GPS Accuracy: Factors That Affect Your Location Tracking
A GPS receiving device uses the signal received from at least four satellites to compute latitude, longitude, altitude and time. Location tracking with GPS service provide users with approximately 3–5-meter positional accuracy, 95% of the time, anywhere on or near the surface of the earth.
We often rely on GPS a lot in our day today life such as using Google maps in order to search for a store, restaurant or finding the address of the anything. These are some of the basic usages of GPS location tracking. You can use GPS to either find a location or the fastest way or the method to reach a particular place. Regardless of what we do GPS tracking has become an integral part of our day today lives.
GPS tracking can sometimes provide us an inaccurate GPS location which may affected by a variety of factors. Let’s see the factors behind inaccurate GPS tracking
Signal Obstruction
Signal obstruction occurs when the physical or structures blocks GPS signals from reaching your device. These obstacles which are common are building, mountains, trees, people etc.
When your device can’t receive enough signals, it may not be able to give you the accurate location tracking and sometimes it may display “GPS signal lost” at certain points. In order to solve such issues, try to put GPS devices in the areas where it has a clear view of the sky.
These types of signal blockage can affect GPS accuracy even though we have no control over such things
Multiple-Path Error
Accuracy of GPS location tracking system is based on the consideration that signal travels straight from the satellite to the receiver. However, GPS satellite signals are also subjected to reflection and diffraction like any other types of electromagnetic waves. Multipath errors result from interference between radio waves that have travelled paths of different lengths between transmitter and receiver.
This has a similar effect to the ghosting that you might see it on a TV screen. It is caused when a tv signal travels by two or more different paths to the receiving antenna arriving at slightly different times.
Cold Start
When you switch on GPS location tracking receiver for the first time after a factory reset or after a period of being turned off it may take several minutes to establish an accurate position. This delay is the part of the initial set up process known as “cold start routine”
During this time the GPS receiver can be temporarily inaccurate as it gets enough data to allow it to indicate its location.
Warm Start
In this scenario, a receiver is powered on and has up-to-date time and almanac data. However, to obtain precise and detailed information, such as the exact orbital positions of satellites, week numbers, accuracy data, satellite health, and other orbital parameters, it requires “ephemeris data.” This critical information is transmitted by each satellite.
When a GPS receiver has been indoors for an extended period, its ephemeris data can become outdated. This occurs because the satellites it was previously connected to have moved along their orbits. Upon returning outdoors with an unobstructed view of the sky, the receiver might detect signals from an entirely different set of satellites.
Acquiring this ephemeris data and determining an accurate position can take up to three minutes, or even longer if the receiver is in a moving vehicle. This “satellite acquisition delay” means fire crews might navigate to incidents without complete GPS guidance and confidence, and the command-and-control center might lack precise location information for their asset, the fire truck.
The accuracy of GPS tracking becomes significant when it comes to taking care of your loved ones and ensuring they are safe and sound. Hence, consider investing in a location tracking app that delivers accurate results along with the best additional features is something worth an investment. Sometimes relying on technology too much give us flawed results, but we can work on to minimize them with a proper location tracking app
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