To maximize your investment and minimize down time, every boater should take a little time and get to know your marine GPS.  GPS (Global Positioning System) has made precise navigation a breeze for everyone from the wilderness hiker to the offshore boater.  They’re small, relatively inexpensive, and generally easy to operate.  However, knowing the basics on just how the system works and a few particulars about the unit you’re using is a good idea. 
     Automation is nice but can lull us into a false sense of security.  Granted, today’s GPS units and the system itself are very reliable and perform flawlessly most of the time.  However, given enough time, things can and will go wrong.  That’s when just a little knowledge could come in handy and go long way toward helping you understand why your GPS isn’t doing its thing.
     The first thing you should keep in mind is that your GPS unit receives its information directly from satellites.  Therefore, having an unobstructed view of the sky is critical.  Not all of the sky, but a significant portion of it.  Fortunately there are multiple GPS satellites and it only takes 2 or 3 of them for you to get an accurate and reliable fix. 
     Almost all GPS units have a way of monitoring the number of satellites it can see and measuring the strength of the signal from each one.  You should make sure you know how do find this function in your particular GPS receiver.  You shouldn’t be concerned about which satellites you’re receiving, just how many and …

A Global Positioning System (GPS) has become one of the de facto “must have” electronic marine devices for every boat on the water. A marine GPS device provides two functions in particular that, once you get used to, you will wonder how you ever managed without.
First, marine GPS provides you essential information about where you are and how fast you are traveling. Most marine GPS units will tell you where you are within two to three meters of accuracy, how fast you are traveling and how far you are from shore.
Second, most marine GPS units allow you to set waypoints. A waypoint is a marker for where you are currently. This feature allows you to plot a navigation route through craggy rocks or difficult waters, avoiding buoys, nets and other obstacles. Multiple waypoints form a route that you can save and use as a guide for the inbound journey or re-use another time for safer and easier navigation to a favorite location. Another great benefit of setting waypoints is that you can mark significant finds whether this is an abundant fishing spot, a great scuba diving location or the position of a wreck.
By overlaying GPS waypoints with an integrated mapping tool or chart plotter, a marine GPS can give you a very precise picture of where you have been, where you are, where you want to go and what lies in your path.
Ultra-precise GPS marine electronics include the addition of signals from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). WAAS is program that was developed the Federal Aviation Administration to correct …

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S. space-based radio navigation system that provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to civilian users on a continuous worldwide basis — freely available to all.

For anyone with a GPS receiver, the system will provide location and time. GPS provides accurate location and time information for an unlimited number of people in all weather, day and night, anywhere in the world.

The GPS is made up of three parts: satellites orbiting the Earth; control and monitoring stations on Earth; and the GPS receivers owned by users. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that are picked up and identified by GPS receivers. Each GPS receiver then provides three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus the time.

Individuals may purchase GPS handsets that are readily available through commercial retailers. Equipped with these GPS receivers, users can accurately locate where they are and easily navigate to where they want to go, whether walking, driving, flying, or boating. GPS has become a mainstay of transportation systems worldwide, providing navigation for aviation, ground, and maritime operations.

Disaster relief and emergency services depend upon GPS for location and timing capabilities in their life-saving missions. Everyday activities such as banking, mobile phone operations, and even the control of power grids, are facilitated by the accurate timing provided by GPS. Farmers, surveyors, geologists and countless others perform their work more efficiently, safely, economically, and accurately using the free and open GPS signals.

Three distinct parts make up the Global Positioning System. The first segment of the system consists of 24 …

No doubt you’ve heard of auto GPS or even handheld GPS systems, but you may not be aware that marine GPS units also exist. GPS stands for “Global Positioning System.” This system is basically a set of satellites. They go around the world two times a day, and they transmit information on location and time. They communicate with marine GPS units and other types of GPS units to help you find your location or easily find out how to get to another location. For those who are planning trips out on the water, marine GPS units are definitely a wonderful option.
For thousands of years, many seafarers traveling out on the sea have used the stars as a guide. However, today you can use marine GPS units to help you find your way. Marine GPS units allow you to see exactly where you are and to find where you need to go. Even excellent mariners have got lost out on the water, so having great marine GPS units can definitely be a great idea and it is an essential part of your gear that you should take along when you go out on the water.
If you are going to purchase marine GPS units, then there are a variety of things you need to know. If you are going to spend a lot of money on the marine GPS units, then you’ll definitely want to make sure it comes with many features. Figure out whether or not these are features you need. If the GPS units have more features than you really …