GPS tracker devices

[Monica]

Hi
Has anyone fitted a GPS tracking device to their California?
I am thinking of getting Back2you with the member discount. Seems good value for money and has good reviews. Would you recommend any other brand?
Where does it go? Under the van?
Also. .. will the insurance quote be cheaper if a vehicle is tracked?
Thanks in advance
Monica

 

[Rob H]

Put off by the high annual costs of Tracker packages, but many companies use them, some tracker suppliers have a recovery strategy in place. Possible you may be able to negotiate an insurance discount, though I suspect insurance companies not that bothered, not even sure if the police would turn out if you advise them were your stolen Cali has been spirited away to ? any cali forum police members comment ?

So for my own amusement I'm just in the process of DIY 'fiddling around' with a GSM GPRS GPS Tracker unit, (market is flooded with these cheap Chinese made, (matchbox sized) miniature trackers at the moment). So this was a punt to see if it worked.

Costs ... £18.00 for the tracker. £4.00 + £10.00 credit for a PAYG GeoSIM Global Roaming M2M SIM card, and a cheap micro SD memory card.

Well it works, ... Smart phone ring it or text it, and it comes back with text of latitude, longitude, speed, date, time and a link to Google maps for a pictorial map location on i phone or Android. These trackers come with internal 8 hour Lion battery and external micro USB or similar plug for external 5v power supply, now I need to find a location were it isn't shielded by metal from the nav satellites, and hard wire it in. So again a cheap Chinese vehicle 12v to regulated USB 5v output adaptor £3.99 .
These trackers have many added features, .. Geo fence and 'listen in' microphone, multiple automatic location reports so you can track were your stolen vehicle is heading, and password safeguarded multiple access, + features programable by coded texts from your phone ... downside .... lots and lots of sub standard ones about, some, not all the features or programming works, so you takes your chance on what you get.

Good luck with whichever route you take, keep members posted on what you decide, what it all costs and ease of use.

Regards,

Rob H.

 

[Monica]

Thanks Rob
I haven't looked at suscription options I was thinking "back2you" which is less than £120 or something similar.

 

[Raggedroy]

I'm going to give this a try;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009ZCCZV6/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[Californiaman]

Go and ask your local traffic officers which trackers they recommend. I think this is an area where you get what you pay for!

 

[comfortz]

I'm going to give this a try;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009ZCCZV6/?tag=eliteelect-21

This is a beefed up model of what I have roy - for the cost and simplicity of set up I'm very impressed - had it about 18 month now. A simple call and it sends back the co-ordinates and a link to google maps!

 

[Claire]

Hi
Has anyone fitted a GPS tracking device to their California?
I am thinking of getting Back2you with the member discount. Seems good value for money and has good reviews. Would you recommend any other brand?
Where does it go? Under the van?
Also. .. will the insurance quote be cheaper if a vehicle is tracked?
Thanks in advance
Monica

Hi Monica. I had a tracker fitted and it did my insurance cheaper. I just wanted to put everything I could in place to stop my Cali from being stolen!

 

[fred]

http://www.rewiresecurity.co.uk/103rs-car-vehicle-tracking-device looks good

 

[Californiaman]

Jammers are cheap easy and effective these days. GPS and GSM is easy to block locally. If you are buying a tracker to recover a stolen vehicle then get something with multiple means of communicating. VHF mesh systems are the most effective.



Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[MattBW]

Tracker locate is probably the most popular VHF tracker out there, but if you can't afford that then I think anything is better than nothing for the opportunists. I certainly am tempted by the locate, £200 for the unit but then £189 a year which is a little steep imho. However for a £30-50k van is it worth it, probably yes.

Although its true GPS and GSM is easy to jam. A friend had his van stolen and the thieves didn't jam the gps, they just moved it and left it for a few days to watch if the police showed any interest. He got his van back with a £20 gps tracker, without which he would have probably never seen it again.

Another friend of mine found a magnetic gps tracker on the underneath of his van, put there at a show. No doubt someone took a liking and decided to find it later. Sadly he didn't report it to the police he stuck it to a dustbin lorry.

 

[robo]

Put off by the high annual costs of Tracker packages, but many companies use them, some tracker suppliers have a recovery strategy in place. Possible you may be able to negotiate an insurance discount, though I suspect insurance companies not that bothered, not even sure if the police would turn out if you advise them were your stolen Cali has been spirited away to ? any cali forum police members comment ?

So for my own amusement I'm just in the process of DIY 'fiddling around' with a GSM GPRS GPS Tracker unit, (market is flooded with these cheap Chinese made, (matchbox sized) miniature trackers at the moment). So this was a punt to see if it worked.

Costs ... £18.00 for the tracker. £4.00 + £10.00 credit for a PAYG GeoSIM Global Roaming M2M SIM card, and a cheap micro SD memory card.

Well it works, ... Smart phone ring it or text it, and it comes back with text of latitude, longitude, speed, date, time and a link to Google maps for a pictorial map location on i phone or Android. These trackers come with internal 8 hour Lion battery and external micro USB or similar plug for external 5v power supply, now I need to find a location were it isn't shielded by metal from the nav satellites, and hard wire it in. So again a cheap Chinese vehicle 12v to regulated USB 5v output adaptor £3.99 .
These trackers have many added features, .. Geo fence and 'listen in' microphone, multiple automatic location reports so you can track were your stolen vehicle is heading, and password safeguarded multiple access, + features programable by coded texts from your phone ... downside .... lots and lots of sub standard ones about, some, not all the features or programming works, so you takes your chance on what you get.

Good luck with whichever route you take, keep members posted on what you decide, what it all costs and ease of use.

Regards,

Rob H.

I have done the same. Been working perfectly for 8 months now. Used lycamobile SIM.

 

[Skylark2.0]

I'm going to give this a try;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009ZCCZV6/?tag=eliteelect-21

There are a lot of wires etc that come with this.
Is it easy to fit because we are not the most technically minded?
Does it not make it easy for a thief to spot and remove?

 

[Skylark2.0]

A category 5 tracker can reduce the insurance premium by about £28 quid. Looking around at present for one. Did any one ask the police?

 

[MattBW]

There are a lot of wires etc that come with this.
Is it easy to fit because we are not the most technically minded?
Does it not make it easy for a thief to spot and remove?

At its most basic level you attach positive and negative and the antenna. The other wires are for if you want to get more fancy such as door open alerts, remote horn sounding etc

 

[julianjdj]

I put one of these simple trackers in the back of my bus - with a £10 sim (SMS) card. Relatively simple to do - as MattBW says - you only need the + and - wires to get this working. You just need to ring the device and it texts you back it's location. I put mine behind the bench seat and switch it on when I leave the bus and I want some peace of mind. Works well.

 

[Borris]

Hi
Has anyone fitted a GPS tracking device to their California?
I am thinking of getting Back2you with the member discount. Seems good value for money and has good reviews. Would you recommend any other brand?
Where does it go? Under the van?
Also. .. will the insurance quote be cheaper if a vehicle is tracked?
Thanks in advance
Monica

Yes. I asked the dealer to have one fitted before we collected it. Having paid a kings ransom for our Cali, we wanted to take all reasonable steps to protect it. I will gladly pay the annual subs to maintain this insurance.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I just bought a Back2you portable tracker. The instructions seem not to be a clear as they could be!

Any tips about installation or location? Do you need the external antenna?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[MattBW]

Gps signal can travel through plastic, carpet and glass without much trouble. It can also bounce off things like the road up under a vehicle.

It will be blocked by metal so the Cali roof and body will cause issues.

As long as the antenna can see the signal it will be fine. So dash, inside bumper etc all good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WelshGas]

Gps signal can travel through plastic, carpet and glass without much trouble. It can also bounce off things like the road up under a vehicle.

It will be blocked by metal so the Cali roof and body will cause issues.

As long as the antenna can see the signal it will be fine. So dash, inside bumper etc all good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Could be problematic if the unit is using the windscreen to see the sky/satellite, if you have a heated windscreen.

 

[MattBW]

That could indeed be true never tested it. Although cali has that? Ford patent only just ran out didn't it?

 

[WelshGas]

That could indeed be true never tested it. Although cali has that? Ford patent only just ran out didn't it?

I think it is an option on the T6.

 

[MattBW]

I would so love one of those screens on my T5!

 

[SimonB]

I have a Back2You tracker and am very impressed for the price. There is a lot of info on this thread.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/gps-trackers-some-things-ive-found-researching.14990/
Hope it helps. Simon

 

[bigmac77]

No way would I have a tracker. If someone stole my Cali I wouldn't want it back after some scrote had had their hands on it.

 

[briwy]

I would so love one of those screens on my T5!

You can get them Matt. About £350 for the screen so I guess a retrofit would be possible with a bit of wiring.

BTW. Tracker works fine on our Yeti with heated screen. Must admit not tried it with the screen switched on bit it works so fast it's only on for about five minutes.