Home made tracker using a smartphone (1 Viewer)

[Bill_OR]

I've just been browsing old posts about this subject and came across this from @buttons :

.... Here is a tracker for the Android if it takes your fancy, as recommended by StitchUp this FREE real time tracker is brilliant, it gives position and mph just like your sat nav but can be viewed by anyone who you nominate to view. .... . http://www.greenalp.com/RealTimeTracker/index.php?page=home&error=Not+authenticated

OK, so I have an old HTC Desire S Android smartphone kicking around and I'm bored ... so I'm thinking I could just use the App that @buttons mentions and secrete the phone in the motorhome, connected to an always-live USB socket. The solar panel should continue to keep the batteries topped up even with this continual low load.

Let me be clear, I am not trying to implement a tracker that will be accepted by an insurance company but just provide a little bit of extra security for next to nothing (just the cost of a PAYG SIM service). I am slightly concerned about leaving this old phone on charge the whole time. Am I putting the motorhome at risk as a result of the phone catching fire? Is there anything else I should be aware of?

 

[mjltigger]

Some older phones can be run off USB with the battery removed. Worth a shot as it is a battery malfunction that is your greatest fire risk.

Be aware that the sim card in the phone needs data access and of course will only fulfill the required function if it has mobile data signal and GPS signal (and power)

It will need to be logged in to a Google account. You should probably make this a brand new account you never use otherwise it will be plagued with notifications.

 

[Bill_OR]

Thanks @mjltigger - will try what you say.

Bother! The no-battery option didn't work! However I'll set the device up again using a different Google address.

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[Lofty1]

We got a tracker unit for£14 of e bay you call it and it sends location works well

 

[Bill_OR]

Thanks @Lofty1 but this is really about me trying to find something useful to do with an old smartphone that isn't worth selling! If I can get it to (safely) provide a simple tracker service then it will make me feel better than if I just leave it in a drawer!

 

[The Wino]

We got a tracker unit for£14 of e bay you call it and it sends location works well

Do you have alink?

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[Just smiffy]

Leave it on charge at home for a week or so and see if it gets hot... if not put it somewhere in the van where you can check it regularly....

 

[TheBig1]

i would rather use the £20ish chinese immobiliser tracker. you can track it and immobilise the van by phone and even set up a virtual fence so it texts you if the van is moved, must check the paperwork as i think it also has an optional input to text you if the alarm is triggered as well. all works using a pay as you go sim card of your choice

 

[Silver-Fox]

You could "wrap" the phone in a fire retardant material like a fire blanket

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[Bill_OR]

The issue may have resolved itself! I left the phone on charge (via USB connection to PC) last night running the tracker software. This morning the battery is dead!
Now what else can I use an old smartphone for.....?

 

[Allanm]

The issue may have resolved itself! I left the phone on charge (via USB connection to PC) last night running the tracker software. This morning the battery is dead!
Now what else can I use an old smartphone for.....?

Have you got a wobbly table?

 

[Allanm]

If anyone else is thinking of using a smartphone for this and worried about the risks of the phone getting hot while being charged, you could always use one of these to put the phone in. Assuming you can still get a signal while it's inside....
https://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/emax-lipo-battery-safe-charging-bag

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[Lenny HB]

I have just bought , as it was highly recommended by other Funsters. For basic operation does not require text, you call it and it sends a text with Lat & long position with a link to Google maps. You can set a perimeter so if the van moves it automatically sends a text, can be linked to door switches & siren to work as an alarm & an output with a relay you can use as an immobiliser. Enclosed in an aluminum. You can set it up for constant monitoring using data if required.
I found it does not work with a Three sim I put a Giff Gaff sim in it as that appears to be what most people use with this device.

 

[Bill_OR]

OK - I give up! The technology works just fine and I've got my old smartphone acting as a useful tracker. However the killer is that it is locked to Vodafone and on their PAYG SIMS it costs £2/day to use any data. Yes, that's £2 every day! Forget it!
I know I could pay to have the phone unlocked (there are no free unlock services for this type of phone) and then use a "3" SIM but it would be much cheaper to just buy a tracker on eBay as has been suggested above.

All I was trying to do was to make use of an old smartphone that was lying in my drawer. Guess where the smartphone is going.....!

 

[TheBig1]

Guess where the smartphone is going.....!

africa if you give it to charity

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[The Wino]

I have just bought , as it was highly recommended by other Funsters. For basic operation does not require text, you call it and it sends a text with Lat & long position with a link to Google maps. You can set a perimeter so if the van moves it automatically sends a text, can be linked to door switches & siren to work as an alarm & an output with a relay you can use as an immobiliser. Enclosed in an aluminum. You can set it up for constant monitoring using data if required.
I found it does not work with a Three sim I put a Giff Gaff sim in it as that appears to be what most people use with this device.

Did you connect it to the hab battery or vehicle one and will it make them go flat quickly? looks just the sort of thing I might be interested in.

 

[Bill_OR]

Thanks for the suggestion @TheBig1 - I'll have a look at where I can hand it in.

 

[Neilfg]

I would look at using the FreedomPOP sim in a device like this, it provides 200mb a month free of charge, this is probably enough if just using for tracking purposes.

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[Bill_OR]

Thanks @Neilfg - I'll look at the cost of unlocking the phone from Vodafone but I suspect it's too much to bother with.

 

[34127]

you can get unlocking codes off ebay

 

[Bill_OR]

Not for my phone!

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[Lenny HB]

he

Did you connect it to the hab battery or vehicle one and will it make them go flat quickly? looks just the sort of thing I might be interested in.

I connected it to the vehicle battery as it gets topped up by the solar/lesiure batteries. It is supposed to draw about 100ma when charging the internal battery which takes about 4 hours if flat then the current reduces to about 45ma, just checked mine it is taking 60ma doesn't sound much but that is nearly 12a/h a week.

 

[Bill_OR]

As a result of me abandoning this little tracker project I have a Vodafone PAYG SIM with £3 credit that I no longer have a use for.
Is this of use to anyone? If so let me know and I'll pop it in the post to you. I just ask that you make a small donation to a charity.
Bill

 

[pyro]

I'm not in the market for Sims, but you made the right decision.

Charging 24/7 in a motorhome is at best an uncertain idea, especially when the dedicated ones are so cheap to buy and easy to fix

I use Trackimo, gives me position, route, "fences", speed, movement alarm etc via web, email and text. Cost less than £70, annual SIM charges for unlimited data, $49

Plenty of others on the market

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