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Range of GPS reciver — Parallax Forums

Range of GPS reciver

InteractInteract Posts: 79
edited 2009-01-10 18:25 in General Discussion
Anyone know how far north a gps receiver (like the module Parallax sells) will work. I'm still working on this project for my brother that will be in the outback of Alaska.
I·know it·eventually wont see the satellite's, but how far north?

Comments

  • parts-man73parts-man73 Posts: 830
    edited 2008-12-26 21:04
    It appears to cover the entire earth, without any gaps in coverage

    Look at this little video on YouTube - if it's acurate, the satellites look like they are evenly spaced, and their orbits are not strictly around the equator

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-1xk9V2Zak

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    Brian

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  • MoskogMoskog Posts: 554
    edited 2008-12-26 21:16
    A GPS receiver should work anywhere as pars-man73 above says. As long as you are outdoors and not in a deep forest where the trees cover the sky. Myself, I live at 64 deg. north, like parts of Alaska and GPS works with no problem at all.
  • InteractInteract Posts: 79
    edited 2008-12-26 21:26
    Thanks. I didn't realize the gps satellites were not geostationary, and had different orbits etc.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2008-12-26 21:27
    It has to work everywhere, otherwise the military could have problems.

    Leon

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  • kelvin jameskelvin james Posts: 531
    edited 2008-12-26 22:49
    It depends on the satellite orbit coverage, they are limited to the distance of transmission. If anyone here has ever used a satellite phone, they will know the issue involved. Obviously, the higher populated areas will be covered more. You will get a signal, maybe not as often as you like.



    **
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2008-12-26 23:28
    The satellite orbits have been designed so that GPS can be received everywhere.

    Leon

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  • kelvin jameskelvin james Posts: 531
    edited 2008-12-27 00:46
    Leon is correct, i checked the nasa listing for polar gps satellites, and looks to be no problem to acquire a position.
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2009-01-05 02:40
    I was up at a research station that was actually north of the north pole (the magnetic one).
    Latitude: 79.59N Longitude: 085.56W Altitude: 10m

    As I remember, my gps worked just fine.
    I remember making note of the number of satellites I picked up....but now I can't remember if it was more than I expected or not!

    I think at this latitude, you can trust your lat/long, but you might think twice about using the compass headings (as they are calculated!).

    I'd guess that Alaska has a pretty good declination, a good gps takes that in to account! Being north of the magnetic north pole, well....I never paid much attention to it, as I wasn't allowed to roam anyhow!!

    aolab.phys.dal.ca/~tomduck/eureka/

    Also, there are a couple of geocache's up there (at the moment geocache.com doesn't seem to want to work...so you'll have to check later)!!

    Of interest, all the comm satellites are to the south and the dishes have to be pointed near horizontal (the dishes are huge because of the extra attenuation with the horizon/atmospheric effects!

    www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0003751

    www.uphere.ca/node/140

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    <FONT>Steve



    What's the best thing to do in a lightning storm? "take a one iron out the bag and hold it straight up above your head, even God cant hit a one iron!"
    Lee Travino after the second time being hit by lightning!
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2009-01-05 03:33
    A GPS's direction indication has nothing to do with magnetic declination. It's impervious to it, being calculated from motion sensed between two position readings, and is relative to true North, not magnetic North.

    -Phil
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2009-01-09 17:41
    True, magnetics have nothing to do with gps's...unless you put yours in an MRI machine...it probalby wouldn't work!

    You CAN set some GPS's to true north or magnetic north. They then figure out your declination based on your lat/long.
    Some GPS's also have an electronic compass...this is what I was referring to!

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    <FONT>Steve



    What's the best thing to do in a lightning storm? "take a one iron out the bag and hold it straight up above your head, even God cant hit a one iron!"
    Lee Travino after the second time being hit by lightning!
  • Just JeffJust Jeff Posts: 36
    edited 2009-01-10 18:25
    In the "for what it's worth department"... I lived 6 years in Kotzebue, AK (50 miles above the Artic circle) and my GPS worked fine.

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