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GPS tracking results in huge fuel savings for NY town

Rich — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:42:17 +0000

The city of Islip, N.Y., on Long Island, has seen a dramatic drop in fuel use since implementing GPS tracking of municipal vehicles. Supervisor Phil Nolan believes city employees had been using fuel for personal trips.

In May, June and July of last year, town employees pumped a total of 110,293 gallons, compared to 96,160 during the same period this year, a 13 percent drop.

Cutbacks in overtime could account for part, but not all, of the change, Nolan said.

The tracking systems were installed in 614 vehicles in May. This is a great example of how GPS tracking systems can help pay for themselves.

Introducing GPS Job Market

Rich — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:19:12 +0000

I’m pleased to announce the roll out of GPSJobMarket.com, where you can find many current job opportunities in the GPS sector. The companies that are posting run the gamut from fleet management to consumer GPS manufacturers.

Considering navigating a new career? Interested in switching jobs? Head on over and take a look.

And if you need to hire someone, you can post a job here.

DIY GPS tracker

Rich — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:51:11 +0000

Tinkerlog has written about creating their own GPS tracking device. They list costs, saying…

Summing up you get all parts at about 220€ or $286. Ouch! Who said, that tinkering with electronics is a cheap passion?

The GPS-GSM module was definitely the most expensive component. A circuit diagram is shown for those of you with the proper hacking chops. Tinkerlog has posted a followup about using Google Maps with a mobile GPS tracker.

The costs of GPS monitoring of criminals

Rich — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 19:40:25 +0000

Newsday reports on one Long Island community’s probation department that says they don’t have enough officers to track GPS monitored offenders.

John Desmond, director of Suffolk’s probation department, told his staff to stop recommending GPS devices as a condition of probation because the department does not have enough officers to supervise more accused and offenders.

“Additional cases at this time would pose a serious challenge to our ability to respond appropriately to alerts,” Desmond said in the March 9 memo obtained by Newsday.

Currently, 10 probation officers working in three shifts track the whereabouts of 50 criminals and defendants around the clock to ensure they don’t go where they’re not supposed to, Desmond said.

Monitoring criminals via GPS tracking systems is a costly endeavor, and one that is likely to be labor intensive if it is to be at all effective. This is a feel-good solution for politicians, who are able to put forth bills that make for great headlines, but too often are not backed up with the bucks (or the brains) to make for effective deterrents.

These are not perfect solutions. Monitoring is key. Remember as well, that GPS tracking devices can be cut off and removed. GPS tracking of criminals does have a place, but it needs thoughtful, not knee-jerk implementation.

GPS fleet tracking and data transmission costs

Rich — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:35:12 +0000

The recent announcement of the Maya GPS fleet tracking solution highlights the ongoing management costs of such a system. According to the manufacturer, NovaTracker:

Fleet managers consistently report that as much as 50 percent of the information they receive from a GPS solution isn’t precisely what they need, so the other half results in higher transmission costs. MAYA™ is the only device on the market today that will transmit information the customer has specified with as many as 16 different variables.

Be sure to investigate continuing costs, including data transmission fees, before signing onto a GPS fleet tracking and management solution.

GPS Tracking – What is it?

Rich — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 04:00:52 +0000

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a constellation of24 satellites, which provide information to a GPS receiver, so that software in the receiver can determine a position in three dimensions (altitude, latitude, and longitude).

GPS tracking devices were originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense for use in precision weapon delivery. The initial satellites were launched between1974 and 1977. During the Clinton administration, use of the system’s additional bandwidth was opened for civilian use. This move, combined with recent advances in personal technologies was the catalyst for an explosive surge in GPS market opportunities and intelligent applications. There are two types of GPS tracking: passive and real time. A passive GPS tracker will record travel activities and positions, which can be downloaded to a computer. A real time GPS tracking system will show its position, live.

Today, GPS tracking systems are more common to the general public. GPS tracking units are most commonly used for the following uses:

Technorati tags: GPS tracking

Welcome to GPS Tracking Systems

Rich — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:34:03 +0000

Hi! My name is Rich Owings and I'm the author of GPS Mapping – Make Your Own Maps and the owner of GPS Tracklog. GPS Tracking Systems is a new venture, where I will bring you the latest information on ways to track your car, fleet, pet, kids, and anything else. So stay tuned and learn about how to meet all your GPS tracking needs.