GPS tracking

[texasfiremedic]

Recently my 16 foot trailer was stolen. They even used my trailer to steal other stuff on the place. That was a real pisser. But it is what it is. But this got me to thinking about the whole thing. It's not the theft that you can prevent. If they want it they will get it. I was thinking about recovery of item or items stolen.

I work offshore and the cargo boxes that come in have a gps tracking that they can locate the box even when offshore. I checked the locator and looked it up on the info web. Lets just say if your not a multi million dollar corp it is not feasible for that locator.

Does anybody use this on there trailers tractors cars... you get the picture. I don't need to track 20 different objects may be 5 or so. I mainly want on on my welding truck, cars, dozer and 32' gooseneck. Does anybody here have real world experience with this kind of tech?

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Check with the local rent-all centers.. My understanding is some of the rental equipment is equipped with tracking devices.. They could hopefully offer some insight.

 

[Dirtydan69]

Not sure of battery life but check this out.

https://www.thetileapp.com/?opt=SEM&gclid=CL249MayodECFcVgfgodn5IExQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[FigureItOut]

Does everything you want to track have its own onboard 12V system? If so, I have a good recommendation for you in the $30 range.

 

[James-W]

Most, if not all, new cars have a built-in GPS system that works quite well. I was told by the dealer that if the car is stolen GM can tell me exactly where the car is, provided the the thief has not somehow disabled the GPS tracking device. But in this case the thief would not know the trailer had a tracking device so he/she would not be trying to disable it. In any case, the technology would seem to be quite common so I would think there should be a fairly inexpensive way to do this.

 

[texasfiremedic]

yes everything does or can have 12 volt system

 

[Richard Cranium]

Only the trailers could be a problem. Most don't have their own 12 volt system.

 

[BreeStephany]

I don't know a ton about their services or products, but I know that LiveViewGPS makes battery operated asset trackers that seem to have a pretty decent battery life.

The tracker is approximately $240 and the service is approximately $15/month

 

[FigureItOut]

These perform very well. The most cost effective way to use it through SMS. You put in any SIM card you want at the time of installation, then you can simply send it a text message when you want to find it. It'll send you a text back with a link to it's exact location on Google maps.

It runs off your 12V system, but does have it's own backup battery. I'm not sure how long the internal battery will run it, but it'll notify you if it loses external power, which is nice anyway, to know if your vehicle battery is going dead.

The best SIM card I've found for them is from H20 wireless. They have a $10 tier, and from that is deducted $0.05 every time the device sends or receives a text, so generally 10 cents if you send a command and get a response, or a nickel if it sends you a notification. The $10 card expires in three months, so if you don't use it, or use it very little, it'll only run you $40 a year.

There are multiple inputs, both negative and positive, and you can program which ones which ones will notify you. There's also one negative output, which you could use for a starter kill, or even to unlock doors in case you're locked out. The inputs could be used to notify you of a door opening, the engine starting, or really anything you want.

The simplest install though, would just be two wires, 12V constant (not ignition switched) and ground.

 

[charger0926]

try the SPOT Trace, i used it on my snowmobile, works great and only $100.00/year for the subscription

http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=128

 

[Rosso]

I fit tracking devices at my job.

I kid you not we sign a non disclosure agreement about them, but i can tell you a number of different versions are available.

Some are very simple, they use an on board battery built into the device and all they need is a ground point. They can be hidden anywhere and last about 5 years. You would have a job and a half finding one after it's fitted. These ones are "dumb" though, they don't transmit the location etc it's a case of walking around with a scanner looking for the signal to "track" them.

Other ones are hooked into the vehicles 12v system and can transmit gps signals every half hour to aid tracking them down. Another type is very fancy and can essentially be tracked live on a computer but these require tapping into existing wiring etc of which i doubt a trailer would have the required stuff. They also cost a good bit per month for the service provided.

 

[FigureItOut]

For an example, I just pinged my truck, and this is the text I received in return. Click the link and check it out.

Last:

lat:37.328323

lon:-84.144995

T:00:00

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=37.328323,-84.144995&z=16

Now:

Lac:620f 5e76

T:

I did change the coordinates so as not to publicly post my exact current location, ha ha.

 

[texasfiremedic]

For an example, I just pinged my truck, and this is the text I received in return. Click the link and check it out.


I did change the coordinates so as not to publicly post my exact current location, ha ha.

Are there any concerns with the 2g service in the U.S. and us carriers phasing out 2g? Did you find one that uses 3g or better?

 

[texasfiremedic]

try the SPOT Trace, i used it on my snowmobile, works great and only $100.00/year for the subscription

http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=128

I like this one but I'm still looking.

 

[FigureItOut]

Are there any concerns with the 2g service in the U.S. and us carriers phasing out 2g? Did you find one that uses 3g or better?

I hadn't thought of that. It is only 2g. I'm gonna have to find another one now.

 

[texasfiremedic]

Well after some research you might be ok for a little while longer. It looks like verison and t-mobile might be picking up the 2 g services form at&t. Just no sure for how long.

 

[FigureItOut]

Well after some research you might be ok for a little while longer. It looks like verison and t-mobile might be picking up the 2 g services form at&t. Just no sure for how long.

I've got about 50 or so of them out there right now, and come summer I'll probably do another 50, so really it would behoove me to find a long term product. It's a bummer, it's a solid, reliable product, negative reviews notwithstanding. I think most of it can be attributed to user/installer error.

 

[texasfiremedic]

How well do they do in outdoor applications?

Anybody else have any knowledge about the 2g problem? I see carriers picking up the 2g service but unknown for how long?

 

[FigureItOut]

How well do they do in outdoor applications?

If you're asking about the one I mentioned, it's not water proof by any means. That said, about half of the ones I have out in the wild are in side-by-sides and scooters, and it hasn't always been easy to find a well protected spot. They seem to be holding up.

 

[texasfiremedic]

Well I went a head and went with Find me spot. Where I live the cell phone service is sketchy at best. These use satellite to receive information. they are waterproof up to 3 feet for 30 min and still carry the same rating if plugged into a external power source(providing you use the waterproof connector).

The deciding factors was waterproof and satellite coverage. Also an 1/2 off sale going. Which will probably end in the morning.

 

[FigureItOut]

They do look nice, and the price isn't that bad.

 

[texasfiremedic]

Thanks you all for input.

 

[Marcm157]

I've used devices from http://www.awaregps.com both personally and professionally for a few years now. Very good company with excellent customer service. But, like others have said, you need a 12 volt source.

 

[77Mini]

Well I went a head and went with Find me spot. Where I live the cell phone service is sketchy at best. These use satellite to receive information. they are waterproof up to 3 feet for 30 min and still carry the same rating if plugged into a external power source(providing you use the waterproof connector).

The deciding factors was waterproof and satellite coverage. Also an 1/2 off sale going. Which will probably end in the morning.

Is there any monthly fee etc with that one?

 

[77Mini]

Is there any monthly fee etc with that one?

Just found my own answer. $99 per year

 

[texasfiremedic]

I figure it is worth it for the price. If you look at other sites they charge $10 dollars a month. It is actually a little cheaper than others. It is more expense than cell phone typed trackers but at least you don't have to worry about coverage.