Thought some members may find this useful, which is a review on a GPS tracker I've just purchased. My motorhome is parked in a yard a few doors from me and I wanted to ensure I would be the first to know if it was getting interfered with. I know some members don't see the point, but for me its piece of mind.
My requirements were that I wanted a British supplied tracker, with long battery life, self monitored, software that was compatible with Mac OS and inexpensive to purchase and run.
The tracker is from a British company called www.absolute-tracking.com based near Luton. They had a deal on ebay, offering a GPS tracking unit(Model SMS007) for £119. Its a self monitoring device, that has the ability to send an SMS message to your mobile phone if any movement on your vehicle is detected. You then log onto their server and track it via GPS. Access to the server is free for the first year, then £24.99 per annum there after. The device is factory fitted with a Lebara PAYG simcard, this costs 5p per text and works abroad(you can request other providers). The only other cost is for your Poll credits. The company provide 35 polls at the point of purchase. Overall if the device works it has the potential to be cost effective. The device is just smaller than a credit card, its waterproof and has 4 magnets for attaching. Its powered by a lithium battery.
The company claims that the device has a battery standby time of 15 days when set to "Setshock3" mode. This means the unit is effectively asleep, drawing minimal power and will only fire up when the vehicle moves. My thinking was I could recharge every 7 days. This way I can conceal it away from the obvious power sources, I would also have enough power to track it.
You send it commands to the device using SMS from your mobile. The unit sends you a reply SMS telling you that it has complied with your instruction. It also includes the battery power percentage in the message. You track the device using your PC/laptop/3g Phone.
I received the device by Royal Mail, some 20hrs after ordering. I did have a problem with the charging unit, so I phoned the company who promptly offered a replacement by post. Customer service at this stage seems ok
The set up procedure is fairly straight forward. The user interface and mapping appears to be clear and simple. I charged the device for 4hrs(mains/12v or laptop).
Then after setting it up, I popped it into the car. SWMBO then drove to Sainsburys, about 3 mile away. I clicked "Poll" and got a fix at the supermarket. Whilst she was in the store, I sent a command to the device setting it to "Setshock3" It responded "Set Shock & Move Alarm OK Battery 100%." When SWMBO got back into the vehicle and drove off, I received an SMS stating "SHOCKALARM Battery 100%" This is the device basically telling me the vehicle has moved.
So it does work, I like what I see so far. Especially the SMS interaction. The next stage will be to get an idea of the battery life. Also I need to find a place on the van where I can conceal it, which allows it good GPS coverage and where I can easily remove to recharge. I would be interested in hearing from other members who also have this product.
Thanks
Jmn
My requirements were that I wanted a British supplied tracker, with long battery life, self monitored, software that was compatible with Mac OS and inexpensive to purchase and run.
The tracker is from a British company called www.absolute-tracking.com based near Luton. They had a deal on ebay, offering a GPS tracking unit(Model SMS007) for £119. Its a self monitoring device, that has the ability to send an SMS message to your mobile phone if any movement on your vehicle is detected. You then log onto their server and track it via GPS. Access to the server is free for the first year, then £24.99 per annum there after. The device is factory fitted with a Lebara PAYG simcard, this costs 5p per text and works abroad(you can request other providers). The only other cost is for your Poll credits. The company provide 35 polls at the point of purchase. Overall if the device works it has the potential to be cost effective. The device is just smaller than a credit card, its waterproof and has 4 magnets for attaching. Its powered by a lithium battery.
The company claims that the device has a battery standby time of 15 days when set to "Setshock3" mode. This means the unit is effectively asleep, drawing minimal power and will only fire up when the vehicle moves. My thinking was I could recharge every 7 days. This way I can conceal it away from the obvious power sources, I would also have enough power to track it.
You send it commands to the device using SMS from your mobile. The unit sends you a reply SMS telling you that it has complied with your instruction. It also includes the battery power percentage in the message. You track the device using your PC/laptop/3g Phone.
I received the device by Royal Mail, some 20hrs after ordering. I did have a problem with the charging unit, so I phoned the company who promptly offered a replacement by post. Customer service at this stage seems ok
The set up procedure is fairly straight forward. The user interface and mapping appears to be clear and simple. I charged the device for 4hrs(mains/12v or laptop).
Then after setting it up, I popped it into the car. SWMBO then drove to Sainsburys, about 3 mile away. I clicked "Poll" and got a fix at the supermarket. Whilst she was in the store, I sent a command to the device setting it to "Setshock3" It responded "Set Shock & Move Alarm OK Battery 100%." When SWMBO got back into the vehicle and drove off, I received an SMS stating "SHOCKALARM Battery 100%" This is the device basically telling me the vehicle has moved.
So it does work, I like what I see so far. Especially the SMS interaction. The next stage will be to get an idea of the battery life. Also I need to find a place on the van where I can conceal it, which allows it good GPS coverage and where I can easily remove to recharge. I would be interested in hearing from other members who also have this product.
Thanks
Jmn
Attachments
Last edited: