The Future Is Here : BMW E46 Navigation
The technology behind the BMW E46 Navigation is both impressive and relatively simple to understand. Understanding how your car navigation works might help you to understand a little bit about how you better use your GPS. I know, this sounds like a line, but keep reading and at the very least you’ll be able to sound like a smarty pants to your friends and really smart to your kids.
Okay here’s how a BMW DVD Navigation works in a nutshell; satellites in space triangulate on a single unit through pings, or packets sent from the GPS to the satellite and back. The BMW E46 GPS then calculates how long each ping (or signal) takes to get back to it and uses this information to give its own location within 3 meters. What it needs is basically two good signals, but three or more are much better.
The map on BMW E46 Navigation is laid out in longitude and latitude. Once the BMW E46 GPS has determined its own location it will display this on the map for the user to see. Sending multiple signals helps keep the GPS updated second to second. This is important when you consider that if the GPS did this every few seconds you’d most likely miss your turn.
Speaking of maps, your BMW E46 Navigation does not count on the satellite feed to update the maps. Sometimes your GPS will tell you to avoid construction where there is none, or worse, lead you right into it! There have even been cases of car GPS’s telling people to turn off bridges or leading them onto railroad tracks that didn’t exist. These types of incidents are easily avoided.
Another cool feature is the voices that you can download for your BMW E46 Navigation. Everything from Borat to Sylvester Stallone can be downloaded, often with pithy little remarks included. For long trips or just to mess with your friends you can prompt up one of the character voices and have a little fun. You’ll only get them when you are online; and since you’re there anyway, you might as well UPDATE YOUR MAPS. (Are you getting the hint here?)
Another function offered by BMW E46 Navigation is the option to program in alerts form schools, bars, restaurants and rest stops. For those of us who have ever travelled with the family, the last one is very important. These options can be turned on and off. Some GPSs even come standard with software that helps you monitor your gas mileage. Handy!
No matter what you do it’s always good to have a back-up plan in life. Having a road atlas is always a good thing. If you ever find your BMW E46 Navigation has led you astray you’ll be glad to have some sort of guide out. Generally, the longitude and latitude on the GPS will still be good even if the GPS map or address is wrong. This should give you some point of reference on a good atlas. That’s all we have this time around. Stay strong and keep between the ditches!
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