Vodafone V-Bag Luggage Tracker for your Cali?

[Ting Tong]

This might be a cheap way of putting a reliable tracker in your Cali. You’d need to find a way of keeping it charged though as I guess the charger will be mains.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8726661

I might get one and have a play. Will report back.

Seems there no subscription with this unlike the car one:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8037604

 

[Ting Tong]

Seems it’s £3 a month and just needs a USB charger.

https://eshop.v.vodafone.com/uk/v-bag-tracker-trackisafe-luggage

 

[WelshGas]

Seems it’s £3 a month and just needs a USB charger.

https://eshop.v.vodafone.com/uk/v-bag-tracker-trackisafe-luggage

You could plug into the Boot 12v socket or the one by the sliding door?

 

[Ting Tong]

Yes but need to locate the tracker somewhere that it can get a GPS signal yet isn't easily seen by a thief, so a wire running from a 12v socket might be a give away. Plus those 12v to 5v car USB adapter things aren't that efficient or stable, so I'll get a step down Buck module of eBay as those have efficient voltage reg ICs and I'll make something up that you can hardwire onto one of the leisure batteries.

 

[WelshGas]

Yes but need to locate the tracker somewhere that it can get a GPS signal yet isn't easily seen by a thief, so a wire running from a 12v socket might be a give away. Plus those 12v to 5v car USB adapter things aren't that efficient or stable, so I'll get a step down Buck module of eBay as those have efficient voltage reg ICs and I'll make something up that you can hardwire onto one of the leisure batteries.

It must have a reasonably strong signal if the details on the Argos website are correct. Can detect if it is being transported over a certain speed in a car, so I presume from a car boot?

 

[MattBW]

I have a tk104 on a pay as you go sim, so far £10 credit has lasted me 3 months updating every few seconds. Tracks via a free website and app.

It does need a techie mind to setup but about £45 plus data its very cheap. Can also be permanently wired into the cali.

For a zero hassle setup this does look very easy. The Auto one plugs into the OBD port I think which is a bit useless really. So the luggage one seems a good idea.

 

[Ting Tong]

Hi @MattBW , I read your interesting report on your kind of cheap Chinese one and patching it to some map tracking website and thought that was the way I’d go until I saw this, which seems low hassle from the video and fairly seamless in operation. Paul’s comment about tracking a suitcase in a car is also valid. I’ve ordered one and will report back. Argos returns are good if it’s cr*p.

 

[Ting Tong]

The luggage tracker arrived and it was relatively easy to set up but it has to be done on a smartphone or android / apple tablet using an app: there is no web PC facility to set it up or track it. You have to agree to a £3 a month contract which can be cancelled at any time.

It’s about the size of a credit card and comes with a USB charging lead that only attaches magnetically, so I’ll use a cable tie to hold it once I mount it in the Cali. I was pleased to see that it does continue to function whilst on charge, so can be left connected in the Cali. Annoyingly you can’t disable the red charging led to lessen current consumption.

The product and the app are branded TRACKISAFE.




Mrs L has just gone out and I hid it in the glovebox of her car. Although the geofence alert didn’t work (probably due to my error), it tracked her perfectly so seems like a good and relatively cheap way of tracking your Cali (or what your other half is up to: fortunately Mrs L has gone where she said !)

It works just about everywhere you'd go in your Cali except Bosnia, Montenegro, Ukraine and Belarus.

Seemingly, there's a cheaper tracker with a lower monthly fee:

https://eshop.v.vodafone.com/uk/v-multi-tracker-trackisafe-mini

 

[WelshGas]

The luggage tracker arrived and it was relatively easy to set up but it has to be done on a smartphone or android / apple tablet using an app: there is no web PC facility to set it up or track it. You have to agree to a £3 a month contract which can be cancelled at any time.

It’s about the size of a credit card and comes with a USB charging lead that only attaches magnetically, so I’ll use a cable tie to hold it once I mount it in the Cali. I was pleased to see that it does continue to function whilst on charge, so can be left connected in the Cali. Annoyingly you can’t disable the red charging led to lessen current consumption.

The product and the app are branded TRACKISAFE.

View attachment 42312
View attachment 42313

Mrs L has just gone out and I hid it in the glovebox of her car. Although the geofence alert didn’t work (probably due to my error), it tracked her perfectly so seems like a good and relatively cheap way of tracking your Cali (or what your other half is up to: fortunately Mrs L has gone where she said !)

It works just about everywhere you'd go in your Cali except Bosnia, Montenegro, Ukraine and Belarus.

Seemingly, there's a cheaper tracker with a lower monthly fee:

https://eshop.v.vodafone.com/uk/v-multi-tracker-trackisafe-mini

View attachment 42314
View attachment 42315

I wonder if it could be secreted behind the wardrobe on an Ocean/SE?

 

[Ting Tong]

I wonder if it could be secreted behind the wardrobe on an Ocean/SE?

Ah, if you'd noticed, I'd carefully avoided telling Joe public where I might mount it . But yes, I'm sure it would work there with easy connection to the battery below. My next job, once the step down buck module from eBay arrives, is to measure the current and calculate how quickly it will flatten the leisure battery. At the moment, it's telling me that Mrs L is on her way back and that she's speeding! The battery charge has reduced to 94% in 4 hours with tracking updates set at minute intervals (adjustable form 1 to 120 mins) but you can also refresh in the app if you haven't had a recent update.

 

[alistairogrady]

I have a tk104 on a pay as you go sim, so far £10 credit has lasted me 3 months updating every few seconds. Tracks via a free website and app.

It does need a techie mind to setup but about £45 plus data its very cheap. Can also be permanently wired into the cali.

For a zero hassle setup this does look very easy. The Auto one plugs into the OBD port I think which is a bit useless really. So the luggage one seems a good idea.

Hi,

I bought one of these TK104 type unit absolutely ages ago, I will get round to fitting it, is it possible to let me know any details of the tracking app and sim you used please? Maybe it’ll be the push for me to fit the damn thing...!

Alistair

 

[Ting Tong]

At the moment this is not an option because it takes 2.3 amps when on charge, which would flatten the leisure battery in 40 hours and you have to leave it connected really.

I may cut it open and try to take out the battery and connect the supply direct.

Oh well!

 

[5i1ver8ack]

At the moment this is not an option because it takes 2.3 amps when on charge, which would flatten the leisure battery in 40 hours and you have to leave it connected really.

I may cut it open and try to take out the battery and connect the supply direct.

Oh well!

View attachment 42543

Are you sure you've got your scale right? Mine draws a tiny fraction of that.

 

[WelshGas]

Are you sure you've got your scale right? Mine draws a tiny fraction of that.

I think you are Correct. That meter seems to be set to the 200 milliamps scale?