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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
SlidyBike GPS
must scan and detect signals from at least 3 such satellites in order to
calculate your current location and movement. The
SlidyBike GPS
is designed for
recreational use only. Please do not use this product for industrial or professional
surveying.