GPS tracking

[bobda]

A colleague asked me about GPS tracking yesterday because he's just bought a motorhome & was considering having a Tracker fitted. It transpires that there wasn't enough reduction in insurance cost to cover the installation/yearly subscriptions and because it wasn't a proviso of the insurance that a Tracker is fitted we got looking at options for tracking the vehicle yourself and found this;
GPS smart tracker

It's basically a GPS unit which houses a SIM card for data access so that you can request a location from it by text message and it will reply with longitude & latitude accurate to within 5 metres.
Obviously you need to keep the SIM card topped up with credit (if pay as you go) and it needs to be in a coverage area to be able to receive and send the texts but it's a neat idea if you wanted to fit a DIY vehicle tracker. Combine the GPS with a service such as Followus and you can track it even if it doesn't have a GPS signal if it was indoors for example.

Has anyone done anything similar?

Someone I know had it fitted to their Porsche.


When his car got nicked he went and showed the live info to
the local cops who couldn't give a monkeys.

When he started shouting at them to do something about it,
they threw him in jail for the night.


So I'd say it's only as good as the response you'll get from local law enforcement.

[kickstart68]

Hi

It should be possible to do something similar using a phone.

I know there is a car tracking app for the iPhone and it would likely be fairly easy to write one for Android or Windows Mobile. Old phone with a cheap data contract, wired to a charger and hidden in the car would do the job.

All the best

Keith

[bobda]

Originally Posted by Nev

Someone I know had it fitted to their Porsche.


When his car got nicked he went and showed the live info to
the local cops who couldn't give a monkeys.

When he started shouting at them to do something about it,
they threw him in jail for the night.


So I'd say it's only as good as the response you'll get from local law enforcement.

But if you have a spare key you can find out where it is and simply retake what is yours, providing the ignition is undamaged.
It would be very unlucky in the UK to provide positive evidence to the Police and for them not to act.

Originally Posted by kickstart68

I know there is a car tracking app for the iPhone and it would likely be fairly easy to write one for Android or Windows Mobile. Old phone with a cheap data contract, wired to a charger and hidden in the car would do the job.

That's another option we spoke about - using the Followus service I mentioned above. The iPhone option would cost too much - mainly because his fiancé wants an iphone and if she finds out he's hidden one in the van then she won't be best pleased! Unless the iphone is on the roof, it wouldn't pick up a GPS signal so is only as effective as a standard phone - it doesn't even need a data contract as the location is worked out by triangulation.

[kickstart68]

Hi

You could possibly pick up a cheap 2G one, although the point about signal strength is well worth considering. But should be plenty of cheap 3G phones (iPhone and otherwise) around. Small app could be knocked up to just connect to a server and upload the position from GPS at a regular interval (maybe only it is has changed).

Down side is providing proof of how quickly you might have been traveling on the public highway.....

All the best

Keith

[PANIC]

https://www.mylookout.com/features

[bazza]

I think I've posted about it here in the past. My dad has this fitted to his motorhome:
Sentinel Vehicle Tracking, from AVT

It is excellent. Like yours, it has a SIM card in it, and you can send it various commands by text. But it broadcasts the GPS location constantly, with no charge incurred. He's driving through Europe at the moment, and with his username and password I've been able to track their movement across the continent in real time.

In terms of security, you can set a virtual 'fence' when you park it up. If it moves the unit will send a text to your mobile to tell you.

[bobda]

Originally Posted by PANIC

https://www.mylookout.com/features

Originally Posted by bazza

I think I've posted about it here in the past. My dad has this fitted to his motorhome:
Sentinel Vehicle Tracking, from AVT

It is excellent. Like yours, it has a SIM card in it, and you can send it various commands by text. But it broadcasts the GPS location constantly, with no charge incurred. He's driving through Europe at the moment, and with his username and password I've been able to track their movement across the continent in real time.

In terms of security, you can set a virtual 'fence' when you park it up. If it moves the unit will send a text to your mobile to tell you.

Interesting links chaps - thanks!

Bazza, do you know the purchase cost of the Sentinel device?

TRACEUR GPS GT-170 | PEARL Diffusion

[bazza]

I could be completely making this up, but I think it cost about £200.

[bobda]

Possibly! My colleague called them this afternoon and they're £300 each. I might get one...

[Pud237]

Our recovery vehicles have real time trackers on them, we used a company called "track it now", very well recommended.

My GTV has a tracker fitted.

Cost per annum to have it activated: £120

Reduction per annum in insurance premium £48

[bobda]

Originally Posted by V6Hughes

My GTV has a tracker fitted.

Cost per annum to have it activated: £120

Reduction per annum in insurance premium £48

That's pretty much what my colleague said. He said the reduction in insurance on his motorhome was £20.

I'm very tempted to get one of the sentinel devices that Bazza linked to.

[bazza]

The reason my dad got it was because his motorhome insurance demanded that a tracker be fitted - they did accept this system as fitting that stipulation, so in theory you could get the insurance premium reduction Hughes refers to.

I'm sure it was less than £300 when my dad got it - but that was a few years back.

[bobda]

My colleague ordered his today, I decided against it as it was too much money, even though they offered a 10% discount for ordering two at a time.
If it was closer to £150 than £250 then I'd have got one.