Portable GPS Units Get You Back On Track

Many popular sports are popular because they have an element of danger because they are set out in a place where you can get lost.  With boating, you can potentially get lost in the sea.  With rock climbing or mountaineering, you can get lost very easily on a mountainside or in the wilderness.  You can also get lost in nature and lost in direction while hiking, camping, biking, snowmobiling, skydiving, four wheel driving or (if you’re like me) shopping.  Portable GPS units can get you back on track and back to safer ground.

Science Fiction Now Science Fact

Many science fiction books and television shows of the sixties and seventies made use of a fantastic gizmo called a tracking device.  No matter how desperately lost the hero or heroine was, their faithful crew or comrades could find them (or loose them again) by following an electronic trail put off by the tracking device the protagonist was wearing.  As long as the protagonist wore the tracking device (or didn’t get into an “ion storm”), the cavalry was always on its way.

This tracking device has manifested into the portable GPS units of today.  But both fictitious and factual devices rely somehow on the stars.  In early science fiction, the tracking devices transmitted to a spaceship.

In real life, an orbiting satellite transmits to the portable GPS units, which in turn can transmit to cell phones, websites or emergency services.  But I don’t think any science fiction author or scriptwriter got any money from portable GPS devices, just technology companies.

Two Kinds

There are two kinds of portable GPS units – those that work like electronic maps, and those that let others track you down when you are lost.  Both kinds have their advantages and disadvantages.  See what kind of lifestyle you live to help you choose.  GPS devices that work like electronic maps are usually the less expensive and more easily found variety.  They are common in new cars, the newest cell phones and in PDAs (Personal Data Assistants).

The personal tracker kind of portable GPS units are recommended for those going into potentially dangerous situations.  It is also recommended for children and pets that can wear a collar.  If you enjoy somewhat risky sports, hobbies or jobs that require any time away from a peaceful civilization, then portable GPS units are not just a cool toy, but are as necessary as a first aid kit.