How to Make Your GPS Daylight Readable - Really!

For years now, GPS manufacturers have beenbrightness coming from the sun and two; they
touting the mantra 'daylight readable display'. Ofhave limited power with which to do this. Most of
course if you have purchased one of these GPSthese devices (GPS Units) are designed to run on
units, you soon realize that the claim is way oververy low power. If not, they would NOT be
stated at best. In a minute I'll tell you how toportable units at all. Even without this restriction,
really get a daylight readable GPS display, but firstLCD display technology has not advanced to the
we need to understand what GPS manufacturerspoint where it can provide truly daylight readable
are up against.displays.
First, LCD displays are a remarkable bit ofSo, is there really a way to get a display that you
technology. All color LCD displays are comprisedcan read outdoors? Sure, reach over with your
of tiny crystals that flip when an electric current ishands, cup them around the display, and cast a
applied. A light, located behind the crystals isbig shadow on it. So, let's make this simple act of
allowed to shine through the display when theseshading your display with your hands, into
crystals are in a certain orientation. The brilliancesomething you can do permanently and still have
of the light behind the crystals determines theenough hands left to operate the vehicle.
over all brightness of the display. The opaquenessRecently, I ran across a very simple device (GPS
of the crystals determines the perceived contrastaccessory really) that does just that. It was so
of the display.simple in fact, that my first impression was, "how
The companies that make these displays have astupid", but this simple idea made a believer out of
real challenge on their hands. One is that theyme!
must compete with millions of candle power of