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Interesting tracker
ReMan - 18/3/16 at 05:01 PM

http://techiefans.com/how-to-track-your-bike-in-case-of-theft-using-your-mobile-phone

Just pooped up on my facebookness, looks interesting and cost effective
Anyone tried one?
Thoughts?


rf900rush - 18/3/16 at 05:30 PM

Have been in the process of making a devices like this using a GPS and GSM module for tracking a Boat.

Looks great at first, but i then went to Amazon for reviews. Not so good reviews.
Will be a great device when the become more reliable.


ReMan - 18/3/16 at 05:45 PM

Ha I must have been in a cave for a while, first time i'd seen these.
The ad does not make it clear that it relies on people/bluetooth to operate. so i guess no good if you lost something in the countryside


obfripper - 18/3/16 at 07:49 PM

There's one called Tile as well (it also has a ringer onboard for finding small objects), they do rely on being near bluetooth devices that are running the relevant app to track beyond the range of your own phone's bluetooth. They will log a location without you requesting it, so may be traceable just from 1 device passing by before you attempt tracking.
I wouldn't use it as a sole tracking device, but it is easily hidden compared with any gps tracker, and has roughly a year's battery to show it's location in the event of a theft where a tracking device has been removed, so might be worthy as a last chance device.

Dave


balidey - 18/3/16 at 08:06 PM

If its the same as the other ones I have seen they are NOT trackers. It just tells you the last place it was paired.
So if you park your car with this device in it, then walk away, you can 'track' back to it.
But if someone nicks your car, you can't track it, it will only tell you where the last place the phone and car were together.

It certainly looks like its the same as those other ones I have looked at.


obfripper - 18/3/16 at 08:25 PM

It is totally reliant on other people using the app on their phones to provide a location when beyond the range of the paired device, where this is possible it will give you a location (provided by the gps of the third party's mobile phone/tablet ) within bluetooth range of the lost item.
It does not have any gps or gsm capabilities of its own.

Dave


peter030371 - 18/3/16 at 08:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by balidey
If its the same as the other ones I have seen they are NOT trackers. It just tells you the last place it was paired.
So if you park your car with this device in it, then walk away, you can 'track' back to it.
But if someone nicks your car, you can't track it, it will only tell you where the last place the phone and car were together.

It certainly looks like its the same as those other ones I have looked at.


I have seen several different brands of these poping up all over the place and as you say they are not trackers. Very misleading advertising and I have had to explain the limitations of these to several customers who think they have GPS and gsm built in with one years battery life on a single coin cell


ReMan - 18/3/16 at 08:59 PM

That be me then

Yet you keep hearing stuff on 'telly about thinks strapped to the backs of birds and butterflies and wildebeast to track their whereabouts, so they're not working off a car battery are they!

[Edited on 18/3/16 by ReMan]


peter030371 - 18/3/16 at 10:04 PM

The things you see on telly are normally either a simple transmitter and they use direction finding to locate it or they log the position for a short period which is then read latter when it's retrived. James Bond (well Q) has a lot to answer for


Matt21 - 19/3/16 at 07:52 AM

I cant see the original link, but I have on of these trackers

Genuine GPS Tracker Magnetic Car Vehicle Personal Tracking Device 102-NANO TK102

A little big for a bike, but perfect for a car/boat/suitcase etc

You just ring it, and hang up, then you get a text with the status of the tracker and a link to google maps showing the location.
Mine was within 20m of where it was when I tested it!
It's currently going through a test of the battery life, which should be pretty good as it doesn't do anything until you call it