James Dolph
English 1213
14 March 2003
Imagine trekking across a new frontier, ��to boldly go where no man has gone before�� (Shatner) and to know exactly where you are going. To set sail for a three-hour tour and not get lost on a deserted island with a goofy first mate, two gorgeous women and a millionaire for companions the rest of your life. Ok, maybe the two gorgeous women would be a plus. Think, too, how it would be to slide onto a fat boy motorcycle, feeling the vibrations of a hog beneath your butt with a rush of excitement overcoming you as you prepare for a cross-country motorcycle rally. Before you roll out of the driveway, though, you reach down and flip on a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver on which the entire trip is mapped and planned out to the last detail. On a small, high-resolution screen is a map showing the motorcycles exact moving position at all times. The future is here. The technology of combining motorcycles and cyber space has converted science fiction into reality.
What is Global Positioning Satellite? GPS is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense (Garmin). Although originally intended for military use, GPS was made available for civilian use in 1980. At first the system provided limited use for the public, but in May 2000, the government turned off Selective Availability (SA), an intentional degradation of the signal, which kept military adversaries from acquiring the highly accurate GPS signals. This significantly improved the accuracy of civilian receivers for displaying accurate latitude, longitude, and altitude. When locked onto four or more satellites, the GPS can determine the user�s exact 3D position.
As a motorcycle enthusiast, the GPS is a must for motorcycle touring. Not only can you plot your course, but can attach the GPS by USB port to your computer. This will allow the downloading of the coordinates for the trip, and if printed out could be given to anyone else making the trip. The GPS creates a certain sense of security. It can take the guesswork out of navigating while motoring through deserts, forests, or mountains. Running out of gas in unfamiliar territory could prove disastrous, but with the GPS, the nearest gas stations are pin pointed. Various GPS receivers have a variety of features that make a difference when considering the price. The cost is anywhere from a hundred dollars to a thousand dollars. Deciding on which one to buy is strictly a personal and financial choice.
One very exciting result of the Global Positioning Satellite receiver is motorcycle Geocaching. The word Geocaching broken down is GEO for geography, and CACHING for the process of hiding a cache. A cache in computer terms is information usually stored in memory to make it faster to retrieve, but the term is also used in hiking and camping as a hiding place for concealing and preserving provisions. Geocaching is a veritable high-tech treasure hunt, and many motorcycle clubs are enjoying the thrill of the pursuit. It is a game for adventurous GPS users who ride off on motorcycles to seek treasure, and a chance to take advantage of the features available on a GPS unit. Caches are set up all over the world and game participants use location coordinates to find the cache. A cache is generally a tube filled with different surprises. These surprises range from a notebook, where you log in, to token rewards for the finders. It is customary to leave something in the cache for the next geocacher. Geocaching on a motorcycle is tremendous entertainment and just another example of cyberspace and motorcycles used together.
and her GT GIRL
With a system that can track and control traveling routes, the Global Positioning Satellite receiver is an invaluable piece of equipment for motorcycle enthusiasts. The marriage of motorcycles and cyberspace is a very interesting and entertaining union. The technology of cyberspace inventions is exploding and advancing into a great futuristic frontier, and is surely going to where no man has gone before.
Works Cited
Garmin. �What is GPS." 2003.
<http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS>.
Shatner, William, and Chip Walter. �Star Trek I�m
Working On That.� New York: Pocket Books,
2002.
Wye,David. �GPS Fears.� Motorcycle Sport &
Leisure. Feb. 2003: 26.