By Kelly Shetsky
Maps are a thing of the past. The best way to get around is to use a Global Positioning System navigation device. They work by locking into the signal of at least three satellites. Your latitude and longitude are calculated and movement is tracked. GPS units not only give you the quickest route to your destination, but they tell you the estimated time of arrival and can help you quickly find places such as restaurants and gas stations.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Step 1
Decide what you'll most likely use the GPS for. Trip GPS devices are ideal for vehicle navigation. Wilderness GPS units are portable handheld devices that are designed to work with cartography equipment such as maps. They show navigational routes and roads but are meant to be used off-road.
Step 2
Look at the features offered. Trip GPS units include speech recognition, detailed maps, color display, waterproofing, suggestion of routes, multimedia capabilities, Internet connectivity and long battery life. Some have an FM transmitter, which enables GPS audio to be played through your car speakers.
Step 3
Expect wilderness units to be as diverse as traditional road-navigation GPS. Garmin's Rino, for instance, has a two-way radio, while others have removable memory cards so you can download destination maps for future use. The Magellan eXplorist 400 Wilderness Bundle can store up to 30 routes and 500 points of interest.
Step 4
Compare the brands of GPS units including Garmin, TomTom, Magellan and Navman. TomTom has many unique features such as enhanced positioning technology, which keeps the tracking even when signal is lost in tunnels; and IQ Routes, which records route information for better calculations in the future. High-end Garmin GPS units can be run exclusively with speech recognition, and Magellan has a convenient one-touch interface.
Step 5
Use a GPS to find restaurants and gas stations. You can type in a certain restaurant, such as Subway, or you can let the unit find all restaurants close to you. It will provide mileage and lead you there.
Step 6
Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $525 for a GPS. As of 2009, Garmin Nuvi 880 is the top of the line. It costs about $520 and has multimedia capabilities, an FM transmitter, speech recognition and information regarding gas prices, traffic, weather and movies. For $100 you can get a good GPS such as a SONY NVU73T which has accurate navigation but can be slow to pick up a signal and calculate routes.
Step 7
Make sure the GPS uses multiple satellites to track your location. Some may drop out, so the more you have, the better.
Step 8
Plan to subscribe to XM Satellite if you buy a GPS such as Garmin's StreetPilot 2730. It offers traffic, weather and radio services, as well as automatically calculates a new route if there are traffic problems.
Resources
About the Author:
Based in New York State, Kelly Shetsky started writing in 1999. She is a broadcast journalist-turned Director of Marketing and Public Relations and has experience researching, writing, producing and reporting. She writes for several websites, specializing in gardening, medical, health and fitness, entertainment and travel. Shetsky has a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Marist College.
