Fucks sake fit a tracker.

[Pillock]

Virgin apparently do a Payg sim that lasts a year and Asda do 180 days

[Kiltox]

The SIMs will last forever if you make sure the unit sends a text or uses data before the 180 days are elapsed

[rrsix]

Giffgaff is meant to be good, they don't force you to buy a monthly thing if you don't want to and data is 5p per mb which will take a very long time to use £10.

 

Having had this happen to me recently I will be getting one of these, not sure whether to go for the cheapest or for a uk stocked one with a decent looking tracking website for 40ish (rewire security one on t'bay.)

 

Good point.

 

Kiltox what's the software like on the one you posted?

[rrsix]

Asda use EE as well who appear to have the best 2G coverage currently, where as giffgaff are 02 who i have dealings with for work and their network seems to be at saturation point in recent years.

[Pillock]

Or just use Freedompop which is a fiver to activate and then £0.00 per month.

 

Sent from my TegraNote-P1640 using Tapatalk

[egg]

Don't shoot me down for stupidity, this is a useful thread...

 

Ok, so car gets stolen, you track it down to a yard at the port with barbed wire and rottweilers. Will the plod actually take any notice and come and help you save it before it is shipped off to Nigeria?

[Dave_Q]

Pretty sure freedompop is 3g only, these trackers only use 2g gprs.

[Pillock]

Bugger, you're right as they use the Three network.

Hilariously they offer a "premium" service which lets you use 2G for £money

 

Sent from my TegraNote-P1640 using Tapatalk

[fordperv]

Don't shoot me down for stupidity, this is a useful thread...

 

Ok, so car gets stolen, you track it down to a yard at the port with barbed wire and rottweilers. Will the plod actually take any notice and come and help you save it before it is shipped off to Nigeria?

Even if they don't it doesn't stop you going with a few mates with some wire cutters and sausages for the dogs and collect it yourself

[Kiltox]

Good point.

 

Kiltox what's the software like on the one you posted?

No idea sorry I just looked for the cheapest - I'm an IT bloke by day so I'll be able to overcome any software challenges as long as the basic functionality works

 

Don't shoot me down for stupidity, this is a useful thread...

 

Ok, so car gets stolen, you track it down to a yard at the port with barbed wire and rottweilers. Will the plod actually take any notice and come and help you save it before it is shipped off to Nigeria?

Personally I just want to play with these cheap units for a laugh - I'll stick one on my loan car so I can keep an eye on it though

[castros_bro]

There's several systems in use and go by generic types like TK101, TK102, TK103, Loads of information on the internet from users.  You can get the tracker which alerts and send positions  when it leaves a pre-defined place so you have a Google-earth trace, you can follow it "live" with sound included as it progresses onto the ship and off the ship at Post Harcourt (other interesting ports are available).  This is obviously the future for Autoshite live collection threads.

[Kiltox]

Along a similar line I've just ordered a few of these http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fashion-Bluetooth-Tracer-GPS-Locator-Tag-Alarm-Wallet-Key-Pet-Dog-Tracker-F7Q-/222063671488?nav=SEARCH - not GPS but maybe useful for keeping track of keys etc

[dean36014]

Wonder if I could attach them to my reading glasses!

[twosmoke300]

Good idea about putting one on a loan car - esp now the puma is the current loaner !

[Dave_Q]

Here's a manual for a TK104 to give you an idea of the functions: http://www.naviboard.de/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14489&d=1426678738

 

Basically the tracker will either respond to a phone call with a text or to a web server at predetermined intervals with either a text or a short burst of info containing the cars last known position and status including things like door open, ignition on etc. Texts also include a google maps link showing where the car is.

 

You can set it to warn you if the ignition is turned on, they can also deactivate a fuel pump etc remotely via a relay, not sure if I would wire this in personally. My plan is to wire it in to an alarm output so I get a text alert if the alarm goes off.

 

The one I was looking at is http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GPS-Tracker-Tracking-Device-for-Fleet-Car-Van-Vehicle-Lorry-Boat-Live-TK-103-RS-/231060241809?hash=item35cc437d91:g:fdUAAOSwKtVWww~K

 

I think it may be worth the extra simply as it looks like they have a good website and an android app which can send the commands for you - not sure if I'd be in the right frame of mind to text TRACK123456pp0077go when I got back to see my car had gone (again).

 

RE: Da Po-leece, surely they would come and help recover the car as

1) It's a cheap win for them YAY GUISE WE SOLVED A CRIME +1 FOR US

2) If you requested their help and they didn't turn up, they would be in some way responsible for the vigilante vs. car thieves bust-up that would happen as a result.

[JayW]

You can use a "Three" 321 sim. You're not required to top up regularly, can load it with a fiver (which gives you a fiver cash credit and 150mb data free) and as long as you MAKE or RECEIVE a call every 90 days it stays active (just dial in for a location every couple of months).

 

We keep worthless old Nokias in the gloveboxes with these sims for emergencies incase the modern technology breaks down!

 

Incidently, an old phone shoved under the dash set to "auto answer" serves as a cheap cell tracker with "scare the shit out of them" spooky voiced "dump the car and run, we WILL find you" nuances. ..

[Dave_Q]

You can use a "Three" 321 sim. You're not required to top up regularly, can load it with a fiver (which gives you a fiver cash credit and 150mb data free) and as long as you MAKE or RECEIVE a call every 90 days it stays active (just dial in for a location every couple of months).

 

We keep worthless old Nokias in the gloveboxes with these sims for emergencies incase the modern technology breaks down!

 

Incidently, an old phone shoved under the dash set to "auto answer" serves as a cheap cell tracker with "scare the shit out of them" spooky voiced "dump the car and run, we WILL find you" nuances. ..

 

But,but,but, AFAIK Three no longer have a "backup" 2G arrangement with any other network, i.e it's 3G or nothing.

 

These trackers only work on 2G so you will need O2/Voda/Orange or other virtual operator using these networks.

 

Wonder how long until the 2G gets turned off?...

[vulgalour]

There used to be a hand-painted Minor in my home town and the owner would remove the steering wheel whenever they parked up, wherever they parked.  Seemed a good deterrent.  The old staples of removing the king lead or rotor arm also apply as does the hidden toggle switch that cuts power to the fuel pump.

[Dave_Q]

Wonder how long until the 2G gets turned off?...

 

To answer my own question, no firm date yet but possibly as soon as 2020: http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/news/mobile/2g-and-3g-could-be-switched-off-by-2020-00394

[HH-R]

Wonder how long until the 2G gets turned off?...

A long time, I hope! My trusty old 2G only Doro will be useless then.

 

I think 2G is just "emulated" over 3G hardware now though I could be rong.

[rrsix]

To answer my own question, no firm date yet but possibly as soon as 2020: http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/news/mobile/2g-and-3g-could-be-switched-off-by-2020-00394

 

I can't imagine it being this soon. There are a lot of Industrial type devices that use 2G only as nothing else is robust enough or has good enough coverage to provide service in remote locations. Where I work we have only in the last few years switched over to 2/2.5G full time from GSM/GPRS.

[lisbon_road]

I like the idea of a switch to cut the fuel pump supply.  It would not work as well on my Sierra as the fuel pump on that runs when the ignition is on, and people that know the car would realise what had been done and it would be easy enough to hot wire the pump.  But on a car where the pump only runs when the engine or starter is running, it might work.  This is a useful thread and I will be getting one of these GPS trackers for sure.

[AlabamaShrimp]

When your saying 2G and 3G do you mean the data network? What does this mean for stuff like the 3210 if they turn it off does it become a brick or just mean it can't text?

[HH-R]

3210 would be knackered if they turned 2G off. 2G didn't really like data, the original 90s spec could do up to 9.6 kb/second IIRC.

[mitsisigma01]

At the moment all of my "not in use" metal have the batteries removed.

 

The Transit also has a standalone alarm & immobiliser and a good old fashioned steering wheel lock.

 

But, didn't realise tracker had come down so much, even Chinese ones! Details? Link?

Not much good if they crane them away ! , they got mine and my friends from the other side of town on the same lorry , same day , probably same load , neighbours watched both being lifted but not one questioned it , reported it or even got a reg number and the police were fkin useless as well

[myglaren]

There used to be a hand-painted Minor in my home town and the owner would remove the steering wheel whenever they parked up, wherever they parked.  Seemed a good deterrent.  The old staples of removing the king lead or rotor arm also apply as does the hidden toggle switch that cuts power to the fuel pump.

There was a family lived across the road from that were moving. Early the next morning.

 

Loaded up the hired van and backed it up to the front door, removed all the ignition leads so no-one could nick the van with all their gear in it.

 

Naturally, next morning the bloke couldn't work out how to re fit the leads.  Took him half the day to work it out - or at least until some helpful passer-by showed him.

 

His wife was not amused at all.

[plasticvandan]

In my minor driving days my personal favourite was to fit a hidden switch four the su fuel pump.theory being that if nicked would only get a few hundred yards where it would conk out,and then Mr burglar is stuck in the middle of the road and very exposed,and would hopefully do a runner.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Few high end cars stolen from friends / colleagues lately. Layers of security wouldn't have made a difference - in every case the victim was awakened by the scrotes standing over their bed with big scary blades.

 

Demanded to be shown where the keys are / how to start the cars / unlock the garages etc etc

[loserone]

Bloody hell. 

 

Still, a tracker would be able to tell the police where to find the scrotes, right?

[Pillock]

TBH, if I had something high-end I'd be using a proper Tracker rather than a ten quid ebay jobbie. 

Proper trackers the police can use their in car gizmos to find it instead of you having to hope the SIM doesn't run out of credit as you keep asking it for a location and then phoning the police.