Over the years the size of handheld GPS units has shrunk while performance and power have increased, as GPS technology has progressed . This is a good news for backpackers, bikers, cross-country skiers, and geo-cachers and other outdoor enthusiasts. These pocket sized units will help you find your way, keep track of where you are, and show you the way back to where you came from.
The handheld GPS units in general can be classified as two types. To begin with is a devoted component which is purely a GPS device for receiving. This kind of unit comes with several screens which display everything from the direction you're going to the amount of time it'll take you to get where you're going.
An additional handheld GPS kind is a PDA add-on. In essence this is a hardware which can be connected to the PDA and offers it GPS functionality. Although, this would appear to be a good add-on, a point to note here is that such plug-ins are quite large in size thus occupying valuable space, which is not the case to bother about in a full fledged GPS unit.
Once you are decided to go for a handheld GPS, have some consideration on these things
The main fact to decide before purchase is to plan how to use it. You should make sure of this because it is part of getting a good signal from the GPS satellite to your GPS device, it is all line of sight.
You might not get a good signal in deep canyons, rugged mountainous areas, beneath dense foliage and tree cover, or even the skyscraper canyons of a city. Normally there are enough satellites overhead to mitigate this problem but it is an issue that will occur and something to think about.
When buying a handheld, you want to check to see what else you can get with it, as far as add-ons, etc. Are firmware updates freely available and easy to download and install? You should ask if additional data and maps can be loaded onto your unit, to meet your specific needs. Does your home computer or laptop has a software/hardware that lets you interface the GPS unit?
You will need to do some research before purchasing a hand-held system, as there are several different options to choose from. Selecting a handheld GPS based on your requirements can go a long way toward obtaining the ideal system for yourself. - 30552
The handheld GPS units in general can be classified as two types. To begin with is a devoted component which is purely a GPS device for receiving. This kind of unit comes with several screens which display everything from the direction you're going to the amount of time it'll take you to get where you're going.
An additional handheld GPS kind is a PDA add-on. In essence this is a hardware which can be connected to the PDA and offers it GPS functionality. Although, this would appear to be a good add-on, a point to note here is that such plug-ins are quite large in size thus occupying valuable space, which is not the case to bother about in a full fledged GPS unit.
Once you are decided to go for a handheld GPS, have some consideration on these things
The main fact to decide before purchase is to plan how to use it. You should make sure of this because it is part of getting a good signal from the GPS satellite to your GPS device, it is all line of sight.
You might not get a good signal in deep canyons, rugged mountainous areas, beneath dense foliage and tree cover, or even the skyscraper canyons of a city. Normally there are enough satellites overhead to mitigate this problem but it is an issue that will occur and something to think about.
When buying a handheld, you want to check to see what else you can get with it, as far as add-ons, etc. Are firmware updates freely available and easy to download and install? You should ask if additional data and maps can be loaded onto your unit, to meet your specific needs. Does your home computer or laptop has a software/hardware that lets you interface the GPS unit?
You will need to do some research before purchasing a hand-held system, as there are several different options to choose from. Selecting a handheld GPS based on your requirements can go a long way toward obtaining the ideal system for yourself. - 30552
About the Author:
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