Buy Sat Nav
Why are satellite navigation units showing up everywhere and should you buy sat nav? You might find one in your rental car, on your wristwatch or even built into your wireless phone. Anti-theft systems use one, heavy construction equipment might use one and having one on your boat now seems to be a requirement. Anytime we want to know our exact location on the face of the Earth, the sat nav becomes indispensable. Like many other technologies, feature rich satellite navigation units are now affordable for the average person. So how do you know which is the best sat nav to buy? Let's look at few things to consider prior to buying your next sat nav unit, but first, what is a sat nav unit?
A best buy sat nav unit has the primary function of calculating its own location on land or water by using satellite signals. Once the sat nav unit knows its own location, it can help the user determine direction and distance to other known locations. In terms of using a sat nav in your car it has become very popular becuase of its ease of use and its precise directions in going from A to B. Popular outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing, trail running, backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering and canoeing are all made more enjoyable and safer when you take along your GPS.
When buying a sat nav system the first thing to consider is how you intend to use it. If you plan on using it while on foot, you'll want a GPS that is lightweight, compact, weather resistant and that is equipped with features important to foot travel. WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) is one such feature. WAAS greatly increases the accuracy of your GPS, in most cases to within 10 feet. Accuracy within a few meters is important for the outdoor enthusiast but not nearly as important for navigating through town in your rental car. Next, be sure your GPS has at least 12 channels of reception too. Since your sat nav will only work when it receives signals from satellites orbiting the Earth, less than 12 receiving channels will not get the job done in wooded areas or in steep terrain. If you plan on using your sat nav to navigate while driving in your car, its weight is not nearly as important as its ability to display street maps. The sat nav mounted to the dash of your car, truck or van probably doesn't need to be weatherproof, but the one on your boat better be.
Prices for GPS units vary a great deal and in general, you get what you pay for. While some units cost around £100 and offer relatively few features, others may cost as much as £400 or even more and are loaded with dozens of features. Here is a good rule of thumb for determining how much money to spend on your next sat nav. You should expect to pay between £125 and £300 to get a decent GPS Unit.