How Spy GPS Tracking Came To Be

Spy GPS tracking is a technology that was originally created for tracking military units. It is based on signals from satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Receivers are able to pick up signals from a minimum of four satellites at any given time and calculate one's location in three dimensions using latitude, longitude, and altitude (relative to average sea level).

The entire Global Positioning System was created by the United States Department of Defense in 1973 as a means of improved navigation and tracking troop movements. The original system made use of 24 satellites so that there was one for every time zone around the world. Today, the system consists of 24 to 32 satellites placed and maintained by the US Air Force.

While the system was created by the military for military applications, President Bill Clinton declared that GPS is a dual use system that holds benefits in the civilian world as well as the military. Since that time, the technology has found multiple uses in the scientific and civilian world.

One of the first uses that GPS was put to in the civilian world was tracking vehicles and heavy equipment. A receiver in or on the vehicle or equipment reads the signals from not less that four satellites, calculates its position on the earth and sends a signal that can be read by a computer linked to the internet. This system has been used to locate and recover stolen cars and construction equipment

Another popular use on vehicles is tracking movements to determine if a spouse or a child is lying about where he/she is going. Private investigators have often installed GPS receivers and used them to track an individual's movements to obtain information for a client. Parents often install a receiver and use it to track the teenaged drivers.

Cell phones make use of GPS tracking in a couple of different ways. First, they use the time signals from the satellites to synchronize signals between two different cells when someone is traveling and using the phone. A second GPS receiver is automatically turned on whenever a person dials 911 from a cell phone, making it possible for emergency personnel to locate the caller if he/she is unable to give a location.

A growing trend in the use of spy GPS tracking is onboard navigation for drivers. A GPS receiver constantly updates its location so that it can track direction and speed. When plugged into a map software, the device is able to calculate where one is on the map and give turn by turn directions to any destination on the earth.