Global positioning systems, or more commonly known as GPS, are widely known as the common inclusion in cars to allow us to move about where ever we wish to travel and know exactly where we are or where we’re heading and can often give us instructions when we’re in a bit of a pickle and not sure which way to go. With the simple push of a button, you can easily load up preloaded maps and use current positioning to help you get exactly where you need to be, while the GPS does all of the hard work feeding you instructions on which turn to take next. They will even speak it to you so that you do not lose concentration or keep having to look to wherever your system is mounted just to see what is upcoming, how convenient!

The beauty of a GPS is it runs off a very small amount of battery power and is basically an electric compass showing you where you are and how to get to your next point. Of course, most smart phones these days boast the option of maps, Google Maps and even off-road applications helping you to work out where you are in the grand scheme of things, and some even allow you to add your own tracks in, so you know exactly where you’ve been and how to get there again. This can be super handy for those that head off road or venture out into the lands unknown to catch a break from reality but manage to find different ways to enter or exit, or simply get lost along the way and have trouble finding it the next time, and this is certainly a feature that can be used with most handheld or car GPS systems to keep you adventuring and feeling safe knowing exactly how to back track if needed.

One thing that phones don’t have covered yet is coverage everywhere you go and especially when you’re heading off road this can cause problems as you move out of service areas or find blackspots which may hinder your Internet connection not allowing you to see where you are on your map and may even result in you getting lost or not finding your way back where you came from. GPS systems don’t run on an Internet connection and that being said it makes it a lot easier for coverage to span further no matter how deep you go into the countryside and so when you see those satellites floating around earth in the middle of the night or even during the day if you’ve got a keen eye, now you’ll understand what it is they are actually achieving by being up there, and they may be doing a lot more for you than you realise. This is basically what powers your GPS system, by sending signals to each other and backwards and forwards the GPS systems allows it to pick up your general area and, in some cases, your exact location. It takes just four or more satellites for a receiver whether it be a GPS system or your phone to work out where you are but sometimes up to 10 satellites can band together to create a stronger connection and give you more understanding of your exact location. This is a simple way of explaining also how features such as find my phone can still work without having the location services set to on, as the signals from your cellular are triangulated and a portion of your location may be presented to you, in turn allowing you to find missing or stolen devices, or even find a missing person in some cases if that phone is on them, so it certainly a handy invention for this world to have their hands on.

As long as you’re in car GPS is constantly updated, you’ll have no trouble finding your way from one point to another although due to not being connected to the Internet it will not show your exact location, it can however provide you with plenty of areas to explore and specific maps including four-wheel driving and off-road mapping leading you to hidden campsites and adventure tours throughout Australia. Imagine how much you could expand your adventures simply by knowing where to go or where you’ve been, if that isn’t a reason to get yourself a car GPS for your old school 4×4, then I don’t know what is!

VMS touring 700 HDXGPS is the perfect GPS navigation system to use on the boat, off-road adventures, hiking with friends in the rocky landscapes or simply traveling through the great outdoors, meaning you can pop the phone down and not have to worry about using all of your phone data just to get where you are going and no need to stress if you hit an area with lack or reception, because those floating little satellites above will get you sorted in no time.

Most modern cars come pre equipped with navigation systems and boast all of the same features as a handheld unit, if not more, but it can only go as far as your vehicle, and once you head out on foot or in the boat, then you’ll be leaving your GPS behind which can be daunting if you’re exploring new areas. So, grabbing yourself a handheld unit that can run on its own battery power is definitely high on the list of things you should be doing.

Some newer units even have the option of being hardwired into your vehicle and sharing the screen already inside your dash or linking things such as reversing cameras or dash cams to the screen of your GPS for simple viewing as required. This can allow you to add a new accessory to the mix, without the extra screen clogging up your dashboard and creating distractions. Now is the time to grab yourself your very own global position system, and stop yourself from wandering into the unknown ever again, let it guide the way!