So why should I have a tracker?
Basically, if your car, or your motorhome, or any other vehicle or object goes missing*, a tracker can help you located it, and hopefully recover it.
For a car, motorbike, van, cycle, caravan or machine. It is could be stolen, a tracker might be helpful in getting it back.
*or if you forget where you parked it! They're also a great way to review past trips.
How a tracker works
A tracker consists of a GPS receiver and a mobile phone-like device. It works out where it is using GPS and lets you know using the mobile network. There are two different approaches: SMS or server. Either way needs a SIM card so the tracker can connect to a mobile network.
By default, most trackers are set up to respond to you phoning or texting. The tracker sends back a message with a link to Google Maps so you can see where it is.
We prefer a slightly different approach: the tracker regularly sends its position using mobile data to a server that stores the information.
You can log in to a password-protected web page (or use a free IOS or Android app) to see where it is, where it has been. Optionally you can set "geofences" that are areas drawn on the map. If the tracker leaves a geofence or exceeds a set speed, you can set the server to alert you by email.
Even when reporting to a server the tracker will respond with its location if you send it the corrct text message..
Some trackers come pre-configured to use a tracking server and/or smartphone app, but unfortunately, the servers these use seem to either be slow, insecure and unreliable, or they cost a lot to use. Some trackers are supplied locked to a specific server, which usually has quite high subscription costs.
After looking around for a good one to use, we decided to provide a better, cheaper and more effective tracker server than is available elsewhere. Like all our services, it is priced fairly, not at the highest price we can get away with.
We keep tracker history for three to five years. Some other tracker servers only keep data for a few weeks or months: no good if you want to see where you went the year before last!
We charge £12 per year for the first device, £6 per year for each additional tracker on the same account login. You may want one for the car, one for the motorhome. Or two for each: thieves may search for a tracker, but they are unlikely to search for a second, well-hidden, one.
There is a demo account login you can try: please get in touch for details.
Choosing a Tracker
The ones we usually recommend (and supply) are Sinotrack ST-901 trackers. Current models connect using 4G data. Older versions only use 2G which does still have some coverage in the UK, but it is a bit patchy in some areas. Get a 4G one!
Find a permanent 12v power supply and somewhere to hide that gets a good "view" of the sky (for GPS) and the horizon (for mobile signal). They can "see" through glass and plastic, but not through metal.
Another option is a battery-powered tracker. These are suitable for hiding in luggage, attaching to pets or bicyles or other itemss you want to track. They work fine, but you need to recharge them from time to time.
Choosing a SIM Card
What is available and is the best choice may vary more frequently than we update this website. At present, we use sim cards that run on the EE network, provided by a third-party telecomms business. That could change if a better offer comes along.
All in One Deal
We can (currently) provide a pre-configured tracker, ready to install, already provisioned for five years of operation for one single payment. All you need to do is hide it in your vehicle and provide its power supply.
Thatcham
Thatcham approval is a way to confirm that the security device and installation meets specific requirements (generally that it works without user intervention). Our trackers are not Thatcham-approved, because we have not paid to get the approval.
What about jamming?
Devices that put out electrical interference which disrupts GPS signal over a small area are available (although illegal).
Jammers do stop GPS trackers getting accurate position information, but they don't stop the tracker working: the tracker falls back to GSM positioning, which generally locates to within a few hundred metres rather than a few hundred centimetres. Still perfectly useable.
A bigger concern is that a thief may search for and destroy (or abandon) a tracker when stealing a vehicle. For this reason, we strongly advise against displaying a sticker saying a tracker is installed. You may even want to install a decoy tracker for any thief to find, as well as the well-hidden one you use.