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It's true that the cell phone has a built in GPS receiver that receives a satellite signal independent of the cell tower.
However, the only way the coordinates can be sent to the outside world is through the cell tower. So the person can see his own coordinates, but no one else can if he is out of the range of a cell tower.
quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson
Are you sure that the GPS function goes through the towers ??
It wouldn't have to.
Doug
The phone would receive GPS signal from the satellites, but any signal the phone sent out to ID it's where abouts would go through the cell towers.
For this to be worthwhile, the cell towers would have to be capable of receiving the phone signal...
Although the cell phone user would be able to ID his/her location and if they understood the information, could trek out if not incompacitated. In other words, if your only lost, the cell phone GPS feature can help get you un-lost... but for someone to "find" you based on the GPS feature, the phone signal would have to be able to be received by a tower(s) and relay the GPS info to your trackers...
I prefer the old Polaris Compass anyway... it never failed me.
My Sprint Windows Mobile touchscreen HTC has 2 interesting GPS features.
I have loaded the free Google Maps, and I can see the blue locate dot on a zoomable color sat-photo map. I can zoom to a screen distance of about 180 feet wide.....house, driveway and shop.
This works with the cell signal for the map, but the built in GPS for the location.
Second, I bought a $99 GARMIN mini-SD chip with their USA/CA road system with voice navigation....it uses 1 gig, and I have another Gig for document storage. This does not have aerial photos.
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A cell phone turned on, frequently "calls home" to tell the nearest tower where it is currently located. And it also does that when you make a call. That is how they caught the mailbox bomber in Kansas or Oklahoma back 10-12 years ago.
Yes. Some cell companies provide that service. And if you use one of the buddy-locator services like the one from Google link above, then the other person on the account or a computer can find it.
Comments
It's true that the cell phone has a built in GPS receiver that receives a satellite signal independent of the cell tower.
However, the only way the coordinates can be sent to the outside world is through the cell tower. So the person can see his own coordinates, but no one else can if he is out of the range of a cell tower.
Are you sure that the GPS function goes through the towers ??
It wouldn't have to.
Doug
The phone would receive GPS signal from the satellites, but any signal the phone sent out to ID it's where abouts would go through the cell towers.
For this to be worthwhile, the cell towers would have to be capable of receiving the phone signal...
Although the cell phone user would be able to ID his/her location and if they understood the information, could trek out if not incompacitated. In other words, if your only lost, the cell phone GPS feature can help get you un-lost... but for someone to "find" you based on the GPS feature, the phone signal would have to be able to be received by a tower(s) and relay the GPS info to your trackers...
I prefer the old Polaris Compass anyway... it never failed me.
I have loaded the free Google Maps, and I can see the blue locate dot on a zoomable color sat-photo map. I can zoom to a screen distance of about 180 feet wide.....house, driveway and shop.
This works with the cell signal for the map, but the built in GPS for the location.
http://www.google.com/mobile/default/maps.html
Second, I bought a $99 GARMIN mini-SD chip with their USA/CA road system with voice navigation....it uses 1 gig, and I have another Gig for document storage. This does not have aerial photos.
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A cell phone turned on, frequently "calls home" to tell the nearest tower where it is currently located. And it also does that when you make a call. That is how they caught the mailbox bomber in Kansas or Oklahoma back 10-12 years ago.