Eagle Electronics 642c iGPS manual Introduction to GPS and Waas

Introduction to GPS and WAAS

Well, now you know the basics of how the unit does its work. You might be ready to jump ahead to Section 2, Installation & Accessories, on page 11, so you can mount your IntelliMap 642c and plug in the power. Or you might want to see how our text formatting makes the manual tuto- rials easy to skim. If that's the case, move on to "How to Use This Man- ual" on page 8. But, if you want to understand the current state of sat- ellite navigation, look over this segment describing how GPS and its new companion WAAS work together to get you where you're going.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) was launched July 17, 1995 by the United States Department of Defense. It was designed as a 24- hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year, all weather global navigation system for the armed forces of the U.S. and its allies. Civilian use was also avail- able at first, but it was less accurate because the military scrambled the signal somewhat, using a process called Selective Availability (SA).

GPS proved so useful for civilian navigation that the federal govern- ment discontinued SA on May 2, 2000, after the military developed other methods to deny GPS service to enemy forces. Reliable accuracy for civilian users jumped from 100 meters (330 feet) under SA to the present level of 10 to 20 meters (about 30 to 60 feet.)

Twenty-four satellites orbit 10,900 nautical miles above the Earth, passing overhead twice daily. a series of ground stations (with precisely surveyed locations) controls the satellites and monitors their exact locations in the sky. Each satellite broadcasts a low-power signal that identifies the satel- lite and its position above the earth. Three of these satellites are spares, unused until needed. The rest virtually guarantee that at least four satel- lites are in view nearly anywhere on Earth at all times.

A minimum of three satellites are required to determine a 2D fix.

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