| With their huge range of applications, they can be | | | | It is possible for your GPS accuracy to get |
| very useful and can help you in a variety of | | | | interfered with, and there are several different |
| circumstances, whether you're looking for driving | | | | culprits at work. One of the most common is |
| directions, trying to navigate your way through a | | | | simple atmospheric interference, including clouds |
| hiking trip, find a perfect fishing spot or anything | | | | and storm systems. Another problem can be a |
| else. Before you get started though it's important | | | | physical obstruction such as a densely wooded |
| to get a good idea for how accurate these | | | | area, high mountains or even a cityscape. Another |
| handheld devices can be, so you know how | | | | potential problem with GPS accuracy is when it |
| reliable and credible their information is. | | | | receives multiple signals and has to figure out |
| It's hard to say exactly how accurate a handheld | | | | which one it's focusing on. Finally, simply producing |
| GPS will be, but a good estimate is usually | | | | a very cheap, mass-made GPS can deteriorate |
| between 5 meters on the low end and 15 meters | | | | the quality of the parts included, reducing |
| on the high end. This can be affected by | | | | accuracy along the way. |
| conditions as described below, and various other | | | | However, all of these problems today have been |
| factors as well. Between the major | | | | greatly reduced from what they were even a |
| manufacturers, such as TomTom, Garmin and | | | | few years ago. GPS devices now have a variety |
| Magellan, it's tough to say if any one of them is | | | | of correcting systems and tools that can help to |
| decidedly more accurate than the other. | | | | counteract these problems. These include internal |
| All have built extremely positive reputations for | | | | calculations, multi-channel receivers, the ability to |
| themselves based around their accuracy, and all | | | | lock onto their signal source and also services |
| should be consistent and trustworthy. While none | | | | such as assisted GPS and differential GPS which |
| of them is necessarily more accurate than the | | | | make use of earth based routing systems such |
| other, you should still purchase one that is | | | | as cell phone towers to help relay information. |
| designated for the specific usages you had in | | | | Plus, even the discount GPS that are available |
| mind, whether that's help on the golf course, | | | | today have higher quality equipment and |
| straight navigation while driving, fishing excursions | | | | components than they had years ago improving |
| and so on. | | | | accuracy no matter how much you end up |
| Disruptions with GPS Accuracy | | | | paying. |