| GPS, or Global Positioning System, is the
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| | satellites, figure out the distance to
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| latest thing in keeping from getting lost
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| | each and from that information determine
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| when trekking out to visit your Aunt
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| | where on the planet the receiver itself
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| Louise. Years ago you had to rely on
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| | is located. It then transmits this
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| landmarks, your handy compass or the guy
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| | location back to the person who happens
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| at the corner gas station, assuming he
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| | to be in possession of the receiver. The
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| knew where everything was. Today for
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| | operation is based on a simple
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| about a hundred bucks you can get a
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| | mathematical principal called
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| little gadget that will tell you exactly
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| | trilateration. To simply explain how
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| where you are, any place on Earth. By
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| | this works, let's say someone tells you
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| using some basic mathematical
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| | that you are 10 miles from Newark, NJ,
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| calculations and a rather complex system,
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| | another person tells you that you are 15
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| you can be in the middle of the desert,
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| | miles from Maplewood, NJ and a third
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| lost as can be, push a button and have
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| | person tells you that you are 20 miles
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| your GPS tell you exactly where you are
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| | from Woodbridge, NJ. By taking those
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| so that you can hopefully find your way
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| | three facts you can figure out exactly
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| back home.So what exactly is GPS and how
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| | where you are because each radius of each
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| does it work?GPS is actually a very
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| | distance when linked together will
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| complex and expensive system but the
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| | intersect at only one point. That point
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| fundamental concepts of the system are
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| | is where you are located.In order to
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| very simple.The GPS system is a group of
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| | actually do the calculation from space
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| 27 Earth orbiting satellites.
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| | the GPS receiver needs to know 2 things.
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| Twenty-four of them are in operation and
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| | The location of at least 3 satellites
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| 3 are backups in case one fails. The
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| | above you and the distance between you
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| system was originally created for the US
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| | and each of those satellites. The reason
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| military but was eventually opened up to
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| | that only 3 satellites or spheres are
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| everyone else.Each one of these
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| | needed is because the Earth itself can
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| satellites, weighing in at about 4,000
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| | act as a fourth sphere. The GPS receiver
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| pounds, circles the Earth at about 12,000
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| | itself works by radio waves which are a
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| miles per hour and makes 2 complete
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| | kind of electromagnetic energy and travel
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| rotations everyday. The orbits are
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| | at the speed of light The receiver can
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| arranged so that at any one point in the
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| | actually figure out how far the signal
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| day 4 of these satellites are visible
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| | has travelled by timing how long it took
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| from any place on Earth.The complimenting
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| | for the signal to arrive from each of the
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| receiver that was created to receive
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| | satellites.In the next article on GPS
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| signals from these satellites has the job
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| | we'll go over exactly how this system
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| of locating 4 or more of these
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| | works to measure distance.
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