What to look for when buying an automobile GPS system

When buying an automobile GPS system there are a few features to look for which will enhance your navigation experience. Bear in mind that there are a few ways in which the issue of automobile GPS can be tackled, ranging from radio based through to laptop based GPS navigation systems. It is useful to have a little piece of background before trying to understand how systems are put together in order to choose the best solution in a given situation.

GPS works by taking signals from a series of satellites and then using them to calculate the units position based on simple mathematic equations. The system is usually split into two pieces, the antenna and the processor that takes the data fed to it by the antenna and does the actual calculations. In an automobile GPS system, this means that there has to be a display and calculation element.

This can be done by a radio, PDA or laptop, in conjunction with an external antenna. The most common approach for new cars is to have the unit fitted at the factory, but this can prove excessively expensive, and a better option is to combine the automobile GPS with a PDA or laptop in order to get the best out of the GPS navigation technology.

There are also dedicated portable automobile GPS units which can be moved from car to car, but these suffer from being less powerful, having a smaller screen and can not be loaded with new maps. They are, however, generally more feature rich and well thought out than software on a PDA or laptop, and have the added advantage of better antenna placement, behind the radio antenna.

For more information on related products and services, please choose from the following menu of items.

GPS
Maps / Software
Tracking

About The Author:

Guy Lecky-Thompson is a successful author and publisher at www.1st-at-gps-tracking.com. Recommending gps equipment and associated products
03-07-04