Ask most land surveying companies how they perform their tasks, and they’ll likely explain the use of GPS in their work. GPS – short for Global Positioning System – is the American-owned division of a worldwide network of positioning technology. In today’s highly competitive markets, the best land surveyors don’t rely solely on GPS technology – they’ll have a GNSS receiver on hand, as well.
What Is GNSS?
Whereas the GPS receivers typically used by many land surveying companies use only the information transmitted by American GPS satellites, a GNSS receiver picks up the signal provided by any one of the world’s positioning systems. This includes other, lesser-known but just as powerful systems created by other nations, some of which are:
* GLONASS of Russia
* Galileo of Europe
* Beidou, of China
Each of these systems brings something unique to the world of global positioning, and each has something to offer users of GNSS receivers. Whether the data provided is being used for land surveying or some other purpose, the increased detail, accuracy and sheer breadth of information available through GNSS over GPA or another system by itself is reason enough to choose receivers with more capability.
Getting Your Hands on GNSS Technology
While GPS is still the standard in North America and many other parts of the world, the demand for GNSS receivers is steadily growing. People who work in the field of land surveying, navigation, marine science and more can see the value of the complete information available through the use of GNSS. Retailers of surveying equipment are selling more and more receivers and other devices that are equipped to receive GNSS transmissions. While the standard of GPS isn’t likely to change immediately, it’s one that will see a steady shift toward a more global positioning perspective as we move forward into the future. Contact Frontier Precision for more information.
