You’re on your way to becoming the next great explorer of the world when you suddenly run into a pickle.
You thought you knew your location, but now you’re not so sure. You carefully study the maps but can’t seem to figure out where you are. Don’t fear, there are plenty of navigation aids out there to help you out.
Glonass and GPS sound familiar, right? They might look the same, but they are definitely not. Although they do many of the same things.
But how different are they? In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Glonass vs GPS and figure out which one is right for you.
The Differences Between Glonass vs GPS
In a nutshell, Glonass is the Russian version of GPS which is American. Both systems use a constellation of satellites in order to calculate your position on Earth.
The main difference is that Glonass satellites are spread out evenly over the globe, whereas GPS satellites are concentrated in specific areas.
This means that Glonass is more accurate in the northern hemisphere while GPS is more accurate in the southern hemisphere.
In terms of functionality, both systems are very similar and are very useful for navigation and tracking.
The Advantages of Glonass Over GPS
There are several advantages that Glonass has over GPS. One of the benefits according to the Glonass guide includes that it is more accurate than GPS in various ways.
This is because Glonass uses more satellites than GPS. It means that there is more data to work with. This also means that Glonass is less likely to be disrupted by things like tall buildings or trees.
Glonass is also more effective in areas with a lot of interference like urban areas.
The Advantages of GPS Over Glonass
There are a couple of advantages of GPS over Glonass as well.
For starters, one of the GPS tips is that it is significantly more accurate than Glonass by about 10-20%. GPS also offers real-time updates while Glonass can take up to an hour to update.
GPS is also less likely to experience signal attenuation in challenging environments like near tall buildings.
GPS is also more widely available, with over 4 billion devices worldwide using GPS, compared to only a few million for Glonass.
Choosing Between GPS and Glonass
There are a few key differences between Glonass and GPS that may make one or the other more attractive for certain users.
GPS is more widespread with more smartphones and devices using GPS chipsets. Glonass has better coverage in difficult environments, such as cities with tall buildings, and has been shown to be more accurate in general.
GNSS chipsets that support both Glonass and GPS can improve accuracy even further. About this, the decision of which technology to use comes down to the specific needs of the user.
Tracking and Navigation Made Easy
There are many GPS devices on the market, but not all of them are equally created. The Glonass vs GPS debate is one that has been around for some time, and there are pros and cons to each system.
It is entirely up to the consumer to decide which system is best for their needs. So, always do your research first!
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