GPS tracking solutions - How to become a pro land navigator

You may have a pretty good idea of what Global Positioning System (GPS) is and how it works. In addition to knowing about the satellites, ground stations, and receivers, however, you should have a grasp of some important concepts before you start using a GPS receiver — things like coordinate systems, datums, waypoints, routes, and tracks. Even if you already own a GPS receiver and have used it for a while, this is still a good chapter to skim through because some of these basic concepts that I discuss end up being overlooked in user manuals or can get a bit fuzzy if you don’t use your GPS receiver on a regular basis. Read on while I help clarify some important terms and concepts (like datums and waypoints and routes) so you’ll be (pardon the pun) moving in the right direction.

 

Linking GPS, Maps, and Coordinate Systems

 

Some people think that after they have a tracking device , they really don’t need a map, especially if the receiver has built-in mapping capabilities. This isn’t necessarily true. GPS receivers are best used in conjunction with maps, whether those maps are paper or digital. Here are some of the reasons why:

 

Detail: Most maps on handheld GPS receivers don’t offer the detail of full-size paper or digital maps, especially topographic maps and nautical charts.

 

Size: A GPS receiver’s screen is pretty darn small, and it’s just about impossible to get the big picture that a full-size map can give you.

 

Backup: If you have a paper map with you and know how to use it, the map becomes an important backup if your GPS receiver’s batteries fail or if you encounter poor satellite coverage. Gadget lovers might consider a paper map and magnetic compasses primitive, but they don’t require batteries — and both are lightweight and cheap, to boot.

 

Complementary: After you get back home or to the office, you might want to see where you’ve been on a map, based on the locations that you’ve stored in the GPS receiver. With a digital map, you can easily plot the exact route that you took or identify the places you visited.

 

All maps and GPS receivers use coordinate systems, which are grids on maps that enable you to find locations on a map. Because GPS receivers are designed for use with maps, they support a number of coordinate systems that correspond to those commonly found on maps. Thus, you can take a location that you recorded on your GPS tracker and precisely locate it on a map. By default, your GPS receiver displays positions in latitude and longitude. But you can change the settings to display locations in exotic-sounding coordinate systems such as the Finnish KKJ27 grid, the Qatar grid, or the W Malaysian R grid. You probably won’t need to switch to some of these obscure coordinate systems, so you can stick with latitude and longitude or Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), which are used pretty much everywhere.

 

Land navigation

 

Discovering how to effectively use paper maps and compasses for land navigation is both an art and a science, with complete books written on the subject. Here are two excellent, free online resources if you want to find out more.

 

Map and Compass for Firefighters (NFES 2554) is a self-study course developed by

the U.S. government for wildland firefighters.

 

Map Reading and Land Navigation (FM 3-25.26) is the U.S. Army field manual on the subject.

 

Another great way to become a pro land navigator is through the sport of orienteering. Orienteering involves using a map and compass to find control points (small flags) in the shortest amount of time as possible. Do a Web search for orienteering to find more about the sport and how you can participate in clubs and events in your local area.

 

How much latitude?

 

tracking platform can display latitude and longitude in several different formats. Take the location at the top of Mt. Bachelor (some great skiing in Central Oregon if you’re ever in the neighborhood) and see how it can be expressed.

 

Degrees, minutes, decimal seconds (D° M' S"): 43° 58' 46.94" N, 121° 41' 14.73" W

 

Degrees, decimal minutes (D° M.M'): 43° 58.7824' N, 121° 41.2455' W

 

Decimal degrees (D.D°): 43.9797069° N, 121.6874253° W

 

And just for fun, here are the UTM coordinates for that same location: 10T 0605273E, 48 70240N.

 

Ouch! Is this confusing or what? Although it doesn’t seem like it, all these coordinates refer to the exact same location. Remember, just like converting locations from one coordinate system to another, you can also use your GPS receiver as a calculator to convert from different latitude and longitude formats. Suppose you have some coordinates in decimal degrees and need them in degrees, minutes, and seconds:

 

1. Change the coordinate settings in your GPS receiver to decimal degrees.

2. Manually enter the coordinates as a waypoint.

3. Change the coordinate settings in your GPS receiver to degrees, minutes, and seconds.

 

When you look at the coordinates of the waypoint that you entered, they’re now displayed in degrees, minutes, and seconds. (Note: Because changing coordinate systems varies from model to model, check your user manual for specific instructions.)