GPS Systems

At the time of writing - and most likely for the foreseeable future, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is the one and only satellite navigation system in civilian use. GPS has revolutionized the way in which we plot our positions on land and sea and in the air.

So how does it work? The earth is orbited by a score or more GPS satellites, each one transmitting timing and location signals back to earth. Commercially available GPS receivers (available in hand held units, and as additional features in mobile phones and even watches) each process the data from the satellites, enabling users to plot their position or find their way.

At its simplest, GPS works on the extrapolation of the time taken for satellites’ signals to reach the receiver. Navigators can then plot their positions based on how long it takes to receive the signal, indicating how far away the source of the signal is, and by extension where they are in relation to it. Bearing in mind that there is an inbuilt time lag of three seconds or so, it is possible to plot coordinates to a remarkable degree of accuracy.

The GPS market is expanding rapidly and manufacturers are working hard to hone the systems all the time. For outdoors adventurers there is the increased level of security that navigating with GPS brings. Thanks to the incredible accuracy of the GPS receivers, hikers are never likely to loose their position; never likely to lose their way.

Find out more about the systems on offer by clicking the links on this page. It’s easy. Invest in GPS for yourself and you’ll find that navigating can be as straightforward as clicking links too.

GPS receivers aren’t just convenient; they’re truly liberating. Now the world really is your oyster…

© Outdoor Clothing And Equipment.co.uk 2008

Shopping

Satmap Central England 1:50k SD Map Card
Satmap Central England 1:50k SD Map Card
From John Lewis
, &, 10, 150000, active, activity, bedfordshire, bike, camping, card, central, cheshire, counties, derbyshire, digital, england, family, gps, john, landranger, leisure, lewis, lincolnshire, liverpool, manchester, map, ordnance, outdoor, owner, planning
...
£59.00


Satmap Northern England 1:50k SD Map Card
Satmap Northern England 1:50k SD Map Card
From John Lewis
, &, 10, 150000, active, activity, bike, camping, card, counties, cumbria, digital, durham, east, england, family, gps, isle, john, lancashire, landranger, leeds, leisure, lewis, man, map, north, northern, ordnance, outdoor, owner, planning, proud, rid
...
£59.00


NAVMAN X300 Sat Nav Unit
NAVMAN X300 Sat Nav Unit
From QED
, 16, based, battery, crystal, description, device, display, gps, liquid, measurement, navman, navs, notes, outdoor, portable, purpose, qed, satellite, silver, sports, sportstool, stock, warranty, x300
...
£79.99


e trex H
e trex H
From Cotswold Outdoors
, activity, camping, case, christmas, compact, cotswold, environment, fi, gifts, gps, hiking, hunting, light, operating, outdoor, outdoors, pack, peak, receiver, resistant, screen, shing, side, switches, unit, water
...
£80.00


Suunto Gps Pod
Suunto Gps Pod
From Venture Sports
, activities, crosscountry, cycling, distance, employs, global, gps, heart, hiking, inline, kayaking, meter, monitors, navigation, outdoor, pod, positioning, rate, skating, skiing, speed, sports, suunto, system, t3, t4, t6, track, variety, venture, waterp
...
£84.99


NAVMAN X300 Sat Nav Unit
NAVMAN X300 Sat Nav Unit
From Miller Brothers
, 16, based, battery, brothers, crystal, description, device, display, gps, liquid, measurement, miller, navman, navs, notes, outdoor, portable, purpose, satellite, silver, sports, sportstool, stock, warranty, x300
...
£88.41


Garmin Geko 201 GPS ( Garmin Geko 201 )
Garmin Geko 201 GPS ( Garmin Geko 201 )
From Maplin
, ·, 12, 20, 201, 201’s, battery, biking, camping, carry, check, game, games, geko, geocaching, gps, hiking, it''s, locations, maplin, mark, nav, navigate, navigation, navigator, outdoor, outdoors, play, played, pocket, points, routes, sa
...
£89.99


GPS Pod
GPS Pod
From Cotswold Outdoors
, 10plus, aaa, activities, arm, attach, batteries, bike, christmas, cotswold, custom, distance, employs, gifts, global, gps, heart, meter, monitors, outdoor, outdoors, outside, pack, pocket, pod, positioning, pouch, power, rate, slip, speed, strap, suunto
...
£90.00


Satmap Lake District 1:25k & 1:50k SD Map Card
Satmap Lake District 1:25k & 1:50k SD Map Card
From John Lewis
, &, 10, 125000, 150000, active, activity, camping, card, digital, district, explorer, gps, john, lake, landranger, leisure, lewis, map, ordnance, outdoor, owner, planning, proud, ramble, satmap, sd, sport, sports, survey, you&rsquore
...
£99.00


Satmap Peak District 1:25k & 1:50k SD Map Card
Satmap Peak District 1:25k & 1:50k SD Map Card
From John Lewis
, &, 10, 125000, 150000, active, activity, camping, card, digital, district, explorer, gps, john, landranger, leisure, lewis, map, ordnance, outdoor, owner, peak, planning, proud, ramble, satmap, sd, sport, sports, survey, you&rsquore
...
£99.00


Foretrex 101 Outdoor GPS Watch ( Garmin Foretrex 101 )
Foretrex 101 Outdoor GPS Watch ( Garmin Foretrex 101 )
From Maplin
, ·, 15, 20, 101, 500, a71hy, aaa, activity, adventure, batteries, beginning, cable, campsite, computer, dotted, fishing, foretrex, gliding, gps, hands, hang, hunting, interface, ipx7, kayaking, lightweight, locations, log, lost, maplin, memory, mou
...
£99.99


FORETREX 201 (GPS)
FORETREX 201 (GPS)
From SatNav2U
, 'wearable, enthusiastssporting, ergonomic, navigatorperfect, outdoor, personal, wristband'
...
£128.85


GPS 60 Handheld Outdoor GPS ( Garmin GPS 60 )
GPS 60 Handheld Outdoor GPS ( Garmin GPS 60 )
From Maplin
, ·, 28, 60, aaa, alarm, batteries, budget, cable, city, clock, connection, database, destination, display, enthusiasts, factory, fishing, functional, games, garmin, geocaching, gps, high, hunting, indoor, interest, interface, internal, ipx7, maplin
...
£129.99


Foretrex 201 Outdoor GPS Watch ( Garmin Foretrex 201 )
Foretrex 201 Outdoor GPS Watch ( Garmin Foretrex 201 )
From Maplin
, ·, 15, 20, 201, 500, ac, activity, adventure, armed, battery, beginning, cable, campsite, charged, charger, computer, cradle, dotted, fishing, foretrex, foretrx, gliding, gps, hands, hang, hunting, interface, internal, ipx7, kayaking, lightweight,
...
£129.99


TOPO Great Britain
TOPO Great Britain
From Cotswold Outdoors
, 2gb, 32, 98, 256, advanced, britain, cable, cotswold, covers, created, data, demand, digital, disk, display, drive, dvd, dvdrom, england, enthusiasts, garmin, gps, interface, later, mainland, mapping, maps, mb, navigation, navtec, ordnance, outdoor, out
...
£149.99


Forerunner 205
Forerunner 205
From Simply Hike
, 205, a/c, cable, cdrom, center, charger, cradle, docking, expander, forerunner, garmin, gps, hike, interface, leisure, manual, outdoor, owners, strap, system, systems, training, usb
...
£169.50


eTrex Legend HCx Handheld Outdoor GPS ( eTrex Legend HCx )
eTrex Legend HCx Handheld Outdoor GPS ( eTrex Legend HCx )
From Maplin
, ·, 256, accepts, accidental, adding, adventure, africa, area, atlantic, automatic, basemap, battery, boundaries, bright, cable, card, cards, cities, city, compartment, computer, connection, conveniently, cover, covers, crevasses, crisp, data, deep
...
£169.99


Garmin forerunner 305
Garmin forerunner 305
From Tesco
, 12, 305, a/c, additionally, antenna, based, battery, cable, centre, channel, charger, chest, compact, data, design, enthusiasts, fitness, forerunner, garmin, goals, gps, grey, heart, high, internal, lightweight, lithiumion, mains, monitor, outdoor, para
...
£199.99


GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld Outdoor GPS ( GPS 60CSX )
GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld Outdoor GPS ( GPS 60CSX )
From Maplin
, ·, 18, 60csx, 64mb, a11bl, aa, accessory, accurate, altimeter, automatic, automotive, autoroute, barometric, basemap, batteries, battery, bracket, cable, canyons, card, cards, compartment, compass, computer, conditions, cover, data, deep, determin
...
£269.99


X10 Military
X10 Military
From Simply Hike
, 10, baclight, battery, celebrating, compass, computer, conditions, degrees, difficult, faster, gps, hike, launch, lightest, military, mils, navigation, outdoor, outdoors, red, smallest, suunto, tracking, units, unlike, usb, watches, world&aposs, wristop
...
£298.00


X10
X10
From Simply Hike
, 10, battery, celebrating, computer, conditions, difficult, faster, gps, hike, launch, lightest, navigation, outdoor, outdoors, smallest, suunto, tracking, unlike, usb, watches, world&aposs, wristop, x10
...
£298.00


Oregon 300 Outdoor GPS ( Garmin Oregon 300 )
Oregon 300 Outdoor GPS ( Garmin Oregon 300 )
From Maplin
, ·, 114l, 193g, 240, 300, 36dcm, 3inch, 400, 58w, 60529, aa, acquisition, adventure, adventures, altimeter, automotive, barometric, basemap, batteries, battery, cable, carabineer, card, clip, compass, contents, customise, decrease, dem, detailed, d
...
£329.99


Colorado 300 Handheld Outdoor GPS ( Garmin Colorado 300 )
Colorado 300 Handheld Outdoor GPS ( Garmin Colorado 300 )
From Maplin
, ‘n, ·, 15, 240, 300, 384, 400, aa, addition, adventures, altimeter, automotive, barometric, basemap, batteries, bottom, cable, cache, carabineer, card, clip, colorado, compass, configurable, customise, data, descriptions, design, detailed, di
...
£349.99