GPS for Dummies.pdf - Engineering Surveyor

76Part II: All About GPSFigure 4-3:A GPSreceiverwaypoint listscreen.Any of the waypoints in the list can be deleted or edited. See your usermanual for specific instructions.If you roam around the Internet searching for information about GPS, you’llcome across handy collections of waypoints that you can enter into your GPSreceiver. There are all manner of waypoint lists, from fishing spots to pubs inEngland. If you’re planning a vacation, consider doing a Web search ahead oftime to see whether there are any waypoints associated with your destination.Then bring your GPS receiver along with you as a personal tour guide.GPS receivers designed for outdoor use always assume a straight line as theroute between two points. That might be convenient for airplanes and boats,but it doesn’t take into account cliffs, rivers, streams, fences, and otherobstacles on land. GPS receivers designed for automobile navigation are a bitsmarter, having built-in databases of road information that’s used in suggestingand measuring appropriate routes from Point A to Point B.Depending on the GPS receiver model, other waypoint-related informationthat you may be able to display includes Travel time: The amount of time it will take you to reach the waypointbased on your current speed. Compass: A picture of a compass that displays the waypoint directionheading. Directional arrow: An arrow that points in the correct direction thatyou should be heading. Navigational hints: A picture of a road that moves as you travel. If theroad is centered onscreen, your destination is straight ahead. If the roadveers to the right or the left, you need to correct your course so that theroad is centered. A symbol associated with the waypoint will grow largeras you get closer to it.Some GPS receivers come with databases of cities, highways, airports, landmarks,and other geographic features. These are just waypoints stored inmemory that you can’t edit or delete to free up memory for new waypoints.