Tracker

oo7

Hi,

I know there are several posts on trackers and i've read many of the posts, however the majority of the trackers seem to be powered by the cigarette lighter socket.

Can anyone recommend a good tracker that is not powered from the cigarette lighter socket.

I would prefer a high quality device instead of the $10 trackers you can get on eBay.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Special Circumstances

Ammm, snip off the cigarette lighter plug and connect where ever you want?

oo7

Thanks SC.

I'd prefer a cleaner job. I'm sure it could be hard wired else where?

TherapyBoy

Or contact a professional installer near where you are to get one supplied & fitted.

shietpilot

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Ammm, snip off the cigarette lighter plug and connect where ever you want?

Yep. You don't even need to snip it off. Just slice into the wiring and you'll have both a cigarette lighter socket and your tracker.

You can also get a fuse tap and run a 12V line from there:
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Add-A-Circuit-Fuse-TAP-Adapter-Standard-ATC-Blade-Fuse-Holder-Auto-Car-32V-/331435056960?hash=item4d2b119f40:g:rT0AAOSw8cNUN68j

Special Circumstances

oo7 wrote: »

Thanks SC.

I'd prefer a cleaner job. I'm sure it could be hard wired else where?

I'm struggling to picture what this cleaner job of the cable will look like, only a cigarette lighter power cable with the plug snipped off!

oo7

I thought you could hard wire into the car elsewhere, as i need to wire a camera too.

shietpilot

oo7 wrote: »

I thought you could hard wire into the car elsewhere, as i need to wire a camera too.

shietpilot wrote: »

You can also get a fuse tap and run a 12V line from there:
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Add-A-Circuit-Fuse-TAP-Adapter-Standard-ATC-Blade-Fuse-Holder-Auto-Car-32V-/331435056960?hash=item4d2b119f40:g:rT0AAOSw8cNUN68j

:rolleyes:

Special Circumstances

oo7 wrote: »

I thought you could hard wire into the car elsewhere, as i need to wire a camera too.

If you send me your existing cable I can transform it into a cable suitable for hardwiring. For a certain fee, the equipment ain't cheap.

oo7

shietpilot wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Thanks... charging my phone from the cigarette lighter is about the most sophisticated thing i have done in my car, so the thought of 'snipping' or buying something that has the word 'fuse' on it scares me :-)

Back to my actual question :-)

Can anyone recommend a reputable tracker?

shietpilot

oo7 wrote: »

Thanks... charging my phone from the cigarette lighter is about the most sophisticated thing i have done in my car, so the thought of 'snipping' or buying something that has the word 'fuse' on it scares me :-)

What else do you expect to do then? You're hardly going to put a wind turbine on your roof...

A fuse tap is probably the cleanest solution.

Another solution is to run a 12V line directly from the battery with a fuse. A fuse is not a scary word at all, in fact it's the opposite.

If your tracker messes up or the wiring gets pierced and causes a short circuit, the fuse will burn preventing a fire.

oo7

shietpilot wrote: »

What else do you expect to do then? You're hardly going to put a wind turbine on your roof...

A fuse tap is probably the cleanest solution.

Another solution is to run a 12V line directly from the battery with a fuse. A fuse is not a scary word at all, in fact it's the opposite.

If your tracker messes up or the wiring gets pierced and causes a short circuit, the fuse will burn preventing a fire.

As i previously stated, i don't have any experience or knowledge of wiring etc... so i did not know what the options were.

Back to my main question (again).

Could anyone recommend a reputable tracker?

KT10

If you'd rather not wire anything in, there's the Oxford Tracker: Tracker Review

Just hide it somewhere in your car and if you buy a new car, just move the tracker to the new car, not un-splicing wires etc.

oo7

KT10 wrote: »

If you'd rather not wire anything in, there's the Oxford Tracker: Tracker Review

Just hide it somewhere in your car and if you buy a new car, just move the tracker to the new car, not un-splicing wires etc.

Thank you KT10... much appreciated.

I would prefer to install a wired option, now that i know the options.

ironclaw

oo7 wrote: »

Could anyone recommend a reputable tracker?

I would strongly suggest a professional install or device. Chinese devices are ok but they have their limitations. Generally they are mass produced and have very limited support. On the plus side, they are very cheap so I had one client who wanted two installed (The idea being if you found one, you were unlikely to look for a second)

If you are going down the Chinese route, I would recommend an SMS only tracker. There is no point having it linked up to a Cloud or Online solution as you have no idea when they will deactivate it or cease to support it. I've seen people buy trackers to find out the website they log into check no longer works. At least with SMS, you can always text the device and get a reply. SMS will also work where GPRS / 3G is non-existent or limited by signal power e.g. Underground, Container

Lastly, ensure it has an internal battery and even better if you can, rig it up to a separate power source to keep them live in the event they are disconnected.

All told, invest in a tracker if you are going to buy one at all. Unlike a car alarm, its far more likely to get your car back but be open to the idea of investing similar money. A decent tracker, professionally installed and supported may set you back in the region of €300 - €500. A collection of Chinese parts can do the same for less (Maybe €300 installed) but I'd strongly suggest covering the caveats above.

oo7

ironclaw wrote: »

I would strongly suggest a professional install or device. Chinese devices are ok but they have their limitations. Generally they are mass produced and have very limited support. On the plus side, they are very cheap so I had one client who wanted two installed (The idea being if you found one, you were unlikely to look for a second)

If you are going down the Chinese route, I would recommend an SMS only tracker. There is no point having it linked up to a Cloud or Online solution as you have no idea when they will deactivate it or cease to support it. I've seen people buy trackers to find out the website they log into check no longer works. At least with SMS, you can always text the device and get a reply. SMS will also work where GPRS / 3G is non-existent or limited by signal power e.g. Underground, Container

Lastly, ensure it has an internal battery and even better if you can, rig it up to a separate power source to keep them live in the event they are disconnected.

All told, invest in a tracker if you are going to buy one at all. Unlike a car alarm, its far more likely to get your car back but be open to the idea of investing similar money. A decent tracker, professionally installed and supported may set you back in the region of €300 - €500. A collection of Chinese parts can do the same for less (Maybe €300 installed) but I'd strongly suggest covering the caveats above.

Thank you and i completely agree on the more reputable option.

My insurance company will only give me a quote on my car if i have a tracker fitted so i need to ensure that the tracker is robust.

Del2005

oo7 wrote: »

Thank you and i completely agree on the more reputable option.

My insurance company will only give me a quote on my car if i have a tracker fitted so i need to ensure that the tracker is robust.

Better ask your insurance what type of tracker they'll cover? What they consider a tracker and what you and I consider a tracker could be very different and there's no point in paying several hundred Euro to find out it's the wrong type.

Does a tracker come under the same legislation as home security that has to be installed by a registered security person?

TherapyBoy

Any professional installer will be able to give you a certificate for the insurance company. Contact whoever is local to you.

privateBeavis

ironclaw wrote: »

I would strongly suggest a professional install or device. Chinese devices are ok but they have their limitations. Generally they are mass produced and have very limited support. On the plus side, they are very cheap so I had one client who wanted two installed (The idea being if you found one, you were unlikely to look for a second)

If you are going down the Chinese route, I would recommend an SMS only tracker. There is no point having it linked up to a Cloud or Online solution as you have no idea when they will deactivate it or cease to support it. I've seen people buy trackers to find out the website they log into check no longer works. At least with SMS, you can always text the device and get a reply. SMS will also work where GPRS / 3G is non-existent or limited by signal power e.g. Underground, Container

Lastly, ensure it has an internal battery and even better if you can, rig it up to a separate power source to keep them live in the event they are disconnected.

All told, invest in a tracker if you are going to buy one at all. Unlike a car alarm, its far more likely to get your car back but be open to the idea of investing similar money. A decent tracker, professionally installed and supported may set you back in the region of €300 - €500. A collection of Chinese parts can do the same for less (Maybe €300 installed) but I'd strongly suggest covering the caveats above.

I got one of the cheaper ones (TK102-2) from ebay which work fine but for peace of mind getting good quality one no harm!
I got it installed by professional when I had car in getting alarm fitted otherwise probably would have done myself. Need to check lighter socket still has power after engine off if you're connecting to that (my octavia doesn't).
I agree with the SMS option, its simple option and depending on tracker can send you a GPS link rather than just co-ordinates.

Although my top tip is make sure you add more than just your own mobile as numbers that can request the GPS position. If someone breaks in to rob your keys they'll probably take your mobile if they see it! (speaking from experience here, luckily I had other than just my mobile added so I was able to get my car back!!)

oo7

Cool, thanks... can you recommend a good quality one?