referring to the GPS receiver. The Global Positioning System or GPS is in fact a collection of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites, 24 in operation, 3 extras in case one fails and 5 ground based sations that are responsible for keeping the satellites in precise orbit. Developed by the DoD (Department of Defense) in the 1970’s, the network of NAVSTAR sattellites was born from a need to accurately determine the position of ballistic missile submarines prior to launching missiles.
Each of the 24 satellites has its own unique signal which the GPS reciever uses to calculate its position. It locks onto 4 signals from 4 different satellites and measures the distance between them with radio waves to determine its location. The satellites are setup in orbit so that there are always 5 visible from any given point on the planet. The use of the Global Postioning System was opend to the public for use in the early 90’s and has been growing ever since.
There are many common devices such as cell phones and Nav systems that use GPS availible to the general public. But parents may find a Mini GPS child locator especially usefull. The mini GPS reciever can be placed in either a childs backpack, shoes or maybe in a watch or necklace. If your child was to wander off while at the park, you could quickly locate them with your own cell phone or laptop. In 2006 it was reported that over 800,000 people went missing and over 80% of those were children. What is piece of mind worth to you?
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