GPS For Dummies »

Joel McNamara is a technology consultant and author. He first worked with LANDSAT satellite data during an earlier career as an archaeologist, and has used digital mapping and GPS in search-and-rescue missions, wild land firefighting, disaster response and planning, and outdoor recreation activities.

Need directions? Are you good at getting lost? Then GPS is just the technology you’ve dreamed of, and GPS For Dummies is what you need to help you make the most of it.

If you have a GPS unit or plan to buy one, GPS For Dummies, 2^nd Edition helps you compare GPS technologies, units, and uses. You’ll find out how to create and use digital maps and learn about waypoints, tracks, coordinate systems, and other key point to using GPS technology.

Get more from your GPS device by learning to use Web-hosted mapping services and even how to turn your cell phone or PDA into a GPS receiver. You’ll also discover:

• Up-to-date information on the capabilities of popular handheld and automotive Global Positioning Systems
• How to read a map and how to get more from the free maps available online
• The capabilities and limitations of GPS technology, and how satellites and radio systems make GPS work
• How to interface your GPS receiver with your computer and what digital mapping software can offer
• Why a cell phone with GPS capability isn’t the same as a GPS unit
• What can affect your GPS reading and how accurate it will be
• How to use Street Atlas USA, TopoFusion, Google Earth, and other tools
• Fun things to do with GPS, such as exploring topographical maps, aerial imagery, and the sport of geocaching

Most GPS receivers do much more than their owners realize. With GPS For Dummies, 2^nd Edition in hand, you’ll venture forth with confidence!

Introduction.

Part I: All About Digital Maps.

Chapter 1: Getting Started with Digital Maps.

Chapter 2: Dissecting Maps.

Part II: All About GPS.

Chapter 3: GPS Fundamentals.

Chapter 4: Grasping Important GPS Concepts.

Chapter 5: Selecting and Getting Started with a Handheld GPS Receiver.

Chapter 6: Automotive GPS Receivers.

Chapter 7: Cellphones, PDAs, and Other GPS Devices.

Chapter 8: Geocaching.

Part III: Digital Mapping on Your Computer.

Chapter 9: Digital Mapping Hardware Considerations.

Chapter 10: Interfacing a GPS Receiver to a Computer.

Chapter 11: Using GPS Manufacturer Software.

Chapter 12: Finding Places and Coordinates.

Chapter 13: On the Road with DeLorme Street Atlas USA.

Chapter 14: On the Ground with TopoFusion.

Chapter 15: From the Sky with Google Earth.

Chapter 16: Creating and Using Digital Maps with OziExplorer.

Part IV: Using Web-Hosted Mapping Services.

Chapter 17: Saving and Editing Web Maps.

Chapter 18: Navigating Web Road Maps.

Chapter 19: Exploring Web Topographic Maps.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 20: Ten Great GPS and Map Web Sites.

Chapter 21: Ten Map Printing Tips.

Chapter 22: Ten GPS Resources for Boaters.

Index.