Global Positioning
    System
 The System
 The Position Solution
 Hardware
 Ionospheric And
    Atmospheric Delays
 The Signals
 Dynamic Positioning
 Static Positioning
 Coordinate Systems
 Conclusions

Dynamic Positioning

GPS can be used from almost any platform, from cars, boats and aircrafts to incoming inter-continental ballistic missiles. (GPS is not yet an FAA Approved Primary Navigation Device for aircraft in the US, there must be another navigation system installed as well as GPS). Most GPS receivers are capable of supplying derived SOG (speed over ground), VMG (velocity made good) and BRG (heading) information, as well as distances from or to navigation landmarks (way points). The receivers do this by taking positions at regular intervals and determining the change of position over that time, and then converting this into the navigation units. One of the more noticeable limitations of single channel positioning units is that when stationary units may show a velocity as the positions wander around anywhere from 2m to 100m.

Dymanic GPS is becoming the default method of navigation for small craft as the complex computations previously necessary are all performed on-board the receiver. They work independently of the weather, 24 hours per day ( but not under trees or water), perform spheroidal calculations and automatically convert between coordinate datums.

High Accuracy Dymanic or Kinematic Positioning

The techniques used for high accuracy positioning of dymanic receivers will be discussed on the next page which deals with differential positioning. The method of differential positioning can be used on both static and dynamic receivers so there is little point in repeating the material here.