Vehicle Tracking: A Beginners Guide

You're missing my point.

What l am saying is, all tracking devices are good but the GPS only ones can be jammed with a cheap device you can buy online.

There are one or two tracking devices that cannot be jammed in this way.

It's worth checking when you buy a tracking device, obviously these are the more expensive monitored ones, but it's worth thinking about if you have an expensive or rare vehicle.

I don't need to know which ones have the anti jamming technology (except that l know mine has it) it's for the person buying the tracking device to check.

lightning said:

You're missing my point.

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NO, I am not!

You seemed to be frustrated that you were being ignored, So I told you to check yourself rather than let it get to you. After all the post you quoted is 4 months old.

Simples init......................


Cheers

I guess!

I wish that someone that really knows about this stuff would break it down simply.

Does the monitored systems do anything more than send an alert and last known position when GPS drops off?

Is the 'anti jamming tech' anything more than using several location systems?

There's plenty of unmonitored, non subscription, single payment systems that claim they do everything as the likes of Skytag (multi system location, off grid alerts, dedicated server route storage etc) without police liaison that are far cheaper but I've no idea whether the claims are true in the real world.

I was chatting to a crime prevention officer the other day and I was surprised that he didn't really rate trackers. He did say they are useful but was frustrated that even when vehicles are recovered which is far from always, they seldom lead to convictions.

He couldn't understand why Landy owners don't rant and rave about Smartwater type systems that he says almost guarantee convictions and at a higher level in the big criminal gangs.

I guess his perspective is a little different though, I'd like my Landy back in one piece ideally.

Interestingly Landy theft has significantly dropped off here locally since one big bust last year. A tracker got the police a warrant and Smartwater got the conviction according to him.

blue beasty said:

A tracker got the police a warrant and Smartwater got the conviction according to him.

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As gets stated time and time again, Layers is what is needed..........And that is not cake layers ..................

Cheers

lightning said:

Does it have anti jamming technology? I keep making this point and it keeps getting ignored.

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Jamming technology does not jam the GPS as you mentioned, it jam's the mobile phone signal, all trackers work by sending gps data by a mobile phone signal. . By all means check with the suppliers of the version you are interested in buying maybe also read /google on how to jam mobile phone signals and see for yourself how difficult it is to build and implement anti jamming technology. I have had a tracker installed on my landy for about a year now and test it regularly with no issue's.

discomania said:

I was looking at Skytrack, they work with the police etc. and you can pay £12 a month and view the location yourself - £5 or something just for stolen location tracking, which I guess is all you need - unless you suspect SWMBO is stepping out on you...

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Do you mean skytag? Skytag don't work directly with the police or have the same relationship as Tracker UK has with them. What skytag will do is call the police and advise them the location of the tracker if you meet the conditions of this service, when yer vehicle is stolen. Yer have to first report it stolen to the police and get a crime ref. Then call skytag with the crime ref and details. Skytag have an operator who is then prepared to contact the police as stated and advise them of the tracker location. If the police allow it they will stay on the phone and keep updating them if it's moving. There's no priority call to the police or guarantee from the police they will work with skytag or act on the info given. It's simply a location update service which the police may choose to act on or not. Yer essentially paying eggstra for someone to do this for you as opposed to having to do it yerself if you have a defender defender. Defender defender tracker owners have to advise the police the location of the tracker themselves. Or just give them the website and login details so they have the opportunity to monitor the location of yer defender defender tracker themselves.

lightning said:

Does it have anti jamming technology? I keep making this point and it keeps getting ignored.

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If yer talking about skytag then no. These are still budget trackers despite the advertising. They're using a mobile signal so anything that can over power a phone signal to stop it working can do the same to the skytag. That's unfortunate but there's nothing yer can do about this. More eggspensive trackers with multiple communications paths are better protected but it's still possible to jam every path.

blue beasty said:

...
Does the monitored systems do anything more than send an alert and last known position when GPS drops off?

There's plenty of unmonitored, non subscription, single payment systems that claim they do everything as the likes of Skytag (multi system location, off grid alerts, dedicated server route storage etc) without police liaison that are far cheaper but I've no idea whether the claims are true in the real world...

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In general trackers transmit their location to state where they is. It is done less often if the ignition is switched oft as opposed to when it's switched on (and presumably moving or about to move). That's if it's got ignition monitoring. There's different types. Some repeatably update their location at regular intervals (skytag and defender defender) and cheaper ones that don't. All they do it report location when yer ask for it.

Yer have the option on most trackers like skytag and defender defender to set-up a geo-zone. This is an invisible geo grid around yer tracker. If the tracker passes in or out (depending on yer chosen configuration) of this zone then it will send you an alert. Yer could enable this feature when going on holiday to see if it moves when left at home, or every night. Hence the device reacts to movement in/out of the zone.

Monitored systems like Tracker UK have peeps who do actually monitor the tracker and contact you if they see it moving when unauthorised. Like not having the ID card/fob with the vehicle (owner carries this) or not disabling the tracker as the owner would to drive their vehicle (unlocking correctly etc). The cheaper trackers don't have monitoring in the same way. They send you the alert if something worth alerting is detected (depending on features available and configuration). It's up to you to receive the alert and act on it yerself.

The big issue with trackers is if they is proactive or reactive. If yer vehicle is locked with the ignition switched oft and yer fit a skytag and defender defender the following will happen if someone picks up the vehicle and carries it away on a truck (or on their back):

defender defender will sense vibration with the ignition oft and send yer an alert. If the geo-zone is enabled then it will send an alert when yer tracker passes the zone boundary. Yer can use the app or website to watch yer tracker moving and it's status. Info is updated more frequently when the ignition is on as opposed to when it's oft. It's up to you to report it's stolen to the police. Vibration sensing gives you an alert sooner than if it were not available. If not available then you have to rely on the geo-zone boundary detection.

skytag wont detect vibration as it can't. If the geo-zone is enabled then it will send an alert when yer tracker passes the zone boundary (if geo-zone is enabled) when it's carried away. Yer can use the website to watch it moving and it's status. Info is updated more frequently when the ignition is on as opposed to when it's oft. It's up to you to report it's stolen to the police.

Both the above trackers come with a sim card which the tracker provider keeps alive and they look after the contract for you. A cheaper tracker with yer own sim will do the same as above if the tracker has the same features. Both skytag and defender defender provide route/tracking history online. Standard with defender defender (also available via app) but access is only available on the higher price option on skytag.

The cheaper trackers which you send a text to and it responds with a text stating it's location just do that and nothing more. Hence they're reactive to you asking where it is, as opposed to proactive trackers which advise something worth alerting has happened, and tell you. Other proactive features of skytag and defender defender are battery disconnection and battery flat. If the vehicle battery and tracker battery go flat then yer still have it's history available as mentioned. So yer at least know where it was when it was last powered, or where it had been when it were still powered and alive.

John03 said:

Jamming technology does not jam the GPS as you mentioned, it jam's the mobile phone signal, all trackers work by sending gps data by a mobile phone signal. . By all means check with the suppliers of the version you are interested in buying maybe also read /google on how to jam mobile phone signals and see for yourself how difficult it is to build and implement anti jamming technology. I have had a tracker installed on my landy for about a year now and test it regularly with no issue's.

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Some tracking devices use alternative frequencies (not mobile phone ones) and cannot be blocked using mobile phone jammers.

The main issue in a Defender, is where to hide it.
There's not that many places, although l found one where it's unlikely to be discovered, and moved my tracking device there.

My tracker no longer seems to work properly if I sent it a text message 'check-------' it will respond much much later that everything is working ok. If I send a text message asking it to reset again it responds that it has reset by can be up to an hour to respond. It no longer sends a text message when I have opened a door or when the vehicle is moving. I tried removing the SIM card given it a clean but this has not solved the problem either. Any body got any ideas whats wrong?

Possibly the network it uses

teddykiller said:

yer looks the same, id pay extra from Amazon as if things go wrong you have nothing to worry about, unlike the ebay muppets.
Like Ryder says any tracker is better than no tracker, and this one i bought does the job i want it to do very nicely.

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You've hit the nail on the head, in that, this price-point gives you just about any of the functionality you'll ever need in a tracker. Many European sellers offer enhanced vehicle management, essentially, two-way data comms with your vehicle in order to deliver remote start, engine monitoring, etc; it's gimmicky and hard to justify the inflated prices that I've seen for such systems.
One point I would pick up on is the apparent trashing of Far East and, specifically, Chinese-made GPS-type kit. As an independent engineer, I worked with a plethora of GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou modules for automotive applications (not trackers, per se) and many of these were Chinese-built; suffice to say, the quality was consistently very high and employed many of the latest RF technologies such as active antennae, etc. I'm not disagreeing with anyone's particulart comments, just trying to re-balance the debate - I think! One other point or observation, in the case of a Defender, hiding a tracker unit and it's battery pack can be a challenge so let me offer an out-of-the-box solution! If you can get a tracker for £40, etc, then get two of them! Simples

Update: buy two of these! Trackers

The problem is not Chinese trackers. It's the cheap Chinese trackers which int made propper and have many short cuts to produce a poor quality product. They often don't work or fail after a short amount of time. Short on features anorl. Trackers bought from propper suppliers are much betterer quality generally.

Hippo said:

The problem is not Chinese trackers. It's the cheap Chinese trackers which int made propper and have many short cuts to produce a poor quality product. They often don't work or fail after a short amount of time. Short on features anorl. Trackers bought from propper suppliers are much betterer quality generally.

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Thanks, Hippo, but all of your comments equally apply to trackers made elsewhere on this planet. Don't assume that somehow because its made in, say, the UK or EU that it's somehow a superior or higher quality product. Many use the Far East or China, typically, as the ODM and brand it for onward sale; others will use them as an OEM for their own design, etc. That said, the Swiss make some excellent GPS modules and products and there are many like them across Europe and beyond.

tailhook said:

Thanks, Hippo, but all of your comments equally apply to trackers made elsewhere on this planet. Don't assume that somehow because its made in, say, the UK or EU that it's somehow a superior or higher quality product. Many use the Far East or China, typically, as the ODM and brand it for onward sale; others will use them as an OEM for their own design, etc. That said, the Swiss make some excellent GPS modules and products and there are many like them across Europe and beyond.

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I think yer missed me point. Buy a propper product through the normal supply chain and eggspect to get quality. Buy the same device ont eb ay for 1/4 the cost and it won't match in quality. Fek all to do with where they're made. Compare the 2 supply channels form the same country, regardless of country.

Hi Hippo and Co, been reading all over the place about trackers and am still none the wiser of what to go for.... I understand the concept and how they work and want to buy one that comes recommended and from a reputable manufacturer/supplier. Most appear to offer a similar package of services for similar purchase and then monthly costs, from what I would loosely call the mid price range the 2 systems that seem to get talked about the most are the Skytag and DefenderDefender both seem to get good reviews generally. Im not even sure which package to go for with each system. Any help with suggestions of one system over the other would be very helpful and what would people consider to be the optimum level of service to opt for.

This will be going into a 2001 Defender TD5. Thanks

EOD Bob said:

Hi Hippo and Co, been reading all over the place about trackers and am still none the wiser of what to go for.... I understand the concept and how they work and want to buy one that comes recommended and from a reputable manufacturer/supplier. Most appear to offer a similar package of services for similar purchase and then monthly costs, from what I would loosely call the mid price range the 2 systems that seem to get talked about the most are the Skytag and DefenderDefender both seem to get good reviews generally. Im not even sure which package to go for with each system. Any help with suggestions of one system over the other would be very helpful and what would people consider to be the optimum level of service to opt for.

This will be going into a 2001 Defender TD5. Thanks

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have a read of post 188 I wrote above

@Hippo With respect, your Lordship, you're a tad off the mark in your #188 post regarding low cost trackers; you appear to trash the good ole go it alone option. I have a Chinese tracker that did not cost a lot of Yen, yet it has Geo-fencing, vehicle battery disconnect, inertial sensing and it can make a great stir-fry, on command. All via text and, if you like, GPRS as two tracking options; no account or monthly sub required. If Skytag, etc, is your preferred option, then great but this has worked for me and with a very cheap GiffGaff sim card, it has proved incredibly cheap, to boot. Whatever system you opt for, you need to be contacted to alert you to your prized family heirloom heading off down the road and unless you have a Thatcham Cat5 system, text is just about what you need. Go figure.

tailhook said:

@Hippo With respect, your Lordship, you're a tad off the mark in your #188 post regarding low cost trackers; you appear to trash the good ole go it alone option. I have a Chinese tracker that did not cost a lot of Yen, yet it has Geo-fencing, vehicle battery disconnect, inertial sensing and it can make a great stir-fry, on command. All via text and, if you like, GPRS as two tracking options; no account or monthly sub required. If Skytag, etc, is your preferred option, then great but this has worked for me and with a very cheap GiffGaff sim card, it has proved incredibly cheap, to boot. Whatever system you opt for, you need to be contacted to alert you to your prized family heirloom heading off down the road and unless you have a Thatcham Cat5 system, text is just about what you need. Go figure.

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May eye ask wot was the initial setup cost and wot is the monthly/yearly running cost thereafter?

Have to admit eye dun't follow the DIY trackers much as there's too many out there. It's rare to get a good one which is reliable and doesn't need monthly poking to re jig the setup. That doesn't mean yer can't find a good one. Theres a lot out there which make claims which are not true. If peeps find a good one tis worth sharing to others which one it is.

A lot of peeps see the DIY route the betterer option as it's cheaper. Few of them have web tracking for yer to view where yer tracker is, or more importantly where it has been. The later tells you where the tracker went before it was found and disconnected or the car battery disconnected and said trackers battery then went flat later on. Skytag fer eggsample will only last just under 6 hours on its own battery regardless of wot they suggest. Disconnect it and time it to see fer yerself.

I have played around with GSM and GPRS simms before. It can be good fun but not everyone knows about that technology or wants to get involved messing with it.
Hence why peeps go to skytag or defenderdefender. To be frank theres loads of companies out there doing the same as these two. They each have their benefits and so do the rest. If yer go to a car show theres loads on them. 6 at the last one eye went to.

Regardless of which option peeps take... Eye strongly advise yer to regularly test yer tracker. Simm card providers apply changes to simm cards without warning. This can stop the Simm working without yer knowing. I'm talking changes int service level and control thereof. If yer with a provider like sky or defdef then they will quickly find out about this (f'kin hope they wood) and nag the simm suppliers to fix it. If yer going the DIY route then yer on yer own. Hence why regular testing is needed. Regardless of DIY or not... Still test it regular.