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A cheap alternative to trackers

-Woody-

-Woody-

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217
Just thought this is a cheaper alternative to purchasing and paying for a Tracker system. Posted this up on ITR-DC5 already, just thought i would spread the love.

Buy a cheap mobile phone, either off ebay or brand new ones can be picked up for £20+.
Buy a in car/lighter plug in charger(£5+). Remove the end and wire it up within the dash or a hidden area.
Plug in the phone and put on constant charge.
Put phone on silent and non-vibrate setting.
Obviously save the number and call in occasionaly to check it still works.

Now you have your own tracker. Cheap and no subscription charges. No software is required, your hidden phone will be used to locate your car. Your phone can be tracked to an area of within 200m. In rural areas the accuracy worsens because there are fewer base stations to use as a guide to a handset's location. The police can obtain these facilities from your operator and if you mention you 'left' your mobile in the car im sure they'd jump to the opportunity to try catch some thieving scum.


''Mobile Phone Tracking Services
Methods of pinpointing the location of a specific mobile phone have become increasingly common since first appearing several years ago. A service launched in 2003 made it possible to locate a mobile phone on a map using the internet, as long as that phone that given you authorisation to do so. Although intended to aid people in keeping track of one another – if they’re lost or you’re worried about them – in theory it could also be used to track your stolen handset.''
 
Tidy idea mate! I'm sure it would be a viable option too. A damn sight cheaper than a tracker too! :D
 
Hmmm i dunno, could do. It could be wired up to ignition leads though. I have noticed this same concept is actually currently in the market. You can buy packs that you insert your simcard into and it acts as a phone. $100+ though.
 
The logic behind the idea is obvious but try selling that to an insurance broker. :lol:
 
Its not quite as easy as a tracker but it will do the work for the Police.

If you have a tracker, the tracking company will give a slightly more accurate position and running commentary of what your car is doing. But there are cloaking devices for trackers which render them useless.

If your trackered car is moved without the engine running the alarm is raised to the tracking company automatically - you may not have realised its gone with the phone solution,by which time the perp may have switched it off.

The phone solution is also less likely to be spotted/disabled. Both will drain the battery slowly although the tracker company will call you when the battery is getting low.

I guess the best solution is to have both using GPS and GSM technology.

Seano
 
seano said:
I guess the best solution is to have both using GPS and GSM technology.

Seano
Click to expand...

Systems relying on GSM/3G technology have 1 significant problem. If there is no cell coverage then the unit cannot be contacted.

There are boxes available which can block these types of tracking device and unfortunately the boxes are pretty cheap and easily obtainable.
Currently all but one, tracking product in the UK, rely on GSM/3G technology. The exception is TRACKER. Their systems use a radio based system and as far as I know there are no jammers available which can electronically block the signal.
 
i think its a brilliant idea. for the price of a cheap mobile and a bit of do it yourself and having a chance of finding your car if it gets pinched. worth every penny.
 
I work in telecommunications forensics and can confirm that this, whilst a very good idea - and definitely able to indicate the approximate whearabouts of the phone, isn't the most accurate. It's a great investigative tool, but cannot be relied upon; or at least that's the official line in our unit, on this technique. It depends on the areas topology, geography, the service providers coverage/capacity/capability in the area etc. etc. - basically a fair few variables.

Also in the event of the phone being found by the criminals - as with a tracker, it has to be said, the game is up.

The bottom line though, is that it can in theory narrow down a location, if the phone is able to register against a cell-mast (underground carparks/concrete garage fail).
 
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It was in the news the other day that a stolen car was known to be in a gypo scum compound but the poilce were too scared to venture inside. If my car gets stolen I don't want it back unless it was some kind of rare machine.
 
guys, i work for tracker, and in all fairness, what we do here is very good stuff, totally worth the money. Why on earth would you do a Blue Peter style hook up with a mobile phone, never heard so much poop!!!!
 
typersalesman said:
guys, i work for tracker, and in all fairness, what we do here is very good stuff, totally worth the money. Why on earth would you do a Blue Peter style hook up with a mobile phone, never heard so much poop!!!!
Click to expand...

The title pretty much explains it. "cheap alternative to trackers"
 
Worth the money for a expensive car and if you have the money to spare maybe.

It was a VERY cheap IDEA, many phones you can simply text and they will automatically give thier destination. I have now realised they do the sim card type trackers at the fraction of the price of trackers. Id never pay that sort of money for the rip off poop you sell :D
 
i think thats a given, people think the unit is expensive as well, but for people that really love their car, and going to hold on to it, then getting a duration sub is totally worth it. Plus, when you sell the car on, your next Tracker is just 99 quid!!!!
 
sounds good, i will stick to sleeping in my car at nights though :smt023 :lol:

nice sales pitch BTW ;).
 
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