GPS for Dummies.pdf - Engineering Surveyor

334Part V: The Part of TensCurrent GPS News and Helpful AdviceThe sci.geo.satellite-nav newsgroup is one of the best Internet resourcesfor current GPS-related news. The newsgroup also features a cadre of frequentcontributors who provide answers to all types of questions about GPS.Before you post a question to the newsgroup, such as What’s the best GPSreceiver?, search through old posts with Google for previous discussionthreads about your question. GPS newsgroup gurus are generally patient, butthey do expect you to do a little homework first. If you can’t find any archivedinformation that helps, post a question (and provide as much detailed informationas possible). If you’re asking which GPS receiver might be the best,provide as much detailed information about your needs as you can.If you don’t have USENET newsgroup reading software or your ISP doesn’tcarry the sci.geo.satellite-nav news feed, you can view and post groupmessages with a Web browser at Google’s cache of this newsgroup:groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=sci.geo.satellite-navGeocaching.com’s discussion forums are an excellent source of news andadvice. Because GPS receivers are integral to the sport of geocaching (readabout this in Chapter 7), check out the GPS Units and Software forum wheregeocachers share their experience and wisdom with others. You’ll find lotsof timely news and reviews. Geocachers are some of the most serious civilianusers of GPS, so there’s excellent real-world information. The forums arelocated at forums.groundspeak.com/GC.If you own a popular Magellan Meridian GPS receiver, one of the best sourcesof information on the receiver is the Magellan Meridian Yahoo! Group athttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Magellan_Meridian.Technical GPS InformationFree MapsIf you’re interested in technical, nitty-gritty details of GPS, check Sam Wormley’sGPS Resources Web site. It’s a collection of links to sites that get into the scienceof GPS and other resources that are more suited to the average consumerGPS user. Go to www.edu-observatory.org/gps/gps.html.Yes, one of the joys of the Internet is that you can download all sorts of freedigital maps. Most of the map data has been created by various government