Shaggy
Free Member
Not sure what to do with that old iPhone?
Well actually mine was forgotten about sitting in a cupboard gathering dust, which is where it was likely to remain...but, while scouring the internet for a tracking device for our MoHo I came across a forum where somebody suggested using an old iPhone?!
So, a little more research and now I'm up and running with my DIY vehicle tracker. Here's the deal:
Andy
Well actually mine was forgotten about sitting in a cupboard gathering dust, which is where it was likely to remain...but, while scouring the internet for a tracking device for our MoHo I came across a forum where somebody suggested using an old iPhone?!
So, a little more research and now I'm up and running with my DIY vehicle tracker. Here's the deal:
- You obviously need an old iPhone, with or without cracked screen, but you must be able to at least see the screen content vaguely. Complete with USB charging lead. (mine is iPhone 4 8GB)
- A 12v permanent live supply.
- A 5v USB charger.
- A Pay n Go sim (not for calls)
- A data provision (not much 1-2mb / month)
- 'Find Friends' App
- A concealed location to mount the iPhone.
- Reset and erase the phone to make sure everything personal on it is removed, and then setup a brand new iTunes account. Store all the details somewhere safe.
- Download 'Find Friends' app from app store. It needed to be built into iOS, and that really only leaves Find Friends. Yes Find My iPhone would work too, but that isn’t quite as convenient and also doesn’t include the Notify capability of FF.
- I used my existing iTunes account login during setup of the tracking phone, which means that you will not be able to use Find Friends on your day to day phone a t the same time, but switching is easy.
- I had already fitted a 12v-5v USB module with 2 USB sockets. But this was on one of the switched circuits and needed to be fitted to a permanent live to allow the iPhone Tracker to maintain a charge at all times.
- The USB socket was already mounted near the euro lounge seat back and by virtue of a hinged worktop in the kitchen I was able to fit the iPhone Tracker concealed, but accessible.
- In terms of data and cellular network I'm on O2 and ordered a new free sim. I will associate this new number with my existing day to day phone account and share my monthly data allowance with the Tracker phone. I anticipate not need to use data routinely, but in the event of needing to interrogate it for it's location it should use no more than 1-2MB. An alternative is to buy a pay and go sim with data provision, but this data allowance usually expires each month.
Andy