GPS vehicle tracking devices

[NCali]

have any of you ever looked into vehicle tracking devices as a tool to locate a stolen vehicle /keep a vehicle from being stolen?
  There are so many out there and most want a monthly subscription fee. They seem to range in price from $40 dollars on up , but the cheap ones seem to do as much as the more expensive ones
If anyone has experience with these, I would loveto learn more about them

[Don5]

I have not looked into a vehicle tracking device. My thought is to do the following. I am on my second smart phone. I am seriously thinking about hard wiring the first phone into the wiring harness with it turned on. I am going to wire it into a car charger and hook it into a hot wire. I will turn the phone on and enable the tracking app. Then I will go to Verizon and have them activate the phone. I can then track the phone location with my other cell phone. I hope this helps you out.

 My thoughts are this "I will try to make it hard for them to steal. But if they come with a tow truck I will be able to trace it down. In other words, you can steal my truck but keeping it is going to be awful dang hard. If you are lucky I will have the police with me. If I am mad you WILL pay and pay dearly. " I have had my truck for over 32 years. I have had it longer than my wife and son. I have NO intention of letting some low life POS steal my truck.

For any amateur or pro car thieves reading this post. Your quick money making days are numbered. Technology is catching up and making your job harder. Crime does not pay. You will pay a price and for some it might be the ultimate one. It is not worth it. Move on to another type of vehicle. Leave mine alone.

[fitz]

  There was a trick thieves were using 20+ years ago to check for a GPS tracking device (LoJack).
  Thieves would steal a car and drive it across town and drop it off in a big parking lot like a train station or apartment complex.
  If the vehicle was still there 12+/- hours later, chances are it doesn't have GPS.
  Anything you can do to stop a thief will help, but in the end, an insurance policy with a stated value may be something to consider.

[IdahoMan]

Glad this subject came up. Want to do the same.

People that like to fly RC aircraft ("drones") deal with the issue of locating downed craft. One fellow at www.rcgroups.com  sells a small little device that broadcasts its GPS location over a radio frequency, you use a receiver ("walkie-talkie") to receive the data.

There are a bunch of services and devices out there for automotive tracking of course. But you are dependent on a third party (cell-tower/repeater) and subscribing to their service (contracts/dedication/license).

I like the RC tracking method, but some radio knowledge is required. As far as power consumption, you could could just rig it to broadcast whenever the the vehicle moves without your permission (think: kill-switch).

 

[NCali]

 an insurance policy with a stated value may be something to consider.
      In my neighborhood this type of vehicle is tops among thieves. It has been 10 years since mine was stolen....and sold to someone that bought it on a "bill of sale" from the thieves. That guy believed the vehicle was rightfully his and made several attempts to steal it himself. I have finally decided to take it out of the garage and work on it. The last time it was stolen I just happen to be driving down a busy street and saw the car at a stop light . I followed the guy and got the car back. I got lucky that time.
  Like Don5 I have had this vehicle for 30 years and with the technology out today it would be crazy not to put a tracker in. However  every one Ive seen so far comes with a monthly payment plan
  The RC device may be something to look into. What type of radio knowledge would be required ?  I think the ideal device would be hard wired to the vehicle with a battery back up of so many hours. I would leave it on to broadcast a signal all the  time just in case.
   The deal about leaving it in a parking lot for so many hours would be fine because I would be out recovering the vehicle right away if it were stolenn

[NCali]

that discussion at rc groups was way over my head

[Stewart G Griffin]

Would it be possible to simply get a second phone, with the tracking app, and turn it on when parked?

[Irish_Alley]

i know a guy who had a problem trusting his girlfriend. he got a burner phone and hard wired a charger to the battery and put a funnel under the hood put the phone in the funnel and then stuffed a rag over the phone. so the phone always stayed charged, but you have to have the phone activated to track it then you get a monthly bill. but i guess you could ave the app downloaded via wifi and wait till someone steals it then activate the phone. but i wouldnt suggest doing this to someones vehicle cause it might break a law