GPS Navigation system

Global Positioning System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The design and structure of the GPS devices are the same as the ground radio based systems. Its functionality is the same as the radio navigation system LORAN. In the year 1940 Decca developers developed GPS Navigation Systems which is later used in the World War 2. The inspiration among the nations came when the Soviet Union launched its first satellite system in the year 1957 which was named as Sputnik.

 

GPS is not the same as ground based systems. LORAN (operated to this day by the USCG) and DECCA (primarily a system used in the Atlantic) are old systems that were used until Sat/Nav and then GPS came into use.

The GPS system was developed and put into place by the military as a means of accurately delivering their missle systems. The accuracy of the GPS signals were initially skewered to be slightly inaccurate for commercial use, were finally allowed to be received by any vessel with an incredibly accuracy. There have been a few additions to the GPS system (DGPS) to make it an extremly accurate means of marine or terresteral navigation.

My ship was used as a test vessel by Magnavox during the early 80's for development of the Sat/Nav system. The GPS system is now available to anyone for less than $100 and gives an accuracy that us old time celestial navigators could only dream of.