subject: Buying GPS Devices: How To Get The Ideal GPS Data Logger [print this page] Make sure your global trail is always marked
It's great traveling, taking stills, and wandering in the great outdoors.
But infrequently it can be difficult to re-gather your memories ( and keep track your movements ) when you're at home recollecting exactly what occurred.
Fortunately , nowadays, there are very good devices called GPS data loggers which may make compasses and non-electronic navigational equipment null and void.
So what is a GPS info logger?
A GPS logger is a tool that makes a record of its position at regular intervals in its internal memory ( which is usually an in-built flash chip or a Mini SD card / TF card ). These are switched on when you are traveling from place to place then plugged into your PC when you get home.
This enables you to download the track log information of geographical information of the trip in formats including GPX, KML, and NMEA.
But what do these formats mean and what do they seem like.
GPX : This stands for GPS eXchange Format and it is an XML schema utilized for computer programmes. It can show various amounts of info including waypoints, routes tracks, elevation amongst other elements.
KML : This stands for Keyhole Markup Language ( KML ) and is another XML-based language schema used to express geographic annotation and visualisation on existing or future Internet-based, two-dimensional and 3D maps.
NMEA : This is actually a shortened sort of the acronym NMEA 0183, which is essentially the 0183 standard set by the national Marine Electronics Association as a kind of electronic geographical communication.
It is presumably one of the older languages ( not being set up in tune with the XML language ) and is made use of by echo sounders, sonars, anemometers, gyrocompasses, autopilots, GPS receivers and many other sorts of instruments.
As you can see a large amount of the data is internet-based so many of the programs are available online and much of the information can be put into sites like Flickr, YouTube, Google Maps, among other sites.
When taking a look at GPS information loggers it is really important to have a look at a range of things including battery charge lifespan, chipset, precision, channels and memory.
Battery life goes without saying as it is something you are going to need to stay on for a considerable time without switching off. This is lessened a little by the indisputable fact that GPS info loggers traditionally have no, or miniscule screens, meaning energy consumption is sort of low.
The average device with an in-built battery should have a battery life that can be measured in days and weeks instead of hours while even devices charged by Lithium-ion and Ni-Cad batteries should last a day or even more before requiring new batteries.
The GPS chipset is basically the brain of the device helping it collect geographical info from several locations.
The SiRF Atlas III is thought of as the bog standard in this case but chipsets like the Skytraq Venus six are far more than sufficient to deal with the job.
The GPS information logger accuracy is measured by a number of factors ; horizontal position, wide area enhancement, time and speed.
The smaller the distance and shorter the time suggests that devices are way more accurate.
Channels tell you how many satellites a logger can get information from at one previous point. More than 3 or four is important to get a good location fix however as there are only 24 GPS capable satellites orbiting the earth and only half those can be 'seen ' by a device at one point any more than twenty-four is OTT.
Memory is a very important thing to take into consideration, as you may be on the road for a very long time with some trips but again each 'log ' does not take up much memory. In fact 100,000 logs will often take up a load less than 500MB of space.
So what price should you expect to pay it is dependent on whether or not the device is a standalone one and what other elements and functions it incorporates.
If the device has multiple functions and comes with a screen and assorted mounts you could expect to pay between US$70 and US$140 depending on the functions and features.
Devices that add GPS tracking functionality to other items often go for between 30 and 50 dollars.
If you are always spending your time in the great outdoors and uninterested in using a pencil and map to keep a record of where you have been check out GPS info loggers today. You will be cheerful that you probably did.
Find the best GPS data loggers and other great GPS devices online. Visit Chinavasion.com or paste this URL into your browser: http://www.chinavasion.com/index.php/cName/electronic-gadgets-gps-gadgets/
Buying GPS Devices: How To Get The Ideal GPS Data Logger
