Well, solve the problem. Make your life a million times easier with a new handheld GPS. You’ll never find yourself in another situation where you’ve had an important meeting to get to but arrived late or missed it because of useless directions. Never argue with your wife again about stopping to ask for directions either, because a GPS handheld unit will navigate you to any and every destination point you will ever need to go to.

We’ve all seen the movies where government task teams have the technology to pinpoint the locations of targets all from their control room via global positioning satellites. Well, now you can too, but not from a control room, from the palm of your hand! Finding your way around has never been easier than with a GPS handheld.

Top of the range cars have GPS systems built in but if you don’t have one of those, you’ll be able to find the best handheld GPS to suit your needs. Imagine being able to see exactly where the location of your new friend’s house is before setting off. Not only will you be able to see the location on a map, you’ll also be given audible direction from your handheld all the way there. So you’ll never miss a turn. Your GPS will always warn you of upcoming turns, as well as calculate the distance to your destination. It makes traveling a dream when you know exactly where you’re going.

Some top of the range GPS handhelds even have a feature where you can track the location of other GPS users in your area. Knowing the location of people around you in a traveling party at bust amusement parks or shopping malls could save you a lot of time and lead to a much more enjoyable outing.

If you like to be in control of your own destiny, owning and utilizing your own GPS handheld is the only way to truly satisfy that need. You need to know where you’re going, and with a GPS handheld you’ll never feel like you’re in the dark again. Everything you need to know will be available at the touch of a screen in your very hand.

Adventurers, kayakers, white river rafters and river tour guides will be happy to know that they are just a wise investment away from making their lives a lot easier. If you don’t already have a waterproof GPS handheld, it’s about time to get one. The benefits go well beyond location awareness these days as the latest technology allows some amazing things.

That you can have a device in your pocket or clipped to your belt that can give you satellite navigation that is also not affected by water is remarkable in itself. But having one that can float means you will be able to see it if it should somehow fall into the water while you are out kayaking or river rafting. But that’s not the only benefit.

The latest GPS handheld waterproof devices all have some impressive feature built in. An electronic compass will help you to be sure of your bearings. So exploring is possible without having to take material maps or compasses. GPS devices also have pre-loaded electronic maps of streets, waterways, highways, parks, airports and marine navigational aids. You can also download more detailed information to your device so you’ll always have exactly what you need.

What’s more, the best GPS devices also have the ability to exchange routes, tracks, waypoints and geocaches between each other. They can also view pictures, have an SD memory slot, color display and even a barometric altimeter which pinpoints your altitude, meaning you can work out what the weather is going to do from the palm of your hand thanks to pressure readings.

It’s all very handy for people who are going to be outdoors doing adventure sports, or for those who need this type of information professionally. The fact that the best ones come with impact-resistant casing that is waterproof and can also float means you’ve got a secure piece of highly-valuable equipment on you at all times. It’s always good to constantly know your bearings.

GPS in an acronym that stands for “Global Positioning System”. It was first developed by the US Navy in 1960 and it became publicly available in 1983. The way the GPS systems work is that there a multiple satellites orbiting earth and they each send a signal that your GPS receiver picks up and then does a calculation on to determine how long it took to arrive from the satellite. The length of travel time determines the distance the signal traveled from the satellites and with 4 signals the receiver does a geometric triangulation calculation to discover exactly where you are located. From that knowledge all kinds of mapping and navigation applications are possible.

GPS based mobile phones have come on strong due to FCC requirements that all mobile emergency calls require positioning information to be broadcast with the 911 call. Mobile phone applications that take advantage of the GPS features are still relatively new and are still maturing.

Key features of GPS Handheld Units

When you are looking to buy a handheld GPS system, there are a key set of common features that you will want to review. If your primary purpose for an GPS unit is automotive navigation then you needs will be different that somebody looking to buy a GPS handheld unit primarily for hiking. Key features include…

• Points of Interest
• Audible turn by turn directions
• Traffic Updates>
• Downloadable maps (and computer connectivity)
• Battery life
• Weight
• Waterproof
• Color – yes this can big a big issue if you set your handheld GPS down while out in the woods and can’t find it again because is blends in with the environment!

Major brands of GPS Handheld Systems

• DeLorme GPS
• Garmin handheld GPS – One of the more popular Garmin models is the Garmin Etrex GPS handheld.
• Magellan handheld GPS
• Mio handheld GPS
• Tomtom handheld GPS
• Lowrance handheld GPS

GPS Handheld Accessories

Here is a short list of some common GPS handheld accessories…

• GPS Antennas
• GPS Maps
• GPS Carrying cases
• GPS Mounts and Mounting stands

Typically, we are used to seeing the police or FBI tracking down bad guys by planting a device on a vehicle or person and following their signal via satellites and computers, at least in the films. The army uses GPS tracking to track the location of soldiers on the field of battle. And it works the same way in real life.

If you have a tracker installed on your car, your security company will be able to track that vehicle if it is stolen. Insurance premiums on your vehicles will subsequently be much lower because of the added assurance your insurance has because of the effectiveness of GPS tracking. Insurance companies know that chances of a stolen vehicle being recovered are very high if it has a GPS tracking system on board.

This is where GPS can also save your life because, in the unfortunate event that you are hijacked, your security company and the police can work together to follow you and apprehend the criminals. It works the same way with your vehicles or even your children in the event that they get lost or are kidnapped.

Some religious statues even have GPS trackers on them so that if they are stolen, the authorities will be able to locate it again. GPS tracking can be bypassed if the tracking device is found by criminals, but more often than not they will not know what has hit them until they are too late. Tracking devices are usually well concealed anyway so the chances of it being found are low unless you are dealing with very clever baddies.

GPS tracking can be used by GPS handheld devices too. If two people possess a GPS handheld, they will be able to track each other within a certain radius. This is especially useful when you are out doing adventure sports or with children in a busy public place. GPS tracking just provides increased security and peace of mind in uncertain and unsafe times.