Compass Systems Corp. Copyright@2010
About GPS
GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite navigation system developed by the U.S.
Department of Defense. GPS consists of 32 satellites orbiting around 11,000 miles above the
surface of the Earth. These satellites travel at speeds that allow them to orbit the planet twice
a day and emit a low-powered radio signal. These signals are received and recorded using
five ground stations with extremely accurate clocks. By using these extremely accurate
clocks, the ground stations can determine with great precision the position of every satellite
in their orbit. Your GPS receiver is capable of "reading" the signals transmitted by these
satellites. By knowing the position and distance of al least 4 satellites, it's possible to
accurately calculate the receiver's current latitude, longitude and elevation.
WAAS enhances the accuracy of your GPS. WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation
System and was developed by the Federal Aviation Administration to augment the accuracy
of GPS for aviation use. It consists of additional ground stations that are placed at specific
locations where the exact coordinates are known. When used with a master station, the
accuracy of satellite positioning signals can be improved to almost three meters.
The Saturn 100 must scan and detect signals from at least 3 such satellites in order to
calculate your current location and movement. The Saturn 100 is designed for recreational
use only. Please do not use this product for industrial or professional surveying.
