Low Cost GPS Tracking Devices

[p38arover]

A recent theft of a fellow XJR1300 forum member's bike prompted a post on GPS trackers. The TK102 was suggested.

I had a look on eVilBay and found the trackers are relatively cheap at under $50. The TK102C is 3G compatible. One can phone the device and it will answer, hang up, then SMS its location. Obviously you'd need a low-cost prepaid mobile SIM with a long expiry - and to be in range of a mobile tower.

With the SOS function, it could have value for those of us who ride alone.

Has anyone tried one of these?

See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUWz6FQfXN0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUFOMYtwy64

[101RRS]

I have something similar but do not use it as it only has a battery life of about 15 hours so needs to constantly charge and replace the battery. I used a $30 six month prepaid sim card.

I suppose you could open it up and hard wire to a 3.7v power supply but is not really worth the hassle.

Garry

[p38arover]

Perhaps a USB charger?

This video is from the eBay advert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s6O5ObEnF8

There is a version which is meant to be wired in and has an external antenna but I was thinking more of this for stealth mode. One wants the thing to work without the thief know it's being tracked.

How well does yours work, Garry?

[101RRS]

The one I have has a unique connector so you could not plug it in to anything else. The batteries could charge in any suitable charger but if you wanted to charge in the unit, like if hard wired no other connector would fit.

It worked fine - you just rang the tracker tel phone number and a little while later you got a sms telling you where it was in lat and long and its speed.

It also sms when the battery was getting low and there were are whole lot of other parameter that could be set up where it sent an automatic sms. eg moving, outside a preset area etc.

[Eevo]

from my research TK102C is a personal tracker, not a vehicle tracker. it would be possible to hardwire it, but not plug n play easy


the TK103-2 is a vehicle tracker, able to be easily hardwired but not 3g capable. need 3g, as telstra is turning off the 2g network in about 12 months.

[p38arover]

from my research TK102C is a personal tracker, not a vehicle tracker. it would be possible to hardwire it, but not plug n play easy


I believe it comes with a magnetic cover to enable it to be stuck to a steel panel.

[101RRS]

I believe it comes with a magnetic cover to enable it to be stuck to a steel panel.

It is a very weak magnet and will not hold on a bump - I use velcro.

[Eevo]

I believe it comes with a magnetic cover to enable it to be stuck to a steel panel.

i was more thinking powering it. 12v to 3.7v.
but, i think it comes with a usb cable to do it for you?

[p38arover]

Dunno.

It arrived in Aus on 19th Dec according to the tracking number. Since then it has disappeared into Auspost, probably never to be seen again. :censored:

[theresanothersteve]

Would it be bad taste to ask if Australia Post was using its parcel tracking service?

[Chucaro]

Dunno.

It arrived in Aus on 19th Dec according to the tracking number. Since then it has disappeared into Auspost, probably never to be seen again. :censored:

Never mind, it will be a lost for the low life that got it!
I can bet that it was faulty :p

[p38arover]

It's arrived!

Unfortunately......

Yes, it has problems. Battery life is supposed to be 96 hours, it struggles to reach 6 hours.

6 hour battery life seems to be the right figure when in GPRS mode but I'm using it in GSM mode where it should be 96 hours.

When one interrogates it with the check command, it always reports the battery at 66% capacity.

When it's working it, seems to work well.

[101RRS]

Since this thread was started I upgraded to a better tracker that supposedly has a 180day battery life but in reality is about 10 days - I was not looking at hard wiring.

Now this tracker has always been able to send a position via sms when requested and supposed to upload information to a website where you can see what has been going on. The system has never really worked well because the instructions come from 3 different documents from three different sources and are in conflict with each other - the Chinese seem to think this is a good arrangement.

As a consequence I have never been able to set it up properly to upload to the miitown website - some information gets sent and not other - is a setup issue which is done in an ad hoc manner as the confusing instructions are in conflict. Also, on the few occasions that I forgot about it and let the battery run down all the settings would change.

I persisted with it because if the vehicle was knocked off I could always get a position.

Also my current unit is only 2G compatible this network will expire in a few months so I need to buy a new tracker.

So does anyone have a recommendation for a tracker that uses the 4G network, has reasonable battery life and has logical setup instructions that are easy to follow. I am not looking for a unit that is attached to a monitoring company but one that I can interrogate from my mobile phone and uploads information to a third party website like www.miitown.com (http://www.miitown.com)

Thanks

Garry