Soon GPS will become almost as common as the telephone, or more likely included with every phone handset. GPS can calculate locations accurate to a matter of just a few meters. In fact, incredibly with advanced equipment you can make measurements to less than a centimeter!
It’s just like assigning every square meter on earth a unique address. GPS receivers have become very economical through miniaturization to just a few integrated circuits. Nowadays days GPS is becoming integrated into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially phone handsets.
Tracking mobile phones is a active topic with a lot of interest. A lot of the discussion dealing with GPS tracking, mobile GPS and cell phone tracker software programs could be helped by a GPS Satellite primer and glossary.
GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System. GPS satellites broadcast signals from earth orbit that GPS receivers use to calculate three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. The GPS network is made up of 3 primary segments: Space Segment, Control Segment and User Segment.
The GPS Space Segment consists of twenty-four to thirty-two satellites that orbit the earth in medium earth orbit MEO. These satellites are also known as as the GPS Constellation, and they make an orbit once every 12 hours. They are not geosynchronous, they travel at over 7,000 mph. GPS satellites are solar powered but have battery reserve for when they are on the dark side of the earth. They are positioned so that there are at least 4 satellites ‘visible’ from any point on earth. Small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them properly positioned. The satellites have a lifetime of about 10 years until all their fuel is exhausted.
GPS Satellites are not communications satellites. Geostationary or communications satellites are at a much higher orbit of about 22,300 miles above the equator. These satellites are used for weather forecasting, satellite TV, satellite radio and most other types of global communications. At exactly 22,000 miles above the equator, the earth’s gravitational force and centrifugal forces are canceled and are in equilibrium. This is the ideal location to position a communications satellite. The earth rotates at about 1,000 miles an hour, and because of their high earth orbit the earth-synchronous satellites need to move at about 7,000 mph to maintain position. This is approximately the same speed as GPS satellites, but since stationary satellites are 10,000 miles further away they stay in place relative to the earth.
The GPS Control Segment incorporates Master Control Station, an Alternate Master Control Station, and numerous dedicated and shared Ground Antennas and Monitor Stations that work together to make sure the satellites are working correctly and the data they beam down to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment consists of of GPS receivers taking the shape of mobile phones and , laptops, in-car navigation devices and hand-held tracking units along with the people that use them, and the software programs that make them function.
GPS receivers determine position by precisely timing the signals transmitted by GPS satellites. This data includes the time the message was transmitted, precise orbital information (the ephemeris), and the general system health and rough orbits of all GPS satellites (the almanac).
Keep in mind that there is a fundamental difference between cell phone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation. GPS mobile phone tracking is typically related to a third-party maintaining records of either real-time or historical mobile phone position, while Navigation deals with the mobile phone user figuring out how to get from point A to point B. Neither use works without some sort of third-party software program.
A very good software package that includes remote control of mobile phone settings, and combines Mobile Phone Tracking with SMS text message, Call Log, MMS multi-media message monitoring, and a web account for storage and review is PhoneBeagle.
Follow this link if you are interested in Cell Phone Monitoring Software compatible with BlackBerry and Android Smartphones, used or Parental Monitoring and Small Business Employee Monitoring .
Global Satellite System FAQ
Why does GPS receiver only work outside?
GPS satellites are positioned in their orbits to be sure that from any point on the globe there are at least four satellites in site at any given time. Although they use radio signals, the signal needs a clear of site to the receiver. Once the GPS satellite drops behind the horizon, or a building, or even heavy cloud cover, the radio signal may not reach the receiver.
What do the satellites do?
Each satellite is broadcasting the time. Both the satellite and the GPS receiver use atomic clocks for extreme accuracy. By comparing the difference between the time given by the satellite and the time in the GPS receiver, the GPS can calculate the distance from the satellite.
How do GPS satellites know their location?
The satellites keep position archived internally in calculated tables. But they can deviate off course over time. To correct this, the satellite communicates with fixed reference stations positioned around the world. Each time it connects with the ground stations, the satellite adjusts its internal position tables.
Does a GPS receiver transmit information back to the satellite?
No, they don’t do that. GPS equipped mobile phones will transmit data but not to the satellite.
Visit this link for more information regarding the latest software for Mobile GPS