| Marine GPS is now benefiting from a new technology | | | | Three meter might not seem like a lot, but |
| called WAAS, which is being developed by a couple | | | | considering that the average was 10 meters, to |
| of Government agencies to improve the accuracy of | | | | vessel in open waters makes a major difference. |
| GPS data for aviation purposes. Even though this | | | | The initial mission for WAAS was to improve GPS |
| new technology is still in its infancy, it has already | | | | readings accuracy for aviation purposes, but the new |
| brought Marine GPS accuracy to within 3 meters, and | | | | technology is finding its way into marine GPS as well. |
| most leading GPS manufactures are already | | | | WAAS is also a free system and the structure of |
| manufacturing WAAS capable devices. | | | | the information is compatible with existing GPS |
| WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System | | | | signals, which means that any GPS device equipped |
| and is basically a new system of satellites working | | | | with a WAAS antenna can benefit from it. What's |
| together with ground stations whose main function is | | | | more, newer Garmin marine GPS, Lawrence marine |
| to make corrections to GPS signal readings, which | | | | GPS and Magellan, who are the leading manufactures |
| usually get distorted by satellite orbit, atmospheric | | | | of marine GPS devices already have WAAS capable |
| disturbances and delay in signal transmission. The | | | | marine GPS systems on the market. |
| ground stations track GPS reading from all GPS | | | | The current infrastructure of the WAAS system at |
| satellites and forward it to a couple of master ground | | | | the moment has only been developed to support |
| stations whose function is to retransmit the | | | | most of North America and cannot cover remote |
| corrected data back to a stationary satellites for | | | | areas outside the United States, but other regions |
| retransmission back to the originating satellites. | | | | like Asia and Europe are also developing parallel |
| The resulting improvement in accuracy of the GPS | | | | systems and eventually, GPS users around the world |
| reading seems to be in the range of 3 to 5 times | | | | will have access to much more precise positioning |
| better than GPS alone, and that currently translates | | | | GPS data by tapping into these systems. |
| to a pinpoint accuracy of approximately 3 meters. | | | | |