They are called GPS receivers because they don’t transmit any signal. A standard GPS receiver can record your movements but cannot send those recordings anywhere - it needs to work together with a transmitter to do so. Transmitter signal needs to reach a network receiver in order to transmit your location. Depending on the system it uses (cell phone network, Wi-Fi, satellite) it may be more or less susceptible to interference, loss of signal, or may be to bulky to conceal.

All in all, the best GPS tracker is your average smart phone (try Google location sharing to see how it works). Most concealable small trackers have limited battery life, need cell phone data subscription and can have very poor signal if properly concealed on a vehicle.

GPS trackers dont tell you where something is. GPS signals received give anywhere from a 1–2 inch to a 1–2 mile general area depending on where you are in relation to the satellites. GPS doesnt work in buildings. NO NADA NEVER HAS NEVER WILL. You see GPS needs an unobstructed view of the sky to see satellites.

So your gps tracker has a few other systems in it. It will usually have cell phone/internet sender and receiver in it also. By receiving cell tower signals it can update its position even indoors. By sending a signal thru the cell phone towers it can communicate with your gizmo and tell you where it is.

Better ones also have a bluetooth connector in them also so that you can make them findable. These things are airpods , ankle bracelets, cellphone tracker apps and all those other nifty named trackers.

The truly great ones will also be able to communicate thru satellites. There are 3 versions of these always on, auto on and user turns on.

I have a PLB GPS Tracker. It is a user turn on, personal locator beacon, gps receiver, satellite broadcast unit. It doent have cell phone or bluetooth connections. I carry it when I go camping, flying, boating and to remote areas. I have to register it.

By remote areas I mean places where cell phone/internet is unavailable.

If I need to be found I twist the cap to activate, and extend the antennae outdoors so it can talk to satellites. It calculates where it thinks I am which will be between 2″ and 2 mile precision and broadcasts that to the SARSAT satellite. It tells them 1–4 people at this location need immediate emergency rescue. The most appropriate Search and Rescue services immediately will be dispatched to that location. I need to communicate with the arriving rescuers exactly how many people they need to rescue. So I added a red lipstick to my kit. I can write on any surface how many people are lost. ie. just me, me and 5 others are here. Then I can pass out and they know how many to look for.

If you activate one because you are to lazy to walk out the responding agency will often bill you for the response. The bills are typically $30,000-$150,000 usd. I have heard of to lazy ass groups being charged for the response. One was a hunting party and one was a European tourist party. Both decided that it was a long walk back and they were to lazy to walk back. They had no injuries, were not lost and not in any danger. Just lazy.

What are some good things to know about GPS tracking?

Good question, some of the key things to know/Note:

1. GPS tracking only works outdoor not indoor, you need a good clear sky view for GPS tracking to work
2. if you want it to work indoor/covered area, you need additional technology like wifi positioning etc. so check the tracker you want to use to see if there is such feature
3. don’t be mislead by movie, GPS tracking accuracy is still limited in most commercial products, it can down to a few meters but mostly around 10 meters… don’t expect sub-meter accuracy
4. gps tracking is very power hungry, don’t expect live tracking + weeks of battery life .. if you are using a portable Small tracker device, (ask yourself, do you need live tracking all the time ? )
5. receiving gps signal does not equals sending the information back to you, so you need to ensure the tracker has a way to send back the location to you , via Sim card etc..

GPS tracker technology is on the rise and an increasing number of vehicles have pre-installed GPS Trackers in it while others always have the option to get it installed later on and separately.

Although the basic Features of GPS Tracker are quite the same and I’ve listed them down here but you should focus on some other factors as well while getting one.

Basic Features of a GPS Tracker include:

1. Live Location Tracking
2. Ride-Sharing Availability
3. Ride Storing and Playback
4. Anti-theft Alert
5. Easily Installable and compatible with every vehicle
6. Accident Detection and Alert

Apart from these, take care of the below points while deciding a GPS Tracker for yourself.

1. GPS Tracker is a not a battery eater
2. Small and compact in Size
3. No wire Cutting is Done while installing the device.

Read more about GPS trackers and Ajjas Safety Device a Made in India Smart GPS Tracker with Advanced features. www.ajjas.com.

There's no device to be attached. You are tracked directly by your device on or off unless the battery has been dead a really really long time (your devices hold a tiny amount of battery capacity that is always in reserve even when it reads 0%, and has been totally “dead” over a month…and there's actually a code with some phones you can enter to access this in an emergency which entails recalibrating the battery to a negative value…but that’s an entire different thread). That said if you have Android 14 and enable developers options, then install a GPS spoof app it allows you to pick a fraudulent GPS location. I've not tested the effectiveness of this technique, just letting you know apparently GPS can be spoofed. Using this in tandem with device fingerprint masking like VPN or proxies would enable you to be anywhere and everywhere at once lol

GPS stands for Global Positioning System, in layman way it is the indication of your location on earth in terms of latitude and longitude.

The GPS project was launched in the United States in 1973. It was invented to overcome the several limitations of previous navigation systems.

GPS History:

It was initially developed for use by the United States for military purposes. It was fully operational in 1995. It was allowed for civilian use in the 1980s.

Get this complete Guide on How does GPS Work? Click here for details.

Do you know Different country have their separate GPS System.

• Russia has developed its own GPS Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).
• China also developing its own BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.
• There is also the European Union Galileo positioning system.
• India has launched its own navigation satellite system NAVIC.

How Actually GPS use to calculate the position on Earth?

You are tracked by the cluster of 30 satellites which are orbiting at the height of 20k above earth surface.

Now, you are on the planet, at least four GPS satellites are ‘visible’ at any time. Each one transmits information about its position and the current time at regular intervals.

These signals, traveling at the speed of light, are intercepted by your GPS receiver, which calculates how far away each satellite is based on how long it took for the messages to arrive.

Once it has information on how far away at least three satellites are, your GPS receiver can pinpoint your location using a process called trilateration.

I have a complete post and detailed HOW GPS WORKS, visit and read complete anatomy of the GPS.

Image of GPS trilateration 

Is there any difference between military and civilian GPS?

We already know that GPS was made for US military and offered the public to use. Soon after the inventors realize the difficulty. If civilians (or enemy forces) pick up the same signals of US military so what will be the military advantage.

Hope you get some value from this.

You can up-vote if you like this article. Check mail site for more updates on this topic.

Have a nice day!

Cheers,

Praf

GPS uses 24 satellites which are continuously orbiting around earth. location identification requires atleast 4 satellites in LOS (line of sight). They are aligned for that. Using 3 satellites, we get a unique point in plane.

• Using one satellite:

• Using two satellite but still there is two possible places:

• Using three satellites we get a unique point in plane:

• And the fourth satellite is use to determine altitude

There may be more than 24 satellites in orbit to be used as spare.

It baffles me is how misunderstood GPS is. But then, I've been designing GPS receivers since the early days of the technology, and I actually know how they work, in great detail.

All a GPS by itself does is it passively determines the receiver's position (latitude, longitude, and estimated altitude) by listening to GPS satellites. It has nothing to do with maps, routing, reporting position, spying on anyone, or finding anything. That's what some applications do with the position, and that comes in many forms. Some of which can be nefarious in the wrong hands.

My favorite is when friends of ours got lost in the mountains trying to find our place. No they didn't "lose GPS". OK, maybe for a few seconds at a time while driving around mountains. No, they lost cell phone coverage, which was keeping their maps updated and their routing on track. Blame that, not GPS.

Folks…. Download your map when you're using Google Maps if you're going to be outside of cell coverage. Forget Wyze, which isn't very good at keeping the maps cached. Or use an offline map and routing application. And if you find a GPS tracker on your vehicle that you didn't authorize, remove it, take out the battery, and add it to your collection.

The satellites do not have to be visible and never have been, for a GPS system. They are too far away and too small in the sky. At night, you may be able to see them reflect the sun. If you know when and where to look and if you can distinguish GPS satellites from all the others.

The GPS system operates by sending radio signals that are timed. It is a one way system. They transmit only and the users on the ground just have receivers. There is no two way communication and the satellites cannot SEE you.

Locating individual people by looking at them from space, is a whole other subject, Not related to a GPS system. It is usually, highly top secret and the actual results, or fesability, is very subjective and contraversial. Some countries SPY satelites, using optical systems, do claim to be able to see fine detail. But determining the identity of individuals, would be very hard and have to rely on other methods of positive identification.

The GPS location tracking system uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network. This network comprises many satellites that send microwave signals to GPS devices to provide information on the vehicle's location, pace, time, and direction. Hence, you can obtain both historical and real-time navigation data provided by a GPS tracking system.

The GPS Monitoring System for positioning is made up of several tracking stations located all over the world. These control stations assist in the reception and detection of signals from the continuous earth orbiting GPS satellites. Spacecraft receive carrier signals in the form of microwaves. GPS receivers interpret satellite signals to predict the precise location, distance, and time for users of the GPS tracking system.

The system's operation is based on the trilateration theorem, which is a fundamental mathematical theorem. 2-D trilateration and 3-D trilateration are the two forms of trilateration. To perform the required mathematical calculation, the GPS receiver must know two things.

• First, it must decide the target location's direction, which can be determined using at least three satellites orbiting the region.
• Second, it must determine the distance between the site and one of the Space Vehicles. Different receivers in different systems pick up signals from several GPS satellites at the same time. These radio waves are electromagnetic radiation that travels at a very high speed.

Has your GPS tracking been faulty?

No, I don’t believe my GPS tracking has ever been faulty. But what many (most?) people that use the installed GPS in their vehicles as opposed to their phones or tablet navigation software is that GPS is only as accurate as the data.

Here’s what I mean.

A couple of years ago I was driving home at a pretty late hour over roads I didn’t know. My Mercedes GPS is usually pretty accurate so I was letting it guide me as opposed to having my iPad’s navigation software running in parallel.

I was approaching California’s Highway 5 that runs north and south down California’s “great valley.” The GPS told me to go straight over Highway 5 and then turn right. Which I did. Or at least tried to. I expected a cloverleaf return to the freeway. What I got was a road that turned right but then DISAPPEARED. I’m glad I wasn’t playing “Joe Racer…” It probably would have taken a tow truck to get me out and now I understand the occasional story about the person that follows his GPS into a lake.

To get it right I would have to order an up-to-date terrain/road data disk.

Instead I use my iPad or my iPhone…

This is very easy answer for me as “EV02” from wanway is hell worst device. I bought 50 ev02 at once from (so called “PICTOR”) wanway's dealer in India. It took so long time for our engineers to make it online first as there were totally no support from either dealer or wanway's team.

Once we get it online, tracking was too bad. It's GPS signal keep going out even in cities. We were keep trying to take the support from the India's dealer but they are good for nothing. Not even a single person from their team knows how to fix the issue. They also refused to take the device back and refund my money. They ask me to take another model but as I know their services, I don't want to work with them anymore. So finally, I throw all those garbage “EV02” in dustbin.

So bad experience, I loose my big Customer because of them and this device.

I highly recommend not to buy this model (EV02). It doesn't even deserve a single penny.

GPS does not use internet or cell towers, it works with the help of satellites.

GPS uses a network of satellites that are orbiting the Earth. The moment you turn your GPS on, the receiver gets the signal from these satellites about their current time and position. The receiver then calculates its distance from the satellite based on the time taken by the signal to reach you.

There is some interesting math behind it. Consider a satellite A. Every point that lies at a distance ‘x’ from A, lies on this circle. Similarly, when a device knows its distance from a satellite, it knows that it has to lie somewhere on that circle. When it receives signal from another satellite, it knows it has to be on the intersection of the two circles. But which one? So, it takes the help of the third one to find its exact location.This is called “Trilateration”. Only in real life, these circles become spheres and the device takes the signal from even more satellite(s) for better accuracy.These satellites were launched and positioned in such a way that at least 6 of them always lie within the line of sight from almost anywhere on Earth’s surface.

For more visuals and animations to explain the above, you could watch the video about How GPS works, space junk and how fast we are moving in space in my youtube channel.

GPS does not track your location. All of the GPS systems in the world are the same thing. A very accurate radio clock in geostationary orbit. If you can measure the miniscule difference in time between three of them then you know where you are relative to those three satellites and since their positions are published you know there's only two places you can be in the entire universe and one of those is a long way from earth.

So your phone knows where it is. It doesn't send that anywhere unless the software was written to. I would expect stock, clean android to be honest and turning off location or denying it to an application would refuse to let that application track you. But if you carelessly downloaded something dodgy and allowed it access to location “always" then it could indeed be following you everywhere.

The warning here is to now download crap and properly read the permissions request for things you do. I downloaded a compass. A damn compass. It wanted access to a whole slew of things including my photos and to be able to make phone calls. Damn thing got wiped and reported straight away.

The Development Of GPS Monitoring Devices
The Evolution Of GPS Tracking Gadgets
GENERAL PRACTITIONER monitoring tools may appear like a fairly brand-new invention. Nonetheless, they have actually originated, in some type, since 1978. So let's have a look at the background of GENERAL PRACTITIONER and just how it has aided fleet management over the years.

Experiments of the 1970's.
As we mentioned previously, the initial GPS tracking gadgets were released in 1978, when an experimental satellite was taken into area. This was more of a test than an opportunity at this phase, yet the theory was. Rockwell International were the initial firm to launch these satellites. Their hope was that at some point, there would certainly be enough satellites to confirm the use of automobile tracking. Years passed until 1994, when the last satellite started it's orbit. This was the genuine starts of GENERAL PRACTITIONER modern technology. Surprisingly, GPS tracking tools today still demonstrate to this initial innovation.

The general public use of GPS.
It was President "Bill Clinton" in 1996 who eventually released the GPS monitoring tools right into the public domain name. Formerly, GPS had actually just been used for army objectives. GENERAL PRACTITIONER was presented right into public policy around this time around, ultimately becoming available to the general public. Fleet managers were now able to buy GPS monitoring gadgets for their fleet. Nevertheless, modern technology at this moment was rather dated. It was additionally incredibly costly. It would certainly take a number of more years prior to GENERAL PRACTITIONERS ended up being a cost effective as well as sensible solution for fleet managers.

GENERAL PRACTITIONER monitoring tools and fleet monitoring.
As we stated before, GPS at this moment was rather costly. Each property had to have a GPS unit installed. The subscription fees were enormous. Bear in mind that satellite technology, whilst not being new, was extremely costly to run. This was reflected in the prices that fleet managers had to pay to use the system. As technology still had a long way to go, these early GPS tracking devices often posed more problems than they solved. They were not widely used and only the fleets with cash to spare utilized GPS technology.

GPS tracking devices today.
Essentially, the technology behind GPS tracking remains the same. However, there have been a myriad of improvements. Technological advances mean that the information a fleet manager receives is of the utmost accuracy and in real-time. Time lags have been reduced, and efficiency has increased. Thanks to the advent of mobile phones, GPS is now available at the touch of a button. Mobile cellular technology means that information can be disseminated faster and more accurately. The need for expensive GPS tracking devices in vehicles has also been diminished. Another modern advent is that of "geo-fencing", which allows managers to place a virtual barrier around their assets. This prevents unauthorised use and helps to reduce the possibility of theft.

GPS tracking devices in the future.
So what will the future hold? Now it is mandatory in the USA for fleets to maintain electronic logs, rather than paper ones. It will only be a matter of time before this policy takes hold all over the world. This means that we will rely on GPS tracking devices more than ever. In fact, it can be said that they will become essential.

Choosing the right GPS tracking device requires careful consideration of key factors. First, determine your needs—whether for personal vehicles, fleet management, or theft prevention. Look for real-time tracking, geofencing, and alert features to enhance security. Battery life is crucial, especially for wireless devices. Opt for a GPS tracker with strong signal coverage and compatibility with your region. Subscription fees vary, so check pricing plans before purchasing. A user-friendly app with accurate reporting improves tracking efficiency. Installation should be simple, whether plug-and-play or hardwired. Also, ensure the device is tamper-proof for added protection. If you need a reliable solution, Tracking My Car offers advanced GPS trackers tailored for different vehicle types, ensuring safety and convenience. Prioritize customer reviews and after-sales support for a seamless experience. By selecting a high-quality GPS tracker, you can monitor your vehicle efficiently and enjoy peace of mind wherever you go.

GPS Watch RF-V38 designed by ReachFar just launched not long ago.

F-V38 2G Smart GPS Watch Features:

1.WIFI+GPS+LBS Real-time tracking.

2.Historical route playback.

3.WIFI fence & Geo-fence Double fences, overall protection.

4.Faster and timely for help by pressing SOS button for 3 seconds in urgent situations.

5.Two-way audio talk becomes warmer and clearer, Vibrate & Ring for incoming call.

6.Step counting and Weather forecast, big font for older personal.

7.Waterproof IP67, Long standby and low battery reminder, SIM card changing alarm.

A GPS tracking system is a technology that uses a Global Positioning System to determine the location of vehicles, people, assets, etc, and track them. In simple words, a GPS device receives signals from the satellites and transmits them to the receiver, which further helps in tracking the exact location of your vehicle.

The trackers are beneficial in a lot of things like fleet management, increasing efficiency and safety, etc. Various industries have integrated GPS tracking systems in their company for growth and improvement in customer satisfaction.

Ajjas Safety Device equipped with GPS technology is the most advance tech that’s available for the rider/driver's safety and vehicle security.

We now have 10,000+ riders who are daily using Ajjas safety device. And this family is growing daily

We are registered with Government under startup India.

Ajjas is a safety & security device It prevents theft & intimate emergency numbers in case of an accident. It comes along with an mobile/web application.

Along with GPS tracking Ajjas Safety Device offers you the following features:

1. Accident Detection

2. Theft Detection

3. Fall Detection

4. Motion Alert

5. Tamper Alert

6. Engine On Alert

7. Monitor Your Rides

8. Emergency Alert

9. Location Sharing

10. Fuel Consumption & Running Average

11. Live Statistics

12. Ride Playback

13. Route & Trips

14. Speed limit notifications (Web Application)

15. Geo-Fencing (Web Application)

And we are proud to say that we are Made In India 🇮🇳

A GPS tracking device is generally smaller than a dime, and fits nicely inside your smartphone, tablet, and mobile device. It looks like a small computer chip built on to the motherboard of your device.

Thanks to the many apps you download and install, and click “I AGREE” to the terms and conditions you never read, many apps have permission to read what that GPS tracking device measures about your location, from moment to moment. Those apps have ways to “connect to the Internet” whenever you have WiFi activated, and can send that location history information to someone’s server halfway across the globe.

. . . is what a GPS tracking device looks like.

More than half of Americans use some form of GPS tracking. Millions of people used GPS technology to plan road trips, avoid heavy traffic, or get roadside assistance. This technology is even the basis for social networking: Last year, 36 million people tracked their workouts and uploaded them to strava.com to track their progress or compete for bragging rights.

And every day, fleet managers around the world put GPS to work tracking their mobile assets. They get data that helps them address problems like accountability, compliance, efficiency, and safety. In short, GPS makes their fleets operate more profitably.

But how does that all happen? What’s the process? How does tracking via GPS work?

Behind the Scenes: How GPS Tracking Works

The main functionality of a GPS-based tracking system comes from the use of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network. This network of satellites emits microwave signals which are sent through to a variety of GPS devices. These devices can be found in vehicles or smartphones themselves for example. The information that is broadcast from the vehicle are things like location, vehicle speed, direction, etc.

In regards to vehicle tracking, or vehicle communication technology, these are the four components that make it possible:

In this article, we’ll look at what each of these four components does, how they work together, and ultimately the data GPS provides. Once you know and understand the process, then you can begin to think about ways in which to take advantage of GPS to enhance your fleet operations.

The Tracking Process

The tracking device is installed into a vehicle (or piece of equipment or asset) to gather all sorts of information including speed, idle time, diagnostics, etc. It uses Global Positioning Systems (GPS satellites) to know the vehicle or equipment’s location at all times. The information that is gathered from the vehicle is then stored on the device inside.

The data is then transmitted by using a wireless, or cellular network through providers like AT&T and Verizon. It travels over one of these cellular networks back to a server. The server acts as the “cloud” that allows you to access the information no matter where you are on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

The most basic information that is reported from the vehicle is real-time location tracking of your vehicles and equipment. The location data is displayed on a map in near real-time. Providers then offer a myriad of ways in which data can be accessed such as breadcrumb trails of where the vehicle has traveled, how fast it traveled on the way to a location, and more. All the complexity of gathering the data is done in the background, so all you need to worry about is logging in to set up automated reports and alerts of the information that is important and relevant to you.

What Can the System Track?

There is a wealth of information that GPS data can show you to help overcome your unique business challenges. The most obvious and common challenge is providing visibility into your fleet’s current and historical locations.

The next step would be looking at data such as speeding, idling, unauthorized usage, job verification or actual hours worked vs. hours claimed, as well as providing an accurate way to keep up with maintenance. The possibilities are endless, which is why it’s important to understand what your challenges are so you know what to look for in a mam provider.

Who Uses GPS Tracking?

Like we mentioned earlier, GPS tracking is virtually everywhere, from our cell phones to aircraft to ships. And it’s evolved beyond dots on a map. One important application for this technology is fleet management.

Every organization that relies on vehicles has a great deal to gain from using GPS to track its mobile assets. And it’s not just the big fleets: Small local fleets also benefit greatly. You’ll find vehicles ranging from government-owned sedans to long-haul trucks relying on GPS technology.

Here are just a few ways GPS works to make commercial and government fleets safer and more cost-effective.

There are various actions you may do to look into and safeguard your privacy if you think someone might be using your phone's GPS to monitor them without your permission:

1. Check for Unusual Battery Drain: An app or service that is actively using your device's location may be the cause of a noticeable increase in battery usage. Check the battery life on your phone by going into the settings.
2. Review Location Settings: Check the location settings on your phone. You can get a list of apps that have asked to access location on both iOS and Android devices. Turn off location access for any unnecessary apps.
3. Check Recently Installed Apps: Examine your phone's list of recently installed apps. Uninstall any strange or dubious apps you come across.
4. Look for Tracking Apps: Certain tracking applications are made to function covertly. Look for any apps on your list that have names similar to "tracker," "spy," or other comparable terms. Any programmes that you didn't want to install should be removed.

5. Check for Location Sharing: Check your phone's location-sharing options. Ensure that no one you don't trust has access to your location. You can control location-sharing preferences in the device settings on both iOS and Android.

6. Scan for Malware: Check your phone for malware and harmful apps by running a security check. For iOS and Android, there are numerous antivirus and security app options.

7. Change Passwords: To make sure that unauthorised people are unable to access your phone or any related services, change the passwords for all of your accounts and phone.

8. Perform a Factory Reset: If you are unable to identify and remove the tracking software, consider performing a factory reset on your phone. This will erase all data, including potentially unwanted apps.

9. Consult with Professionals: If you're still worried, get help from experts, such cybersecurity specialists or the manufacturer's technical support services for your phone.

10. Contact Law Enforcement: If you believe your privacy is being invaded, consider contacting local law enforcement for advice and assistance.