Applications for GPS
Johnny Appleseed G P S - The Theory and Practice of GPS
GPS is one of the most fantastic utilities ever devised by man. GPS will figure in history alongside the development of the sea-going chronometer. This device enabled seafarers to plot their course to an accuracy that greatly encouraged maritime activity, and led to the migration explosion of the nineteenth century. GPS will effect mankind in the same way. There are myriad applications, that will benefit us individually and collectively.
Latitude, Longitude, AMG etc etc etc
I get many requests to explain the different numbers used by different GPS at the same location. This is a valid and sensible question, and there are easily understood answers. You may also wonder about terms such as
UTM,
GDA,
MGA,
datum,
position format,
grid, and
true north. My customers get free assistance with these, and any other matter relating to their purchase, and the use of the GPS.
- What is GPS? (Explaining the system of satellites and how it works)
- Correction techniques for greater accuracy (DGPS)
- Elevation readings and GPS (How far are we above sea level?)
- The theory of positioning (How Sir Isaac Newton and others made GPS possible)
- Explanation of digital mapping forms and functions in relation to GPS
- Applications for GPS
- In Australia 
Find latitude and longitude of any town in Australia
The following information is provided as an example of GPS and mapping uses in agriculture. Please direct all enquiries to Fairport.
Fairport Technologies is an Australian company designing computer management systems for farming.
Here is a brief synopsis of the GPS inputs which can enhance farm management and mapping.
Contact for Fairport Technologies
PAM is the farm management system developed by Fairport
It can work on both a PC and on a Palm computer.
Modules include:
- Cropping & Related Activities
- Daily Diary
- Livestock Activities
- Rainfall
Over 200 reports and graphs can be generated from the data.
Machinery costing calculator & ready reckoner...all stored in an industry standard Microsoft Access database
Information is easily transposed into your property map with the mapping module.
You can:
- Create unlimited user defined overlays, future fences, water pipes, orchard/trelis layouts, fencing, roads, soil type areas, contours, powerlines, buildings, etc)
- Measure lengths/areas
- Create farm planning maps
- Print scaled maps of any area of your farm
- Create map reports of your PAM data
With the PAM mapping system, farm records can be better understood.
In the Farmstar module, GPS data contributes position information:
- Collect harvesting information and map the results of yield, moisture, soil fertility and more
- Create Variable Rate application Maps for most of the VRT systems on the market
- Combine data sets to display averaged data over several years
- Interface with GPS hand held logging devices and software which enables you to log areas such as salt or weeds on the ground and transfer the information to your computer
- Display statistical analysis of data for whole paddocks or smaller, digitised areas within paddocks
- Combine spatially variable data from two or more paddocks over two or more years
For very basic farm mapping, using scanned plans or topographic maps, an alternative is
Oziexplorer.