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Soon GPS will become almost as common as the telephone, or more likely included with every smartphone.  GPS can calculate positions accurate to a matter of just a few meters.  In fact, amazingly with advanced equipment you can make measurements to better than a centimeter!

It’s just like assigning every square meter on earth a unique address.  GPS receivers have become extremely affordable as they have been miniaturized to just a few integrated circuits.  Nowadays days GPS is incorporated into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially  phone handsets.

Tracking mobile phones is a popular topic getting a lot of interest.   A lot of the discussion dealing with GPS tracking, mobile GPS and mobile phone tracker software applications would be more meaningful with a GPS Satellite introduction and glossary.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System.   GPS satellites broadcast signals from earth orbit that GPS receivers use to estimate three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time.  The GPS network is composed of 3 primary segments: Space Segment, Control Segment and User Segment. 

The GPS Space Segment is comprised of twenty-four  to thirty-two satellites that orbit the earth in medium earth orbit MEO.  These satellites are also known as as the GPS Constellation, and they make an orbit once every 12 hours.  They are not geosynchronous, they travel at over 7,000 mph.  They are solar powered but have battery reserve for when they are in the earth’s shadow. They are placed so that at any given time there are at least 4 satellites ‘visible’ from any point on earth.  Small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them properly positioned.   The satellites last about ten years until all their fuel runs out. 

GPS Satellites are not communications satellites.   Geostationary or communications satellites are parked in space 22,300 miles above the equator.  These satellites are used for weather forecasting, satellite TV, satellite radio and most other types of global communications.  At exactly 22,000 miles above the equator, the earth’s force of gravity and centrifugal forces are canceled and are in balance. This is the best location to place a communications satellite.   The earth rotates at about 1,000 miles an hour, and because of their high earth orbit the earth-synchronous satellites need to move at about 7,000 mph to maintain position.  This is approximately the same speed as GPS satellites, but since they satellites are 10,000 miles further away they stay in place relative to the earth. 

The GPS Control Segment incorporates Master Control Station, an Alternate Master Control Station, and numerous dedicated and shared Ground Antennas and Monitor Stations that work together to make sure the satellites are working to specification and the information they beam down to earth is accurate. 

The GPS User Segment is comprised of of GPS receivers  taking the shape of smartphones and , laptops, in-car navigation devices and hand-held tracking units along with the people that use them, and the software applications that make them function.  

GPS receivers determine position by precisely timing the signals sent by GPS satellites.  This information includes the time the message was transmitted, precise orbital information (the ephemeris), and the general system health and rough orbits of all GPS satellites (the almanac). 

Keep in mind that there is a basic difference between smartphone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation.  GPS cell tracking is typically related to a third-party keeping records of either real-time or historical handset  position, while Navigation deals with the cell phone  user figuring out how to get from point A to point B.  Neither use works without some kind of third-party software application.

A very good software package that features  remote control of smartphone settings, and combines Phone GPS Tracking  with SMS text message, Call Log,  MMS multi-media message monitoring, and a web account for storage and review is PhoneBeagle. 

Follow this link if you are interested in    Mobile Monitoring Software compatible with BlackBerry  and  Android  Smartphones, used or Parental Monitoring and Small Business Employee Monitoring .

Global Satellite System Glossary of basic terms.

The Global Positioning System is made up of  24 GPS satellites, portable GPS receivers, and various ground-based support facilities.

The GPS receiver is typically a standalone handset  device or electronic unit mounted on a  automobile dashboard or other movable item such as an ocean freight container, and now particularly common to be included with  cell phones . Abbreviated “GPS” in common use.

Visit this link for more information regarding the latest software for  GPS Tracking

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