GPS or Global Positioning System was firstly developed and operated by the U.S. Department of Defense. Before it was used for any commercial purposes, the GPS was used by the military for round the clock navigation for ground, sea and air operations. When the GPS became widely used for commercial purposes, the functions expanded to include monitoring and movement of people, cartography, forestry, exploration of minerals, tracking down of endangered wildlife in their natural habitat and many more.
Originally GPS was operated on big computer systems but eventually; it has developed into something smaller - the handheld GPS. The good news about the handheld GPS is that it functions just like the “old” GPS in more elaborate machines and it still allows the user to generate information they need anytime and anywhere he or she may be. Handheld GPS has now gained such a following that there are many people all over the world that constantly rely on their handheld GPS to help them navigate and locate any areas which are even beyond the navigation and location determination in the past time.
Popular Handheld GPS Models
There are many available handheld GPS models in the market nowadays. One of the most popular handheld GPS models is the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx, which is considered as the fastest GPS when it comes to locking onto the satellite. This Garmin handheld GPS is equipped with a 2.6-inch colour screen, featured with a barometric altimeter, an electronic compass and a special Geocaching menu. However, though this handheld GPS is loaded with many functions it’s very light GPS as it only weights about seven ounces and could run for about 18 hours using two AA batteries. This Garmin GPS is rubberised and is water resistant. If you have to wade or swim on your trip, you could still use this handheld GPS to survive.
Another popular handheld GPS is the eXplorist XL from Magellan. This handheld GPS has a 3.5-inch colour screen that still can be viewed even when exposed to outdoor sunlight. The large screen of this Magellan GPS would give you an advantage when viewing the maps and getting the information you need. The downside of this Magellan GPS, however, is that unlike the Garmin GPS above, it does not featured with an altimeter or electronic compass. This handheld GPS weighs about 12 ounces, which is rather heavy compared to the Garmin one. The operation life of the Magellan eXplorist XL is about 15 hours with the use of four AA batteries.
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