[tannerc]

Has anyone put a GPS tracker in their car? Would like to hear if anyone has any experiences with this.

 

[Lormax]

I worked for a company that did exactly this. Teletrac, they are in Garden Grove.

 

[ffcars]

I've done it. What do you want to know?

If you're trying to track a person, the best way is to install a spy tracker on their phone. Something like www.mspy.com

 

[8AVGMPG]

very common for Europe to do this for insurance purposes. we mounted them underneath the rear package tray/speaker shelf


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[karmaman]

I owned an exotic rental agency until dec. whatever you need to know I can help; I have used several different companies/units over the 5 years I was in business.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

 

[NJ Fisker Lawyer]

I was going to buy a LoJack but the person who I was talking to told me there were other less expensive options that were just as good. Does anyone know?

 

[Az Runner]

It all depends what you are looking for. If you want reassurance that you can retrieve your car if it is stolen, then there are a couple of options, either lojack or GPS. No reassurance on what condition it will be in when you get it back. You will get a slight break on your car insurance, but not much.

Basically, your insurance company will be happy because they are pretty assured that your car will not be a total loss they have to pay out, since it is likely to be recovered before it is completely stripped or otherwise seriously damaged. Any damage prior to retrieval from attempted stripping is likely to be under your deductible, so you will likely pay for it.

 

[Az Runner]

Oh yeah, LoJack vs. GPS.

LoJack is typically a little more expensive on the front end since you pay for the install (probably $600-$1000). It is only active once you contact the police and LoJack, and they activate the transponder. Range is limited, so they will have to have a receiver within a few miles of the vehicle. You could attempt to deter by putting a LoJack sticker on the vehicle, but an experienced thief knows that there are a relatively limited number of locations to mount the transponder so he can easily find it and rip it out. The strength is in them not knowing and getting caught.

GPS is a little cheaper on the install because you usually have to pay for monthly monitoring service ($5 to $15 per month). It can be continuously active and tracking, so some use them to track their trucks or buses (or teenagers). It can also be silent until activated to track via a signal (like an app I have on my phone, that allows me to track my phone if it gets stolen).

 

[Fabulist]

Oh yeah, LoJack vs. GPS.

LoJack is typically a little more expensive on the front end since you pay for the install (probably $600-$1000). It is only active once you contact the police and LoJack, and they activate the transponder. Range is limited, so they will have to have a receiver within a few miles of the vehicle. You could attempt to deter by putting a LoJack sticker on the vehicle, but an experienced thief knows that there are a relatively limited number of locations to mount the transponder so he can easily find it and rip it out. The strength is in them not knowing and getting caught.

GPS is a little cheaper on the install because you usually have to pay for monthly monitoring service ($5 to $15 per month). It can be continuously active and tracking, so some use them to track their trucks or buses (or teenagers). It can also be silent until activated to track via a signal (like an app I have on my phone, that allows me to track my phone if it gets stolen).

I had LoJack on a couple of my previous cars. Basic LoJack can only be activated by the police when you report your car stolen, but there was an optional feature called "Early Warning" or some such that would alert you whenever your car moved without a special, secret dongle that you carried on your keychain. As long as the thief did not use your keychain with the secret dongle on it, you would be notified by SMS/Email/Call/Smoke Signal/Carrier Pigeon, etc., the moment your car started moving from the last place you left it. I never got to use it, but it seemed that it was actually helpful to be notified as early as possible so that you can get the search started right away, rather than hours later when you walked back to where your car used to be from dinner, movie, your mistresses house, etc. There was no monthly charge for this service beyond the initial upcharge.

So if you are considering LoJack, be sure to get the early warning option.

 

[NJFISKERGUY]

I guess the question is do you really want the car back? I've said this all my life the only good lost with an insurance is a total loss.

Again that's just me.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

 

[Fabulist]

I guess the question is do you really want the car back? I've said this all my life the only good lost with an insurance is a total loss.

Again that's just me.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

Exactly why I have not installed a Lojack in any of my recently purchased cars, including the Karma. The Karma does not need one anyway because the thief will most likely be tracked from their postings to this site once they actually try to drive the car around.

 

[Az Runner]

Hmmm... Great point, maybe I should include a QR code in the console!

Exactly why I have not installed a Lojack in any of my recently purchased cars, including the Karma. The Karma does not need one anyway because the thief will most likely be tracked from their postings to this site once they actually try to drive the car around.

 

[tbjorge]

I need to install a GPS tracker using GSM sim card for insurance purposes.

The GSM / GPS tracker has a "large" battery, so it will operating for e.g. 30 days without power, but since the tracker should be "somewhat" hidden, I would like to avoid taking it out for charging. Hence, the unit I have can be connected to the cars power, and only use a minimal load.

Is there are convenient permanent 12v cable I can cut into (getting ground from the chassis) or any other recommendation for where to install. I see the previous post in this thread that they used to place the unit under the parcel tray.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Kr/Tor

 

[Fabulist]

I need to install a GPS tracker using GSM sim card for insurance purposes.

The GSM / GPS tracker has a "large" battery, so it will operating for e.g. 30 days without power, but since the tracker should be "somewhat" hidden, I would like to avoid taking it out for charging. Hence, the unit I have can be connected to the cars power, and only use a minimal load.

Is there are convenient permanent 12v cable I can cut into (getting ground from the chassis) or any other recommendation for where to install. I see the previous post in this thread that they used to place the unit under the parcel tray.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Kr/Tor

Doesn't the device need to be somewhere where it can receive GPS signals? That would limit where the device can be hidden, or does it have an antenna input? GPS signals are generally very weak and cannot penetrate too deeply into a metal Farady cage, like the Karma. The Karma's own GPS receiver is connected to an external antenna hidden in the passenger-side side mirror, BTW.

 

[tbjorge]

Thanks for feedback - was also my initial understanding. Since there is a battery in the unit, I experimented with different locations, and it is sensitive, so it cannot be hidden deep into the car / chassis, but I got stabile signals under the "parcel" tray in the back window. I just wish there was some 12v permanent power close which is not connected to a "bus" system, if Fisker is using this. I know the USB port in the middle console has permanent voltage, so I could put a cable from there and to the back, but it requires that I dismantle parts of the middle console. I hope there is an easy accesisble cable in the trunk.....

 

[Fabulist]

Thanks for feedback - was also my initial understanding. Since there is a battery in the unit, I experimented with different locations, and it is sensitive, so it cannot be hidden deep into the car / chassis, but I got stabile signals under the "parcel" tray in the back window. I just wish there was some 12v permanent power close which is not connected to a "bus" system, if Fisker is using this. I know the USB port in the middle console has permanent voltage, so I could put a cable from there and to the back, but it requires that I dismantle parts of the middle console. I hope there is an easy accesisble cable in the trunk.....

There is a 12V charging port between the back seats also. I don't know if this is an always-on port, but it's certainly a lot closer to the boot and may be easier to connect to.

 

[tbjorge]

It is, but in my car, this is off when ignition is off - hence a bit annoying, would had solved the challenge in an easy way.

 

[JCMorrill]

That actually is a small bit of design flaw -- making the 12v outlets turn off when the car shuts down. Means that if you have to use your pump/fix a flat to in an emergency, you have to keep the car on (or at least in Acc mode) to get power to the outlets/pump. Or, if you want to use a 12V car vacuum ... same thing. Lastly, would be nice to be able to lock my phone in the car and let it charge a while. But, no. Same problem.

 

[Stefan]

Lastly, would be nice to be able to lock my phone in the car and let it charge a while. But, no. Same problem.

This part is interesting.
I sometimes leave my phone in box in between the front seats, to get a charge...

So maybe only the ports in between the back seats are switched off?

It doesn't help the gps tracker, but maybe the vacuum 😜

 

[Stefan]

Btw: my phone is connected to the 12V plug in this situations