topic Re: Vehicle Tracking devices in Other Devices

Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 12:48:58 GMT

I'm looking at buying a cheap tracking device to fit into my classic car. Most, if not all, currently utilise a 2G SIM card for communication purposes. My question is : What would be the cheapest way of puchasing a 2G SIM card to put into my new device ? The most basic tariff would be adequate. Some of the more expensive devices charge upwards of £120 per annum for the privelage of a subscription. Admittedly they will provide instant access to vehicle location (for fleet operators or trucking), but I just need it if the car ever gets stolen. Any cheap suggestions out there

Andy G.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

adamtemp64 — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:52:07 GMT

If you put a payg sim in that may be the cheapest option no monthly fee and then just top up as needed.

You could use a device like this http://cpc.farnell.com/alaska/apt-15/personal-tracker-gps-gsm/dp/SR07828 along with the hardwiring kit mentioned here http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1073386.pdf

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:26:19 GMT

If you speak to your insurance company they will give you a list of approved tracking devices, which in turn will reduce your insurance cost.

I assume the higher end products are by Tracker which the police supports?

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:02:29 GMT

The device I was looking at is only £33 or so, plus the cost of a 2G SIM plus the monthly cost of that (whatever that may prove to be). As the sim will only really ever be used if the car got stolen, then I suppose if the cost was £5 per month I'd actually be wasting the call value of it until it was needed ? Or at the very least I'd have to "use" it every six months to stop the SIM from lapsing.

Andy G.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

adamtemp64 — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:05:58 GMT

that is why payg should be the best option top up once for £10 and use the sim once every 6 months then top up when needed.

What method is the £33 device using to communicate to the outside world?

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:11:57 GMT

If you speak to your insurance company they will give you a list of approved tracking devices, which in turn will reduce your insurance cost.

I doubt that, as I use a specialist Classic Car insurer, and it's peanuts already. However, the cost of the top end Thatcham approved ones are mega-bucks to buy and mega-bucks to subscribe to. Now if the vehicle in question was an Aston Martin DB5 worth about £125,000 then I'd be willing to pay that sort of outlay. My car isn't worth anywhere near that figure, so the money would be better spent elsewhere........ Like down the pub !!

Andy G.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:14:14 GMT

What method is the £33 device using to communicate to the outside world?

Presumably via the cell phone SIM on GPS/GPRS. It apparently sends a text message giving various indicators. Longditude/Latitude/speed etc

Andy G.

See This : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251049105634?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Bambino — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:50:05 GMT

Having a tracking device doesn't reduce your insurance premium. I have a tracker on my car and my insurance company couldn't care less.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

adamtemp64 — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:57:01 GMT

So all you need is a payg as each sms will count towards 6 month usage and top up when low

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:06:19 GMT

@ bambino, they will if it is on the approved list.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:11:43 GMT

I applaud your effort for looking after you pride and joy but if you are not interested in paying for a high end product then maybe a better solution that would be more cost effective would be an idea.

Wheel locking device and a mechanical immobiliser would be cheaper and suffice.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Bambino — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:31:35 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@ bambino, they will if it is on the approved list.

It is on the approved list and it makes no difference. It's a Navtrak and was installed by my vehicle's dealer. My car is also garaged and that makes no difference either.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:14:21 GMT

Very strange Bambino, I have always had a fair reduction for having a tracker retrieve fitted on my cars. In fact I had one put on my Mrs latest car and had nearly £300 pound taken off her insurance.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:00:27 GMT

Your could consider APRS which can be done a number of ways and probably wouldnt need a subscription (depends of method used)

For the software side of it you could use either Google APRS (www.aprs.fi) or a software program called APRSIS or other similar programs. Any of these could be monitored from your pc or mobile phone.

How to get the signal from your car:-

- There are units which are not mega bucks you can buy that will send signals - advertised

in various magazines.

- Radio Amateurs build a little add on box for their rigs and use this combo.

- Make use of a a Raspberry Pi with the above software and wifi dongle and either

1. Let this transmit a signal to a MiFi unit (O2 do them but 3 is cheaper to buy unit) or

2. If you want to monitor while the car is stationary then the RP could send a signal

to your home router or any free WiFi point.

I know this could mean mobile broadband data use but the running costs could be low

if you only switch on when you need to or use option 2

I am going to play with the latter option over Christmas and I will use a combo of 1 & 2

The vehicle is actually fitted with a Tracker System, this is just a boys toy which will help

me find the vehicle in a strange area when I have forgot where its parked and I like messing

with computers

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Bambino — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:08:07 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Very strange Bambino, I have always had a fair reduction for having a tracker retrieve fitted on my cars. In fact I had one put on my Mrs latest car and had nearly £300 pound taken off her insurance.

Who are you insured with? My insurance is with Churchill. I've had the Navtrak tracker on my car for 13 years and it hasn't made a jot of difference to my premium.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:16:41 GMT

Hi reader.

Most of that was Dutch to me, to be honest !! haha. My car is more likely to be stolen for it's aluminium content than it's intrinsic value. I don't want it stolen anyway, however, because I quite like it

I was just playing around with the idea of protection that would be traceable. I already have a system installed which uses chips (like those used for animals) which can be detected by the fuzz and tracked home to me. There are various other parts to it which give a DNA type of reading, so individual parts can be traced as stolen. This only really helps if the car is cloned or stolen for use abroad, but is better than nothing.

It's called DATATAG http://www.datatag.co.uk/

Andy G.

Re: Vehicle Tracking devices

adamtemp64 — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:19:13 GMT

@reader oh the days of packet radio.

One of my old hobbies