Best tracker?

[TobyQuest]

Hi guys,

Wondering what trackers you guys use/have experience of/ or dont have but know is good.

Im wanting to get a tracker that 1)attaches by magnet
2) doesnt have a paid subscription service
3) has a long as possible standby period something upto 6 months
4) is decent at tracking hehehe

Ive seen this. Other identical looking units are £120 but this is only £58
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=153861882772

 

[berni109]

Search tk108 on ebay

 

[TobyQuest]

Not much help. The link in the original post is for the TK108

 

[Winger]

I can recommend my ex wife. At the time we were together it didn’t matter what pub I went to she always found me!
But be warned, volatile and high maintenance

 

[Insider]

I got this one from Amazon - Amazon Link - I had a similar list of requirements but also did not want to leave it plugged in as Li batteries on charge long term need to be managed properly and I don't think you get that in a £40 device. It has a 5000mAHr battery but I do believe there was similar models with a 10,000mAHr battery. Had to do a lot of playing around - disable everything to do with GPRS, motion detection etc to minimise battery usage so it only responds to SMS request but I get 2 months from the battery and anytime I SMS it I get a response 60secs later with a link that opens up on Google Mapps and also lets me know the battery %. Very happy with the result. It's magnetic and you would have to dismantle the camper to find it but I can have it out in my hand in 20 seconds to charge it.

Word of warning - even though you can disable GPRS on it there is still a small amount of data sent out - let's call it a handshake - once a day and this was causing me significant charges until I found a way around it. If you have a pay as you go SIM and data is charged then you need to be aware of this. I was paying €3 a day for 3Kbits until I I was able to get my provider to stop data completely.

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[Coolcats]

Hi guys,

Wondering what trackers you guys use/have experience of/ or dont have but know is good.

Im wanting to get a tracker that 1)attaches by magnet
2) doesnt have a paid subscription service
3) has a long as possible standby period something upto 6 months
4) is decent at tracking hehehe

Ive seen this. Other identical looking units are £120 but this is only £58
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=153861882772

Apples and pairs come to mind, 'Cheap' trackers do a job to a point but surely a commercially solution may be the thing to consider.

Tracker by tracker is a commercial offering if your price sensitive this will not be for you but....there is a range of options available Tracker Retrieve is a battery operated unit that does not require a new battery for 5 Years £249 plus subscription, with 60 months subscription that probably works out to £200 per year or £40 per month.

I had one of these a few years back and in the 2nd year they contacted me to say there was a fault with the battery and could they come and change it (Free)

Its serious kit and if you have a MoHo of value Tracker is one company to be seriously considered whatever product you choose.

 

[Coolcats]

I got this one from Amazon - Amazon Link - I had a similar list of requirements but also did not want to leave it plugged in as Li batteries on charge long term need to be managed properly and I don't think you get that in a £40 device. It has a 5000mAHr battery but I do believe there was similar models with a 10,000mAHr battery. Had to do a lot of playing around - disable everything to do with GPRS, motion detection etc to minimise battery usage so it only responds to SMS request but I get 2 months from the battery and anytime I SMS it I get a response 60secs later with a link that opens up on Google Mapps and also lets me know the battery %. Very happy with the result. It's magnetic and you would have to dismantle the camper to find it but I can have it out in my hand in 20 seconds to charge it.

Word of warning - even though you can disable GPRS on it there is still a small amount of data sent out - let's call it a handshake - once a day and this was causing me significant charges until I found a way around it. If you have a pay as you go SIM and data is charged then you need to be aware of this. I was paying €3 a day for 3Kbits until I I was able to get my provider to stop data completely.

Heck that was £90 per month, Tracker over 5 years is only £40 per month (again depends on the unit and value of your MoHo)

 

[TobyQuest]

Apples and pairs come to mind, 'Cheap' trackers do a job to a point but surely a commercially solution may be the thing to consider.

Tracker by tracker is a commercial offering if your price sensitive this will not be for you but....there is a range of options available Tracker Retrieve is a battery operated unit that does not require a new battery for 5 Years £249 plus subscription, with 60 months subscription that probably works out to £200 per year or £40 per month.

I had one of these a few years back and in the 2nd year they contacted me to say there was a fault with the battery and could they come and change it (Free)

Its serious kit and if you have a MoHo of value Tracker is one company to be seriously considered whatever product you choose.

Seems overly expensive actually. And theres otherproblems with some perhaps all subscription trackers which is when your MH is stolen they only communicate the location to the police and not to you.
So depending how busy the police are and how quickly they get there they might find your tracker in a bush, but at least you'll still have what you paid £249 for.
Would also depend on the value of the vehicle, £249 is relative to that. If I had a £100k vehicle I'd probably do both.

 

[Bernie P]

I've been impressed with Phantom. Sends a notification to my phone if anyone moves the van. (Really useful when you're waiting for the dealer to finish work on it, you know when to start heading back to the dealership)

 

[Two on Tour]

Im wanting to get a tracker that 1)attaches by magnet
2) doesnt have a paid subscription service
3) has a long as possible standby period something upto 6 months
4) is decent at tracking

An Asset track will do what you need.

Vehicle GPS Trackers

GPS Tracking Devices for locating Cars, Vans, and Vehicles in real-time, anywhere in the world. Order vehicle tracking devices online with free shipping in the UK.

www.rewiresecurity.co.uk

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[Coolcats]

Seems overly expensive actually. And theres otherproblems with some perhaps all subscription trackers which is when your MH is stolen they only communicate the location to the police and not to you.
So depending how busy the police are and how quickly they get there they might find your tracker in a bush, but at least you'll still have what you paid £249 for.
Would also depend on the value of the vehicle, £249 is relative to that. If I had a £100k vehicle I'd probably do both.

Not exactly true, the centre will track your vehicle if the police are busy they will still be tracking your vehicle.

If you invest in a different Tracker product you get an app and a web interface so you can get the same tracking information emails, texts and phone calls plus a web portal and app for your mobile/tablet so you can monitor your assets. I understand other products do similar.

The Police are only engaged when you report a theft and you get a crime number (as with any system) The Police force work closely with Tracker who say: "They have 26,262 Tracker recoveries to date (January theft recovery stats) Tracker also say, We are proud to be the only tracking partner supported by the UK Police force. Tracker's detection units are fitted on over 2000 Police patrol cars, 20 Police helicopters and at most major ports to help Police locate your stolen vehicle quickly".

Tracker is not the cheapest but they appear to have a sound solution and the only company to have technology in police vehicles (Land and Air) that can track your vehicle on the move. Tracker products involve VHF and MESH technology as well as incorporating GPS and GSM technology
Lets assume you buy the AT50,or any other cheap tracker there is no managed service, assuming you are not doing something else do you know the process of contacting the police and Liase with the patrol's ? how are you going to get your real time feed to the control and how is that going to be relayed to the Driver or Pilot?

Voda say No Police Hardware Required - GPS tracking means the Vodafone Automotive Secure Operating Centre can follow the vehicle and liaise with any patrol car, giving the Police live tracking data, including speed and direction of travel.

No product is perfect but you do get what you pay for and anything over £20K in value is well worth the investment, but you did ask about 'Best tracker' without a managed service who know how to and will Liase with the police it just another obstacle to overcome.

so like everything you pay your money and make your choice

 

[berni109]

Tk trackers are turned out by a factory somewhere in China and rebranded as allsorts.
You pays your money and takes your chance. Some sellers are chopping them out for 4 or 5 time the price you can pay direct and wait for a month or so for delivery.
I have a wired variety that can act as a rudimentary alarm and it can do far more than I want it to. A cheap payg sim and it works great. Sends me a text on any movement or alarm condition all for £20
Is this as good as a monitored system - no.
Would it stop a determined thief - dont think so.
Could I track my vehicle as it moves - yes until they jam the sim signal.
Could I find my vehicle if it was left somewhere - yes if they hadn't ripped the dash out to get at the tracker.
So 2 and 4 of your requirements covered. 1) if you hide it away under metal will you get a GPS signal. 3) you will need a very sizeable battery to last 6 months or maybe a big additional battery pack. Dont think your hab or veh battery would last that long although only supplying a few milliamps to the tracker.
Jim our esteemed leader was trying to get a tracker manufactured but I dont think anything ever came of it - do a search for the thread.

 

[stevewagner]

I have a SmartTrack - brilliant service. I disconnected my engine battery when connecting a B2B charger and they called me within 2 minutes to tell me they was an issue. £450 for 5 years complete with an app.

 

[Coolcats]

I have a SmartTrack - brilliant service. I disconnected my engine battery when connecting a B2B charger and they called me within 2 minutes to tell me they was an issue. £450 for 5 years complete with an app.

My point exactly it is a managed service with a liaison desk who work with the police

 

[IRHP]

Do all these "monitored services" actually do any monitoring. Somehow I think they will just sit and wait on an alert just like any of the cheap DIY ones do. The DIY ones contact you direct via text or alert if you have the app. Several people can have the same app and login for any particular tracker. A service you don't get from a monitored subscription service. For me they seem a bit of a con as they are just acting like a middleman. The cheap DIY options with the apps all offer the same facilities as subscription services, geofencing, vibration alert, battery monitoring, etc. I like the idea of being able to control all that myself.

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[funflair]

Do all these "monitored services" actually do any monitoring. Somehow I think they will just sit and wait on an alert just like any of the cheap DIY ones do. The DIY ones contact you direct via text or alert if you have the app. Several people can have the same app and login for any particular tracker. A service you don't get from a monitored subscription service. For me they seem a bit of a con as they are just acting like a middleman. The cheap DIY options with the apps all offer the same facilities as subscription services, geofencing, vibration alert, battery monitoring, etc. I like the idea of being able to control all that myself.

The big difference I imagine is that the DIY one is not recognised by insurers so if they say you need a "Thatcham tracker" you are stuck. When the tracker company say monitored they just mean a control centre that watches for alerts from the units and then co-ordinates contacting the owner or liase with the police as required.

With our alarm tracker combination you can allow others to access the app/account.

Martin

 

[Coolcats]

The big difference I imagine is that the DIY one is not recognised by insurers so if they say you need a "Thatcham tracker" you are stuck. When the tracker company say monitored they just mean a control centre that watches for alerts from the units and then co-ordinates contacting the owner or liase with the police as required.

With our alarm tracker combination you can allow others to access the app/account.

Martin

‘Just a control centre’ well, yes a commercial control centre will monitor the alerts, calls are escalated from automated to being proactively followed. All the centres will need a crime number so the owner will have to report the theft to the police first. Once done the centre has the contacts within the police force to speak with. Voda say no police equipment is required Tracker have kit in police cars and helicopters to seek out the vehicles. Personally I’m not confident that a shared access tracker portal from a member of the public would actually be used in time by a police unit.

I am sure a diy solution goes some way to reassure any owner, a manged service will take it to the next step. Then what type of product and technology are you going to invest in ? How many times do you go in to a field and no longer have. Mobile signal?

but like anything you pay your Money and make a choice diy ones certainly do not fit in to a ‘Best Tracker’ category but then again even cheap diy trackers have the good the bad and the ugly. Only you know the value of your MoHo and what your willing to pay for security.

 

[eddie]

Personally nowadays I wouldn't bother with any tracking device unless it is a condition of insurance, given how cheaply and freely available the devices are to turn them off remotely

A few pounds on eBay for peace of mind perhaps but other than that? Pointless in my opinion

 

[IRHP]

‘Just a control centre’ well, yes a commercial control centre will monitor the alerts, calls are escalated from automated to being proactively followed. All the centres will need a crime number so the owner will have to report the theft to the police first. Once done the centre has the contacts within the police force to speak with. Voda say no police equipment is required Tracker have kit in police cars and helicopters to seek out the vehicles. Personally I’m not confident that a shared access tracker portal from a member of the public would actually be used in time by a police unit.

I am sure a diy solution goes some way to reassure any owner, a manged service will take it to the next step. Then what type of product and technology are you going to invest in ? How many times do you go in to a field and no longer have. Mobile signal?

but like anything you pay your Money and make a choice diy ones certainly do not fit in to a ‘Best Tracker’ category but then again even cheap diy trackers have the good the bad and the ugly. Only you know the value of your MoHo and what your willing to pay for security.

Even the expensive monitored systems still use a mobile signal to transmit their position.

 

[Coolcats]

Even the expensive monitored systems still use a mobile signal to transmit their position.

Can I ask what mobile signal are you referring to do you mean a mobile SIM card?

All MoHo’s are mobile of course the signal is mobile otherwise there would not be any point

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[IRHP]

Can I ask what mobile signal are you referring to do you mean a mobile SIM card?

yes if you want live tracking.

 

[Coolcats]

yes

Not all systems use a Sim card particularly the more expensive ones, I am not saying they cannot be jammed or ripped out if found.

 

[IRHP]

Not all systems use a Sim card particularly the more expensive ones, I am not saying they cannot be jammed or ripped out if found.

If they don't use a sim and a mobile network how do they transmit their position to whoever needs to know? I'm genuinely curious not trying to catch you out.

 

[IRHP]

I got this one from Amazon - Amazon Link - I had a similar list of requirements but also did not want to leave it plugged in as Li batteries on charge long term need to be managed properly and I don't think you get that in a £40 device. It has a 5000mAHr battery but I do believe there was similar models with a 10,000mAHr battery. Had to do a lot of playing around - disable everything to do with GPRS, motion detection etc to minimise battery usage so it only responds to SMS request but I get 2 months from the battery and anytime I SMS it I get a response 60secs later with a link that opens up on Google Mapps and also lets me know the battery %. Very happy with the result. It's magnetic and you would have to dismantle the camper to find it but I can have it out in my hand in 20 seconds to charge it.

Word of warning - even though you can disable GPRS on it there is still a small amount of data sent out - let's call it a handshake - once a day and this was causing me significant charges until I found a way around it. If you have a pay as you go SIM and data is charged then you need to be aware of this. I was paying €3 a day for 3Kbits until I I was able to get my provider to stop data completely.

It's not so great disabling data if you want to use geofencing or vibration alerts. That's the main purpose in having a tracker. . I find if you have it in sleep mode and it only wakes up when moved then it cost a few pence each month.

 

[Coolcats]

If they don't use a sim and a mobile network how do they transmit their position to whoever needs to know? I'm genuinely curious not trying to catch you out.

If you use a tracker with a sim it is for asset tracking not asset recovery and there is a big difference between the two. If you want a Assert tracker and cheap Go ahead That’s what you will get, if you are running a delivery business it’s ideal to know where your stuff is. However if you want your asset recovered you have to invest in different technology. VHF is just one such technology most companies do not use it but if your going to spend more than £50 on a tracker think carefully about what you need.

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[IRHP]

Hi guys,

Wondering what trackers you guys use/have experience of/ or dont have but know is good.

Im wanting to get a tracker that 1)attaches by magnet
2) doesnt have a paid subscription service
3) has a long as possible standby period something upto 6 months
4) is decent at tracking hehehe

Ive seen this. Other identical looking units are £120 but this is only £58
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=153861882772

That tracker will do everything you want and more. Just need a good hiding place but as said blocking devices are readily available.

 

[IRHP]

If you use a tracker with a sim it is for asset tracking not asset recovery and there is a big difference between the two. If you want a Assert tracker and cheap Go ahead That’s what you will get, if you are running a delivery business it’s ideal to know where your stuff is. However if you want your asset recovered you have to invest in different technology. VHF is just one such technology most companies do not use it but if your going to spend more than £50 on a tracker think carefully about what you need.

I wonder how many of the companies offering tracking devices are using vhf tech? Does it cost a lot more? Don't you need a Licence to transmit on VHF?

 

[IRHP]

.

 

[Coolcats]

sorry I don't see the difference, If I track it I know where it is going and where it has stopped and that allows for recovery whether it is by the police or an individual. I believe all or most of the companies offering trackers with live monitoring are using gprs data and mobile sim cards.

That’s ok but VHF is a totally different technology and does not rely on SIM cards which are flakey at the best of times

 

[Coolcats]

.

The police have the VHF tracking technology in their cars and helicopters. They can find the vehicle even if it’s in a container or underground. As I say it’s used in asset recovery not just asset tracking.

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