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Active Leg The segment of a route currently being
traveled.
Altitude The current elevation above sea level.
BRG Bearing. The compass direction from your
position to a destination, measured to the
nearest degree.
Buoy A navigation aid (usually found in marine
charts) that is floating in water. The position
can vary due to the magnitude and
direction of the current.
COG Course Over Ground. The direction the
receiver is moving. COG can be reported in
true or magnetic north values.
Coordinates A unique numeric or alphanumeric
description of the position.
CTS Course to Steer. The direction you should
be traveling in order to return to the course
while proceeding towards the destination. It
is a “compromise” course bearing that
projects from your current position to a
point on the courseline midway between a
point perpendicular to your position and the
current leg destination waypoint.
Datum Refers to the theoretical mathematical
model of the earth’s sea level surface. Map
makers may use a different model to chart
their maps, so position coordinates will
differ from one datum to another. The
datum for the map you are using can be
found in the legend of the map. If you are
unsure of which datum to use, use WGS84.
GPS Glossary
Mystic OM.book Page 114 Wednesday, October 22, 2003 8:59 PM