Tracker

I live in a small village in the W.Yorkshire Pennines and have to keep my motorhome in the next village because there is nowhere to park it in my village. I don't have any trackers, just a good, strong steering wheel lock. It will now be parked there full time until the year 2224 at least, because while I'm still paying for solar panels for my house, and with fuel prices so high, I can't afford to use it until then, so I think the steering wheel lock is the best, and cheapest option.
 
A steering wheel lock does an entirely different job to a tracker.
They are not alternatives: they complement one another.
In fact, in the situation you describe, I think a tracker is the better choice, otherwise you'd not know if it had been moved.
To be honest, I don't think I'd bother if I were you. By the time you've paid for the solar panels, you'll be too old to drive. Few people live much past 100 years.
 
I had an attempted theft of my van, and it was saved by the alarm going off and the offenders running away, it has got a tracker on as well as an alarm, I have now added a full steering lock cover, also a bulldog insurance approved wheel brace as well as 2 more hidden features, which I won't go into detail about, so remember the more you add the less chance it goes walkies, unless they come with a crane loading vehicle :eek::unsure:
 
Geek said:
A steering wheel lock does an entirely different job to a tracker.
They are not alternatives: they complement one another.
In fact, in the situation you describe, I think a tracker is the better choice, otherwise you'd not know if it had been moved.
To be honest, I don't think I'd bother if I were you. By the time you've paid for the solar panels, you'll be too old to drive. Few people live much past 100 years.
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The cheek of some people. Too old to drive? I'm only 71, so have many years left for driving, 10-15 at the very least. Also, by steering lock, I meant one of those that lock onto the steering wheel and a steel arm reaches over the dash, so you'd need a powerful saw to get it off. I also have a hidden master switch for the ignition, so with that and the immobiliser, the engine cannot be started, and 3.5 tons is very heavy to push. Also, if anybody did try anything, there are the locals, several of whom walk past the van most days, and they would ring me to let me know. No, I don't think I have to worry about it being stolen.
 
Geek said:
If you are 71 now, by 2224 you will be 273 years old. I doubt you will be driving then.
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Damn it, I missed that. Of course I should have written 2024. Mind you, the way medical science is moving, you never know, although I might need a stair lift to get in the cab.
 
Another vote for Outsmart the Thief, as well as the features already mentioned I like the idea of having the panic button. Not that I’m especially worried about intruders (I have a rolled up wet towel on the dashboard ready for them🤣).

Just been looking at how the Apple Air Tag works, very clever using other iPhones to network the tags location. It seems that to get the best out of one you need an iPhone with a U1 chip although any iPhone running iOS 14.5 or above will do, just won’t have the Ultra Wide Band functionality, but hey you wouldn’t be looking for something as small as a bunch of keys!

I think I’d be looking more closely at these if I was looking for an alternative to a sim based tracker, especially in Europe.
 
The Automatrics tracker has GSM, GPRS and RF.
 
It’s outsmart the thief for me, I have one fitted, £100 annual subscription, they can imobilise your vehicle safely if it has been taken without your permission, notifies you rapidly and informs the police and you of the vehicles positio.
 
chrsrwlns said:
Also, by steering lock, I meant one of those that lock onto the steering wheel and a steel arm reaches over the dash, so you'd need a powerful saw to get it off.
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Not really. They simply snip the steering wheel and slide the lock off.
 
witzend said:
I've had one of these for several yrs been really good until that happened
www.ebay.co.uk

Mini Car Vehicle GPS Tracker Locator Tracking System Device Motorbike Waterproof | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mini Car Vehicle GPS Tracker Locator Tracking System Device Motorbike Waterproof at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
Any one else have same problem
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The one you linked to looks like a Sinotrack ST-901 but unfortunately it isn't. There are lots of lookalike devices on eBay. The genuine ST-901 trackers are pretty good, but they cost £25 to £35 each. The £15 to £20 ones look similar, but sadly they're not the same.
 
Ebay sell tracker tracers which the t leaves use to find it and turf it over the hedge, string clams are expensive and easy removed, so I made this pedal lock for free, it to I'm sure could be removed in time, top hole can have a chain up around the wheel.p lock a.jpgp lock b.jpgp lock c.jpgp lock d.jpg
 
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Geek said:
The one you linked to looks like a Sinotrack ST-901 but unfortunately it isn't. . The £15 to £20 ones look similar, but sadly they're not the same.
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I'm not sure what I had as possibly 6 years ago when I bought it cost £8 then so had my moneys worth The link I posted was a look a like
 
trevskoda said:
Ebay sell tracker tracers which the t leaves use to find it and turf it over the hedge, string clams are expensive and easy removed, so I made this pedal lock for free, it to I'm sure could be removed in time, top hole can have a chain up around the wheel.View attachment 62148View attachment 62149View attachment 62150View attachment 62151
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The idea is that you hide the tracker so they won't find it. And perhaps hide the second one even better.
The thing about a tracker is that it doesn't stop the vehicle being stolen. It helps you know it has been stolen and helps you get it back.
Pedal locks and the like do work, but they're a lot of hassle every day.
They make you a victim of crime every time you drive the vehicle.
 
nabsim said:
The Automatrics tracker has GSM, GPRS and RF.
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I don't understand.
GSM is a mobile standard. All trackers use it. GPRS is a data over GSM standard. All trackers use it. RF is a frequency used by GSM. All trackers use it. So all trackers use GSM GPRS and RF.
Are you saying it doesn't use GPS?
Most modern trackers do, because it works brilliantly, though they use GSM positioning as a fallback in case of being hidden indoors or being jammed.
Tracker branded trackers didn't use GPS, only a non-GSM radio beacon system. But I think they also use GPS nowadays.
 
Have a read on the Automatrics website, they are not easy to block
 
Wow, their website is a mess! It does say a new website is coming soon, though.

I note that they make the usual dishonest claims. They make out that their trackers work in some sort of secret stealth mode (which is an option on just about any tracker I've ever seen) and imply that the "GSM Timing Advance" is a unique feature (every tracker I've seen uses that as a fallback if it's not able to get a GPS fix).

They mention having a RF radio beacon - that's not normal for most trackers (or compatible with stealth mode), and would be a benefit. That does depend on how many police forces have access to their directional receivers. The Tracker ones look like four mobile phone aerials on a police car, and you see them quite often. I wonder how the Automatrics system differs.

When I had a Tracker tracker, it included track and guard. If the vehicle moved without disabling the tracker, they phoned you (that bit worked well*). If the vehicle was stolen (it never was) they'd switch the beacon on and track it, then send a guard to babysit until it could be recovered.
*This happened a few times: when on breakdown trucks, on ferries and once when the Tracker immobiliser went faulty.
 
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