The GPS tracking systems have been very useful for people to find their way on land and on water, in keeping track of people, vehicles, pets etc, in scientific studies, for map making, land surveying and countless other commercial uses. Everyday new applications are being found for the amazing NAVSTAR GPS commonly known as GPS systems.

Bascially you need a GPS receiver to receive and decode the signals that are continuously being sent by the 24 satellites orbiting the earth. The GPS system has been designed in such a way that any point of time your GPS receiver on earth receives signals from at least 4 satellites. This is essential for to determine your exact location on Earth.

There is an increasing number of GPS tracking systems on the market. Not all offer the same range of services though. These vary quite a lot depending on your needs.

Gps systems types

1. Car GPS – these are probably the best-known type of devices. The biggest names on the market are currently Garmin, Tomtom, Magellan and Mio, which together hold more than 80% of the market share of car GPS devices. Car GPS’s normally come with preloaded maps for a specific country or area. Most new models also offer free map updates.

2. Hiking GPS – Designed for hiking, these focus more on geographic features rather than roads (unlike car GPS models).

3. GPS’s for bikers are also in great demand. These are typically very resistant models and many come in weather-proof casings.

4. Boating GPS’s are specialized models which vary in complexity depending on the needs. They also come with services like weather updates and other sea-specific information.

5. There are many more specialized GPS models designed with the needs of specific professions and activities in mind. For instance, there’s been a lot of publicity recently around tracking systems as a way to have a permanent feeds for fleet tracking.