Sherlock - Anti-theft gps tracker with gsm for bikes

[brightonebikes]

These have been around for while in a number of different guises, but not always that effective in real world usage.
This one is due to launch sometime in 2017 and looks neat.

https://www.sherlock.bike/en/home/

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[Gubbins]

One thing is clear. We ride electric bikes.. so how hard would it be to build one in that is powered by the battery? You don't have to disguise it.. just build it in... I for one would have paid a few quid more for this

 

[brightonebikes]

One thing is clear. We ride electric bikes.. so how hard would it be to build one in that is powered by the battery? You don't have to disguise it.. just build it in... I for one would have paid a few quid more for this

Abso-bloomin-exactly!

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[Gringo]

Ah yes but "set yourself free from the fear of theft"
Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say "helps you find your stolen bike"
Yes I don't want my bike stolen and if it was, it's nice to know I could be found easily.
But surely theft prevention is better, if you fit a house alarm do you hide the external alarm box, NO you stick it where everyone can see !
Don't jus poke it up the handlebars, make this thing secure and let the world know, if you take it I'll come a looking for you and I won't be bringing flowers and chocolates

 

[EmSeeDee]

Sorry, but it don't work like that on movable items. Unlike on a house, the villain will take the bike and remove the tracker if it's obvious, consigning it to the nearest bin, river, drain, or wherever. Make the lock obvious and tough looking, but hide the recovery aid.

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[Gubbins]

You can't stop a determined theif. Is just utilising the small window of time after the theft to maybe get it back. Even the cheap ebikes are expensive so why not a tracer built into the bike.
It must be too expensive or cars would have them as std.
Just think of the difference that would make. A bit like when they started building the radios in... nobody niks them any more.

 

[EmSeeDee]

Problem is, most bikes are made of metal; trackers are generally radio-based and won't work inside metal tubes. Hiding tracker inside a plastic battery case might work, but in any case if it's GSM based, there's going to be a significant connectivity cost.

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[Gubbins]

Problem is, most bikes are made of metal; trackers are generally radio-based and won't work inside metal tubes. Hiding tracker inside a plastic battery case might work, but in any case if it's GSM based, there's going to be a significant connectivity cost.

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To put that into context.. how long would a bosch 500w battery run my phone?

 

[brightonebikes]

PAYG mobile costs with data aren't too much, topping up now and again, plus depending on the deal can roll over into future months.
I had a half decent alarm on one of my old ebikes, with a remote 'blipper' to arm it. Ran on 36V which was handy. Pretty basic but did the job. That said, I seldom went out of earshot when I did leave it parked up (locked too obvs.).
Then there's the whole thing of the general public simply ignoring the noise as some toerag works away at nicking it!

 

[brightonebikes]

Ah yes but "set yourself free from the fear of theft"
Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say "helps you find your stolen bike"
Yes I don't want my bike stolen and if it was, it's nice to know I could be found easily.
But surely theft prevention is better, if you fit a house alarm do you hide the external alarm box, NO you stick it where everyone can see !
Don't jus poke it up the handlebars, make this thing secure and let the world know, if you take it I'll come a looking for you and I won't be bringing flowers and chocolates

Yes, but would they just smash the thing first? Or learn it's weak spot and disable it?
So then perhaps booby trap them with that really stinky liquid spray that is nigh on impossible to get rid of?
Then they'd put a bag or something over it before they smash it.
I think concealed is the way, and with super secure fitting. Like a pitlock skewers but super hardened metal so difficult to even drill.
As said above, the difficulty is that the thing has to be able to transmit so at least that part has to be exposed, thus potentially vulnerable.
I like seeing new examples hit the market and await the day 'the one' arrives.

 

[EmSeeDee]

The professional theives who know what they want will get it regardless of how much security there is. Even high end cars get nicked, quickly put into shipping containers to stop the trackers working, and then stripped. With the "average" bike, where the scrote just wants something to sell quickly to raise a few quid for drugs, your best chance is to park it where there are lots of others, and make sure that your security makes it easier for them to nick someone else's.

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[EmSeeDee]

To put that into context.. how long would a bosch 500w battery run my phone?

Back of the fag packet calculation: the current crop of high end mobiles have about 3000mAh batterries and run at 4.2 volts. This gives 12.6 watt-hours, on which they'll run for perhaps 2 days, or about 6.3Wh per day. Assuming no losses in the 36 to 5 volt conversion, this would give you about 80 days use from a 500 Wh battery.

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[brightonebikes]

Yes ESD, you're absolutely right.
Think I'm on a technology overload right now.
A quality D-lock or suchlike, park in busy place, ideally with obvious cctv as additional deterrent and hope there's a better bike nearby with a lesser lock.


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[brightonebikes]

Back of the fag packet calculation: the current crop of high end mobiles have about 3000mAh batterries and run at 4.2 volts. This gives 12.6 watt-hours, on which they'll run for perhaps 2 days, or about 6.3Wh per day. Assuming no losses in the 36 to 5 volt conversion, this would give you about 80 days use from a 500 Wh battery.

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Sounds about right, although my mobile struggles to half a day usage with full gps on

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[EmSeeDee]

Sounds about right, although my mobile struggles to half a day usage with full gps on

Sent using this crappy tapatalk app. that has such poor functionality I can't even click 'like'!

Most of a phones power goes into supporting gps and the screen. If you were clever about it, you could get the consumption in a tracker device (even with GPS and GSM) down to incredibly low levels. I was recently looking at a motorbike tracker that when parked took just a few milliamps from the bike's battery. But you would need line of sight access to the sky for the GPS to work.

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[Rohloffboy]

Great, a device that tells you when your bike has been stolen, of course the chance of ever seeing the bike again, will be just as remote as if the bike did not have the device.

Save your money, and just keep an eye on your bike at all time's, when out and about with it.

 

[D8ve]

Great, a device that tells you when your bike has been stolen, of course the chance of ever seeing the bike again, will be just as remote as if the bike did not have the device.

Save your money, and just keep an eye on your bike at all time's, when out and about with it.

But it says just where your bike is.
So you can find it. Unless they know how it's protected..

 

[Danidl]

Yes, but would they just smash the thing first? Or learn it's weak spot and disable it?
So then perhaps booby trap them with that really stinky liquid spray that is nigh on impossible to get rid of?
Then they'd put a bag or something over it before they smash it.
I think concealed is the way, and with super secure fitting. Like a pitlock skewers but super hardened metal so difficult to even drill.
As said above, the difficulty is that the thing has to be able to transmit so at least that part has to be exposed, thus potentially vulnerable.
I like seeing new examples hit the market and await the day 'the one' arrives.

I think that this is one of the added value items that the premium brands could include to justify their higher prices. Along with a register of the owners it would destroy a market for second hand stolen quality bikes. A GSM , GPS module is now very low in cost basically inside many of the phone chips. . It could be mounted in the battery compartment and enabled whenever the bike is locked. As the battery housing is plastic , the radio signals can propagate .
There would be no need for payg cards . The major companies can commandeer sets of data only links . Recall the original Kindle deluxe model has a lifetime GSM module and
account so that emails and books can be downloaded on what they call wispernet This was free of cost to the end user. The data rates are tiny in these applications
Bosch please copy and I will waive my design fee. ....

 

[EmSeeDee]

It could be a good differentiator for OEMs, particularly at the high end. They would also be able to negotiate a decent deal with GSM suppliers and provide a comprehensive service, a bit like high end car manufacturers do. In the after-market business the products aimed at cars and motorcycles all seem to include an up-front purchase and an on-going access cost which includes connectivity and some sort of web-based tool. I'd be surprised if the bike market was much different.

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[Danidl]

Great, a device that tells you when your bike has been stolen, of course the chance of ever seeing the bike again, will be just as remote as if the bike did not have the device.

Save your money, and just keep an eye on your bike at all time's, when out and about with it.

....
Kind of defeats the purpose of having transport especially for commuting if it has to be watched all the time....