There was a time when the technology governing the use of global positioning systems was restricted specifically for military use. The late Pres. Ronald Reagan decided it was time to release this technology for use by the public in the USA and we have to thank him for helping to transform our lives in this way. It is difficult to imagine our life without the freedom that these systems have brought to us, both in our personal and in business lives. Commercially, much of what we rely upon, day-to-day, in turn relies upon this technology.

If you are an outdoorsmen, you will love the flexibility given to you by handheld GPS receivers. A long list of recreational activities can benefit from the technology. You may be a boater, fisherman, hunter, hiker, biker or enjoy the sport of geocaching — either way you will be more productive and have more fun if you use one of these handheld units.

There are a number of companies that manufacture handheld GPS receivers, with Garmin being the leading producer of GPS units, worldwide.

To enable handheld GPS receivers to work, they need to be able to communicate with a number of satellites orbiting in low earth configuration. This means that the satellites are relatively low in relation to your horizon at any time and generally speaking the receivers can communicate with them unless you happen to be in a steep walled canyon or in a very heavily forested area, for example.

In order for your handheld GPS receivers to provide you with the accurate information, its position must be determined through a process of triangulation. This means that it must be able to communicate with three different satellites to pinpoint your exact location.

For the avid hunters amongst us, handheld GPS receivers give you the ability to locate and track the best game and game trails available. If you know your location and the likely location of your prey, don’t you think you will have a pretty productive day? If inland salt water or fresh water fishing is your bent, some units come preloaded with the data that you need.

If you like the sport of geocaching, you really should get one of the handheld GPS receivers that are specifically designed for you. You will be able to download GPX files directly from your computer or by installing a tiny SD card.

if you’re heading out into the unknown you will likely be very far away from the nearest cell communication tower. With handheld GPS receivers you do not have to worry about cell technology, as if you have an open sky above you, you will be able to relate your location. Have fun on your day out without the worry about getting lost, knowing that you will have a good idea how to get back to civilization.

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