GG2170: Intro to Global Positioning System
Spring 2004, January 17&24
Dr. Rudnicki

The following set of URLs was compiled for those interested in pursuing the topics covered in class in greater depth.  In some cases, the URLs given represent the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, as new applications are being explored and then published to the web.  Use your favorite search engine to find what's 'below the surface' for a specific topic.

Please note: If some of these links are no longer active or accessible, please try using a search engine such as www.google.com to locate the information or perhaps retrieve it from Google's cache.  Unfortunately, perhaps, information on the web is dynamic in that servers may change without notice or the information may simply stop being served on the web.  Additions or corrections to this list would be most welcome.  Thanks in advance, rrudnick@alamo.edu

GG2170 Course-Related G.P.S. URLs:

I. theory, concepts, status, methodology, history
A. learning G.P.S. theory
1. Sam Wormley site (lots of pages and lots more links):
http://www.edu-observatory.org/gps/gps.html
B. NAVSTAR system methodology
2. collection of info and web sources
http://surveying.mentabolism.org/gps.htm
3. Java applets by Norris Weimer illustrating G.P.S.-related concepts including DOP, CA Code, SA
http://www.ualberta.ca/~norris/gps/
the G.P.S. satellite constellation, operations, status
4. U.S. Coast Guard site for current constellation status
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/ftp/GPS/
5. U.S. Air Force G.P.S. satellite control center
http://www.schriever.af.mil/
6. U.S. Naval observatory: info on G.P.S. and time.
http://www.usno.navy.mil/
http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/gps.html
current G.P.S. constellation status (for ftp mainly)
ftp://tycho.usno.navy.mil/pub/gps/
7. Where are G.P.S. satellites right now?  Useful site containing visualization of G.P.S. satellite location.  Be sure your machine runs java scripts.
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/realtime/jtrack/3d/JTrack3d.html
8. G.P.S. satellite and receiver accuracy issues
http://users.erols.com/dlwilson/gps.html
also (not always available):
http://satnav.atc.ll.mit.edu/gps/current.gpy
9. learning about G.P.S.:
a. Garmin (follow link to downloadable .pdf tutorial)
http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/
b. Trimble (good on-line tutorial on G.P.S.)
http://www.trimble.com
c. PBS Nova site (longitude) good time&visualizing pseudo-random code exercise
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/gps/
d. Peter Dana's excellently presented overview:
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/gps/gps.html
e. Intro to G.P.S. from the National Air and Space Museum
http://www.nasm.si.edu/galleries/gps/
with a short web page on each of the following:
1. before G.P.S.
2. the G.P.S. revolution
3. how does G.P.S. work?
4. land and sea navigation
5. navigation in the air
6. mapping the earth
7. managing the land
8. new frontiers in science
f. Very good 3-part resource on G.P.S. from Australia. Notes are in pdf format. The first two parts apply here:
1. Introduction to G.P.S.
2. G.P.S. Enhancements
http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/snap/gps/gps_notes.htm
10. history of G.P.S. focusing on developments in the area of atomic clocks
http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/content/view.article.asp?a=458
11. Another G.P.S. timeline, this one focusing more on the system itself
http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/static/staticHtml.hsp?id=7956
12. GPS World magazine also had these two short articles that provide perspective on the evolution of the G.P. System. The first is a brief notice on Ivan Getting (1912-2003), while the second is an article on the founders of the Garmin Corporation. Both articles are found in the November, 2003 issue.
http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=75540
http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=75556

II. Selected G.P.S. Uses Related to Geography and Discussed in Class
A1. G.P.S. and navigation
13. basics of navigation (lat/long, length of degree, compass deviation)
http://home.att.net/~agligani/navigation/navigate.html
also for celestial navigation
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~jjjacq/sundry/navcel.html (no luck, Jan. 15, 2004)
14. In-vehicle navigation system from DeLorme Mapping
http://www.delorme.com/streetatlasusa/default.asp
15. In-air navigation system possibility, as explained in class
http://www.thetrip.com/trs/cheaptickets/galileo_flight_tracker/galileo_home.xsl
A2. G.P.S. and map reading/use
16. interesting map skills site.  How to use a U.S.G.S. topographic map, w/ a G.P.S. unit, among other lessons. The other lessons are:
1. What's a topo?
2. Map Symbols
3. Map Creation
4. Find Your Way
5. Compass/G.P.S. Skills
6. Glossary
7. Detail of a T/I Map
http://www.trailsillustrated.com/skills/index.cfm
17. Australian site mentioned above (8f), chapter 3 on geodetic concepts, map attributes, map display http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/snap/gps/gps_notes.htm#chapter3
18. "A Practical Guide to GPS-UTM" by Don Bartlett
http://www.dbartlett.com
B. G.P.S. and surveying
19a. G.P.S. and surveying
http://www.redsword.com/GPS/apps/applications/surveying.htm
http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/snap/gps/gps_survey/principles_gps.htm
(more specifically:)
http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/snap/gps/gps_survey/chap5/chap5.htm
This link is to an article by Milton Denny in P.O.B. (Dec. 2003) on why it's good business for surveyors to utilize handheld G.P.S. receivers.
http://www.pobonline.com/pob/cda/articleinformation/features/bnp__features__item/0,,112967,00+en-uss_01dbc.html
19b. on-line mission planning
http://sirius.chinalake.navy.mil/satpred/
For mission planning on a local computer, almanacs are needed. These can be downloaded from the same U.S. Navy China Lake site (NAVSTAR constellation almanacs)
http://sirius.chinalake.navy.mil/almanacs.html
C. G.P.S. and Geodesy
20. U.S. federal agencies:
a. National Geodetic Survey (NGS)
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/CORS/
b. NASA
http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/gps2.htm
21. Canadian geodetic survey (nicely organized G.P.S. and geodesy information.  See, for example:)
http://www.geod.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e/geodesy_e/gps-13_e.html
22. Australia
http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/snap/gps/gps_notes.htm
http://www.auslig.gov.au/geodesy/
23a. Geoidal separation (NGS site)
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/GEOID/
23b. interesting discussion and graphic on topic:
http://www.montana.edu/places/gps/4MapIssues/slide27.html

III. G.P.S. applications, in addition to those given in the text.
24. bicycling (w/ links to other similar sites)
http://www.ncbikeclub.org/documents/gps.htm
25. hiking (in England, no less)
http://www.36haroldstreet.freeserve.co.uk/gps_links.htm
26. geocaching
http://www.geocaching.com
27. geodashing
http://geodashing.gpsgames.org/
28. People are coming up w/ even newer games...
http://gpsgames.org/
29. the graticule project (where lats & longs meet)
http://www.confluence.org/index.php
30. volksmarching (but not yet G.P.S. related; wide open field for enterprising G.P.S. user and serious walker)
http://www.ava.org
31. Garmin product testimonials, citing some unusual uses for G.P.S. receivers
http://www.garmin.com/whatsNew/adventures.html
32. G.P.S. vendor sites
see Joe Mehaffey site (below) and Sam Wormley site (above)
33. G.P.S. product reviews (and lots, lots more.  1st site you should visit):
http://joe.mehaffey.com/
34. best source for G.P.S. info and advice:
Source of a wide range of advice on all things GPS is the sci.geo.satellite-nav newsgroup (or Google list for "sci.geo.satellite-nav")

IV. Interesting advanced explorations and projects involving NAVSTAR satellites and G.P.S. receivers:
35. G.P.S. data processing software (G7ToWin)
http://www.gpsinformation.org/ronh/
36. G.P.S. satellite tracking program (Satscape)
http://www.5star-shareware.com/Homehob/General/satscape.html
37. mission planning software
http://www.arinc.com/gps/gpsapps/sem.html
http://sd.znet.com/~dclapp/GPS/GPS_VIS/
http://www.trimble.com/planningsoftware.html
http://www.thales-geosolutions.com/Thales_geo/services/positioning/skyfix/software/geoskyii.cfm
Thales also has available for download a G.P.S. data post-processing package (MSTAR) that contains a mission planning module:
http://products.thalesnavigation.com/en/products/product.asp?PRODID=80
38a. almanac retrieval software for Garmin 12x (G7ToWin)
http://www.gpsinformation.org/ronh/
38b. almanac retrieval software for Magellan handheld G.P.S. receivers (not tested)...
http://www.geocities.com/kiwi_36_nz/alm2tle/alm2tle.htm
39. waypoint, track, and route extraction for later processing in other software: MS-Excel, MS-Access, Arcgis, Arcview.
http://www.gpsinformation.org/ronh/
40. software to map G.P.S. points
http://www.gpsu.co.uk/download.html
41. software to map G.P.S. points w/ image background especially in .tiff format.
http://www.gpsu.co.uk/download.html
42. TNRIS web site w/ G.P.S. tools for G.I.S. applications. Some tool descriptions don't seem to relate to G.P.S.
http://www.tnris.org/gistools/gps.htm

Happy G.P.S. Use & Study.