Thread: GPS tracker

Hi all, I'm looking at some security for the old LN Hilux project now that's it's pretty much finished seeing as they're so easily stolen. An alarm seems pointless and the insurance company doesn't care but I've thought about a magnet tracker with an ECD kill switch or maybe a hardwired tracker with a relay. Searching through the internets there's a lot out there.

Anyone have any experience with these and can make a recommendation?
Cheers

I have had the idea for a bulkhead socket with 8 or so pins in it, with a blank plug that fits into it and wire it into a couple of things like the starter motor secondary solenoid, the fuel cut off relay etc etc. Basically interrupting the critical start circuits so without the 'dongle' or blank plug with the right pins connected fitted into the socket the vehicle cannot start and would need to be towed or trailered to go anywhere. Used to pull a fuse or two to do the same job, but it would be easier to pull something like that as a fully manual immobilising setup.

I'm going to be in the market for a GPS tracker shortly as my current GPS logbook is about to be obsoleted meaning it will cease being supported and will no longer operate. Unsure as which way to go as well as everything I have seen so far is looking a lot more expensive to run annually with subscriptions and comms etc.

I just run GPS tags
Not sure about their effectiveness verses flash Harry trackers. But they are a level of technology I can cope with.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I just run GPS tags

Got a recommendation? Looks to be plenty.....




Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Got a recommendation? Looks to be plenty.....




Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

I'm using the Samsung ones. PB Tech run specials on four packs occasionally.
Probably best get advice from someone like @gonetropo as to whether they are any good.

Originally Posted by No.3

I have had the idea for a bulkhead socket with 8 or so pins in it, with a blank plug that fits into it and wire it into a couple of things like the starter motor secondary solenoid, the fuel cut off relay etc etc. Basically interrupting the critical start circuits so without the 'dongle' or blank plug with the right pins connected fitted into the socket the vehicle cannot start and would need to be towed or trailered to go anywhere. Used to pull a fuse or two to do the same job, but it would be easier to pull something like that as a fully manual immobilising setup.

I'm going to be in the market for a GPS tracker shortly as my current GPS logbook is about to be obsoleted meaning it will cease being supported and will no longer operate. Unsure as which way to go as well as everything I have seen so far is looking a lot more expensive to run annually with subscriptions and comms etc.

A plug would be more inconspicuous and than a switch, not a bad idea. At the moment I pull the ECD relay when out for a hunt.

I've come across this brand that you can buy locally, PB Tech etc, or save some cash on Aliexpress: https://www.jimilab.com/news/how-to-...must-have.html
Geofencing and a remote shutoff sound like good ideas as well as a hard cutoff plug or switch. Monthly cost seems very low if you have an account you can share data from like 2 degrees. A prepaid sim and share data from you main account should be next to nothing if you don't use the text/call functions. Subs to their app is for 10 years included.

Looks like new models coming have GPS jamming detection where they can automatically cut fuel or start circuits.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I'm using the Samsung ones. PB Tech run specials on four packs occasionally.
Probably best get advice from someone like @gonetropo as to whether they are any good.

Apparently a samsung phone will warn a user (thief) if it's been followed by an unknown smart tag.

I isolate the Glow plug and Start relays, it’s a bit simple but it wouldn’t be something that someone could discover in 5 minutes. I also run apple air tags and tile tags.

Two years ago I got sick of looking for my keys and wallet in weird places, and decided to invest, best thing I ever bought and they paid for themselves in saved time within a fortnight.
I just had to replace the AirTag battery about a month ago, almost a two year turnaround. The tiles are still going strong but when they do die there is no replacing the battery, it’s just buy new.

AirTag needs to be near wifi or an iPhone to ping, tile needs to be near a phone that has the app to ping.

AirTag will warn someone if it follows them beyond a certain threshold, but two well hidden ones on a Hilux would take ages to find, and the vehicle would have to be stopped too.

On my old ute I ran a wire from an earth to the coil, hide the wires and place the switch somewhere out of the way. Simple & very effective.

Yeah, that was my theory with the dongle idea - sort of like the companies that run individual ID tags for the vehicles that if you don't scan in to tell the car who's driving you don't get to start it. Those things are frightfully expensive, the replacement dongles are wallet breaking and the software licence scares me to be truthfully honest - and the average person doesn't need the functionality to manage 100 or so drivers on the system...

I figure it would not be too hard to make up and run an auxiliary loom through the firewall and connect it to the right places depending if you have a diesel or a petrol vehicle - if you got really cunning you could flog an OBDII port off a wrecked car and use a basic OBDII corded plug off Aliexpress as the dongle to connect the wires to make everything live and the ignition to function. Your average car crook would be smart enough to recognise the OBDII port, but probably not quick enough to work out it's additional to the factory supplied ones...

Your best bet is a good kill system. A young guy up here did up a lancruiser and just put a tracker in it. Sure enough it got stolen, tracked it and it was at a gang pad. Told the cops and they didnt want a bar of it. So he lost his vehicle couldnt get it back and I still see it driving around from time to time...

The MX5 place here in Chch was / is fitting text fuel stop / engine stop switches of some sort. You can text the car and shut it down. Mostly due to the number of these getting stolen here by joyriders....

Originally Posted by blip

Your best bet is a good kill system. A young guy up here did up a lancruiser and just put a tracker in it. Sure enough it got stolen, tracked it and it was at a gang pad. Told the cops and they didnt want a bar of it. So he lost his vehicle couldnt get it back and I still see it driving around from time to time...

That's rough. I hope he was insured.

This rabbit hole goes deep. I've found switched relays, remote switched relays and wireless remote relays.

https://41twentytwo.com/product/vehi...9ney7NtufbHvh1

https://www.mobilistics.com/nostart-...p-immobilizer/

We run cartrack in our work vehicles, it has helped us recover 2 stolen vehicles so far. They also have an option for remotely turning the car off.