If you’ve been confounded by all the technical jargon and
hype surrounding GPS, confusing what’s turning out to be a
very useful tool, allow me to shed a little light on your
roadmap to deciding whether or not this technology is for
you! Originally designed with military applications in mind,
the technology was made available to mere mortals in hte
1980’s for the many and varied uses we’ve found so far for
these special tools. Not only handy for auto navigation, GPS
units have made their way into maritime navigation,
backcountry uses, and much, much more!

How does GPS work? GPS (which stands for Global Positioning
System) allows you to pinpoint your position anywhere on the
planet to within an average of 15 meters, with some units
doing much better than that. Twenty-four GPS satellites,
paid for and placed in orbit by the Dept. of Defense
courtesy of your tax dollars, send signals back to terra
firma 24/7. These signals are retrieved by your handy dandy
GPS receiver which uses three sources (satellites) to
triangulate this information and compute your actual
position. If there are four data sources, even altitude can
be determined. Since there are normally eight satellites in
line of sight from anywhere on earth, the opportunity for
accurate positioning exists. Other things that can be
determined besides latitude, longitude, and altitude would
include things like speed, sunrises and sunsets, bearing,
distance and more. While they will work in any weather, some
hindrances would be electronic interference, buildings, and
certain terrain. A good rule of thumb is that the units will
generally not perform underwater, indoors, or underground.
There are currently two Global Navigation Satellite Systems
in use. Besides GPS, there is the Russian Global Navigation
Satellite System (GLONASS) Protocols are constantly being
refined to enhance the abilities of these systems. A bright
light on the horizon is Galileo, scheduled to go online in
2008, which promises even greater accuracy and
functionality.

So how do I know which GPS unit is for me? Quite a few
choices now exist for consumers in the GPS marketplace.
Whether you need a handheld unit for backpacking or boating,
or one for your automobile (they are becoming an attractive
option!) or for one of a myriad of uses, there are several
reputable manufacturers of quality GPS units out there to
help you find your way through the maze of choices. Names
like Magellan, Garmin, Rino, Etrex and Meridian lead the
market, and are readily available. Take your time, check out
the various features each has to offer, and get yourself
outfitted with one of the more useful and efficient
navigational tools out there today!

Keith Thompson is the webmaster at Best GPS Review where many resources
and information on GPS can be found.

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Ever since the beginning of time, a city’s well being and economical development is based on the profitability and attractiveness of its main industry. Sudbury is a city whose main industry is mining and currently facing economical stagnation due to the lack of industry diversification, ageing population, net migration (in-migration - out-migration) and higher education.

Sudbury was established in the early 1800’s and its main activities were lumbering and mining. Today, only mining is left as its main industry which is on a moribund since the 1970’s and causes the local economy to stagnate. About 80% of Sudbury’s jobs are offered by existing companies which means that the economy is not growing.

Over the past 5 years Sudbury’s net migration has been negative which indicates that its population is decreasing. For example, in year 1994 the net migration was -1092 and in year 2000 there was a negative net migration of 1558 which indicates that the city is losing its population. It is critical for a city like Sudbury to attract residents, tourists, businesses and investors in order to prosper.

Education is the key to enlighten. As more and more residents attend university or colleges they realize the most likely there will be no job in their domain in Sudbury. They have one university and two colleges which in year 2000 a total of 2893 degrees were issued.

As a city’s industry matures, other prosperous industries should arise to keep it on the edge of its economical potential. Ageing population and negative migration are strong factors in Sudbury’s economical stagnation.

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The fish finder features you choose are extremely important to the enjoyment you get from your purchase. It doesn’t matter whether you are a novice once-a-year fisherman or a professional angler, finding those fish down below can be a frustrating experience. You know they’re down there - if only you could see underwater!

Well, you can! A fish finder can give you that little extra advantage. Choosing the right fish finder features can enable it to tell you the depth of the water, location of a single fish or schools of fish, bottom composition (soft, rocky, weedy), thermoclines (difference in water temperature), structures in the water (wrecks, stumps, drop-offs), surface water temperature, and location. It can even help you find your way home!

Depending on the fish finder features you choose, you will find a model to fit any budget from under $100 to over $2,000.

1-Display Screen
Monochrome or color - Color is great but if cost is a concern, the color does not affect the accuracy.
Screen size - the wider the screen the larger the viewing area
Clarity - the number of pixels directly affects the sharpness and clarity of the display; the more pixels, the sharper the images will be
Backlit display - allows viewing after dark
Symbols - fish, number and type
Water temperature sensors - on screen display for surface and underwater changes
Audible/visual alarms - for bottom fish or water temperature changes

Example: Furuno FCV582-L
Depth Control Gain (DCG) - for detailed images of structures and bottom densities

Example: Garmin GPSMAP178

2-Mounting
Portable or Fixed-mount - Portable units are entirely self-contained and usually include a carrying case and suction cup transducer hardware. Example: Eagle Fishmark 320
If fixed-mount you will usually attach the transducer to the to the transom of your boat. If you have a single hulled fiberglass boat, you can usually mount it to the inside bottom of your boat. This is known as “shooting through the hull” mounting.

3-Dual or Single Frequency Transponder
Dual frequency - has both 50KHZ and 200KHZ sonar and is used for very deep water or salt water. It will penetrate better in the dense salt water and give a better signal in water over 200 feet deep.
Single frequency - uses only the 200KHZ; used in inland lakes and fresh water and under 200 feet depth. Example: Lowrance X67C
Target definition is actually better with the higher frequency but if you plan to do both fresh and salt water fishing & both shallow and deeper fishing you’re better off to get the dual frequency.

4-Temperature gauge
Water temperature greatly affects the behavior of fish. Fish are cold blooded and assume the temperature of the water around them. In lakes, there are warm layers of water and cooler layers. Where these layers meet are called thermoclines. Many times bait fish prefer the areas above the thermoclines while the larger game fish prefer in or just below it. This difference in thermoclines can be seen on the fish finder display screen. The greater the temperature difference, the denser the thermocline shows on the screen. Example: Navman F4500

5-GPS option - Global Positioning System
Your need for the GPS option will depend on where you fish. If you often fish in unfamiliar locations, gps is a great security feature. It maps out your waypoints so you’ll always get back to camp, even at night in the dark or around complicated structures and islands. GPS combo units also mark your hot fishing spots so you can come right back to the very same spot a year later. For example, if you fish the same tournaments every year you can mark the best spots and not waste crucial serious fishing time.

Whichever fish finder you choose, this is a great marine electronic device that will make your fishing trips even more enjoyable and successful.

Sandra Anness is the owner of BestFishFinders.com
http://bestfishfinders.com
More information about ==>fish finders.

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