Best place to hide a GPS Tracker?

[Romke]

I just bought a TKStar tracker (like this one), and tested it in our little Renault. All works well, so I'm now ready to place it somewhere in our Cali. The rechargeable device has a 3 month standby battery so I don't need any cabling, just a good place out of sight where it can receive a GPS signal (i.e. not shielded by metal). Has anybody found a suitable place?

Edit: if you don't want to reveal the place of your tracker (thanks SimonB for the hint) please send me a PM.

 

[SimonB]

I don't think many people would publicly advertise where they have put their tracker in case the scallywags & footpads read these pages.

 

[WelshGas]

I just bought a TKStar tracker (like this one), and tested it in our little Renault. All works well, so I'm now ready to place it somewhere in our Cali. The rechargeable device has a 3 month standby battery so I don't need any cabling, just a good place out of sight where it can receive a GPS signal (i.e. not shielded by metal). Has anybody found a suitable place?

Just a thought, try it in the centre of the roof space. I know the roof is Aluminium, BUT, does it pick up a signal there?

 

[Romke]

Just a thought, try it in the centre of the roof space. I know the roof is Aluminium, BUT, does it pick up a signal there?

I'll try - thanks!

 

[ArunAlec]

Mines got a tracker, but I've no idea where it is!

 

[PeteS]

I would think of a place and put it there may be a place where you have to remove a bit of trim. On cars like the RS6 audi puts the tracker in the same place for ease of production and maintenance. Unfortunately the thieves know this place and removed the tracker.
I have an aftermarket alarm fitted a few years ago and the dealer would not tell me where he put the connections to the fuel pump, ignition etc.

 

[MattBW]

The signal will go through plastic, carpet, seat foam and fabric from my experience. Signal will also bounce off the road under a van.

It's picking somewhere in that criteria that won't be easily checked.

 

[WelshGas]

I'll try - thanks!

Any luck?

 

[MarkVw2017]

Prevention is better than a cure. Get a beastly lock so thieves walk on by!!!

 

[Romke]

Any luck?

Nope. The roof shields the GPS antenna and even the mobile signal. Will try other places...

 

[SimonB]

Does it work OK outside the van receiving and sending signals?
I didn't think that an aluminium roof would blank out signals.

 

[Romke]

Does it work OK outside the van receiving and sending signals?
I didn't think that an aluminium roof would blank out signals.

Yes, when I just lay the tracker on one of the front seats all is well.

 

[Romke]

Nope. The roof shields the GPS antenna and even the mobile signal. Will try other places...

CORRECTION. Since our California is usually parked between two buildings (which probably counts for the lousy mobile phone reception) I did a test further afield - with success! So here it is: I packed the tracker at the far (low) end of the bed space, squeezing it between the metal part of the roof and the small mattress part. As far as I can tell this doesn't affect the roof space when the roof is lowered. Any baddie who wants to remove the tracker will have to raise the roof and crawl all the way to the end of the bed area.

 

[WelshGas]

CORRECTION. Since our California is usually parked between two buildings (which probably counts for the lousy mobile phone reception) I did a test further afield - with success! So here it is: I packed the tracker at the far (low) end of the bed space, squeezing it between the metal part of the roof and the small mattress part. As far as I can tell this doesn't affect the roof space when the roof is lowered. Any baddie who wants to remove the tracker will have to raise the roof and crawl all the way to the end of the bed area.

Thanks for confirming that the roof is a viable position.

 

[sapto]

Sorry for offtopic: Maybe worth to look closer at this one: Invoxia GPS Tracker. Read a positive review in German.
Pros is def the long term use without charging. They say it is only working in France and Switzerland but there might be a UK/worldwide version.

 

[Steve&Bev]

Thanks for confirming that the roof is a viable position.

I have the ideal solution. Give me your Cali, along with the tracker for a weekend. I will fit the tracker in a super secret location for you then, then return your Cali. Honest!!

 

[Steve&Bev]

Sorry, Budwieser got the better of me .

 

[WelshGas]

I have the ideal solution. Give me your Cali along with the tracker for a weekend I will fit the tracker in a super secret location take it away and fit the tracker in a super secret location

The OP’s tracker uses a rechargeable battery and he was not planning on hardwiring it in. So a super secret place that he doesn’t know about is not going to be very helpful.

 

[MarkVw2017]

I have the ideal solution. Give me your Cali along with the tracker for a weekend I will fit the tracker in a super secret location take it away and fit the tracker in a super secret location

 

[Steve&Bev]

The OP’s tracker uses a rechargeable battery and he was not planning on hardwiring it in. So a super secret place that he doesn’t know about is not going to be very helpful.

No, it was supposed to be joke involving me taking the van away to fit a tracker and then keeping it (I pressed send before composing it properly). I must be getting bored waiting for my new Cali to arrive.

 

[Richard Hurst]

I think I’m just going to stick with a steering wheel lock/bar of some description

 

[AlanC]

Does it work OK outside the van receiving and sending signals?
I didn't think that an aluminum roof would blank out signals.

Aluminum and steel will block RF signals. Plastic or glass won't.

Alan

 

[Romke]

Aluminum and steel will block RF signals. Plastic or glass won't.

Well, the aluminum roof doesn't seem to block the GPS and GSM signals in my case. I don't know what RF means - is that different from GPS and GSM?

 

[AlanC]

Well, the aluminum roof doesn't seem to block the GPS and GSM signals in my case. I don't know what RF means - is that different from GPS and GSM?

All radio transmissions are RF, (Radio Frequencies), any frequency from Radio 4 on long wave right up to microwave transmission used on satellite systems, including domestic TV, GPS and GSM phone signals.

Metal will block the transmission and reception of these frequencies including aluminium, however RF does transmit omni-directionally and is only directional if a specifically designed aerial is used. E.g. VW put an omni-directional DAB aerial in the plastic door mirror of the van to receive DAB signals efficiently. Retrofit DAB radios stick an omni-directional aerial to the windscreen to receive a signal.

Your Sat Nav and phone are receiving and sending signals through the glass windows of your van and not through the steel or aluminium structure.

If one was to hide a tracker in the roof of a Cali, being so close to the ally would prevent efficient transmission of the radio signal it utilises.

Alan

 

[Romke]

If one was to hide a tracker in the roof of a Cali, being so close to the ally would prevent efficient transmission of the radio signal it utilises.

Maybe "efficient" is the keyword here. If the signal is strong enough the aluminium barrier of the roof doesn't disable reception? Maybe the thickness of the aluminium plays a role?