GPS Watch
GPS stands for Global Positioning Satellite. It is a technology that provides detailed and convenient mapping of areas chosen by the user. GPS units have been popular since their introduction to the market, most especially with parents who want to be assured that their children are always safe. GPS is also installed in some electronic devices like cellular phones and vehicles.
The most popular GPS devices are the GPS watches. Not only are they easier to carry because you only have to wear one on your wrist, they can also serve as wrist watches. Most popular brands of GPS watches also have other functions, like chronograph, compass, barometer, altimeter, and thermometer. These watches are perfect for people who love hiking or biking. In fact, these high-class GPS watches were designed especially for professional climbers, bicyclists, boaters, and hikers.
How does a GPS watch work? GPS, as its name suggests, uses satellite technology to pinpoint the position of the bearer, in this case, the wearer, of the GPS watch. By constantly checking your position, GPS can also calculate your speed and distance travelled, including ascents and descents you made. Since it uses a high-powered satellite, GPS can also point mark landmarks. If you are training for speed, you can calculate your progress by comparing it to your previous speed when you travelled from one waypoint to another.
Most GPS watches have a PC-integration feature. This allows you to download your charts — your daily speed progress, mountain height, or distance goals you’ve reached — and store it in your computer. You can also download available maps from the internet and then transfer them to your GPS watch so that you’ll know the landmarks and waypoints of a certain place even if it’s the first time you’ve been there. Some brands, like the Suunto GPS watch, have a tie-up with the National Geographic and their online Topo mapping service. In Topo, users from all over the world can share their maps with other bikers, boaters, or hikers.
There are also GPS watches designed specifically for fitness and health buffs. One example, the Garmin GPS Forerunner 201, has a virtual trainer feature. With this, you can program your GPS according to your personal speed and pace. The virtual trainer will track your progress and make it into a chart that calculates your overall performance. It is called a virtual trainer because, as many studies show, people who have a GPS watch with this feature are able to stick to their workout menu and achieve their goals faster than when they are working out alone.
