Rural GPS Coverage
I’ve had quite a few emails this week where people ask (in part) about GPS coverage in rural areas. Sometimes we get so absorbed in all of the new GPS technology we forget the GPS system itself isn’t familiar to everyone in the market for GPS receivers.
The short answer is that it doesn’t really matter where on the planet you are, GPS coverage won’t be any stronger in urban areas or weaker in rural areas. Unlike mobile phones who normally use ground based towers, the GPS signal comes from satellites orbiting the earth. So long as you can see the sky above you, you should be able to receive the GPS signals.
There are some minor exceptions to this. For example some weaker GPS receivers have difficulty receiving the signal from the GPS satellites under trees with a thick canopy, in deep valleys where there are limited angles to view the sky, and near tall buildings in big cities.
However even if you live in extremely rural areas (as I do most of the year) coverage no different than it will be in large cities.
question
aaaaai want buy good GPS which will operate in eastern europr(Slovakia Croatia-sailing Adriatic)Can you suggest one?
I believe the question people in rural areas are after is not whether a satellite signal can be attained, but how accurate the maps are in finding rural addresses? Are detailed maps limited to city/suburban areas or can I just as accurately find the Jones’ Farm as I can the metro airport?