trackers / theft protection

[Laffin ebike]

Hi,
I'm wanting to know how trackers work and any anti theft protection measures for my ebikes,
I've had one nicked in the past.
I generally avoid leaving mine in an exposed place for any long length of time.
I want a strong light GOLD rated lock and a I'm thinking about a Tracker, but I don't have any idea of how they work .
Any pointers ?

 

[soundwave]

they work via gps and a subscription fee every month like a tracked mobile phone and use a app so you can track where the bike is.

 

[guerney]

Mine works with a rolling top-up via Paypal using a Giffgaff sim, it's diguised as this (probably easily recognised as a GPS tracker) rear bike light:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KUCE-Tailight-Waterproof-Tracking-GPSLocator-Magenta/dp/B08GP9QWKH/ref=

You text it for it's location, the app is optional and requires a more costly data connection. Using SMS only to communicate instead, costs me only about £20 a year.

I was thinking of hiding this somewhere inside my bike, permanently wired to the ebike battery - this tracker seems to capable of working the same way ie can communicate via texts only:

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

Manual:

GPS GF-07. User manual. English. (EN)

GF-07 GPS GSM Tracker SMS Global Locator. Instructions.

org-info.mobi

 

[Laffin ebike]

OK,
Thanks,
20 quid a year seems quite reasonable .

 

[matthewslack]

On a really fancy bike you would want two. One quite well hidden, that might be found and removed and trigger a false sense of security, and a really well hidden one that nails the blighter.

 

[guerney]

I don't have a fancy bike, but I'd want it back. There has never been a cheaper time to lojack a burglar's car - if the Police don't take action to recover my bike from the criminal, even after I have provided his address, I could track his car and while he's many many miles away... break in and get my bike back!

For my frame, there are a few places already where I can hide a tracker well. The new aluminium rectangular tubing I bought a couple of weeks ago, to replace the pallet wood my battery is bolted through on the rear rack, could easily accommodate a second GPS tracker with it's own high capacity battery.


Turn on your anti-theft car tracker or risk losing insurance payout, vehicle owners warned

It comes after a customer lost £65,000 because their insurer said they were not eligible for a claim having failed to activate the device

Turn on your anti-theft car tracker or risk losing insurance payout, vehicle owners warned

It comes after a customer lost £65,000 because their insurer said they were not eligible for a claim having failed to activate the device

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[guerney]

20 quid a year seems quite reasonable .

Two trackers = about £40 a year, is also quite reasonable.

 

[nigelbb]

How accurate are these trackers? Are they really going to pinpoint an address? I had a GPS tracker for my cat that only seemed to be accurate to within 100m.

 

[nigelbb]

Two trackers = about £40 a year, is also quite reasonable.

That's more expensive than buying an Apple AirTag which only costs the price of a new CR2032 button battery every year.

 

[guerney]

That's more expensive than buying an Apple AirTag which only costs the price of a new CR2032 button battery every year.

Even if the speaker has been removed, the thief will also be alerted when the Airtag goes into lost mode, if he/she/it has an iPhone etc. To detect a well hidden small GPS tracker, the thieving scum would need a scanner.

 

[guerney]

How accurate are these trackers? Are they really going to pinpoint an address? I had a GPS tracker for my cat that only seemed to be accurate to within 100m.

My tracker light is as accurate as the GPS on my phone - to within a few metres (weather, space weather and other interference permitting). I'd have to deduce the bike thief's exact address. Like phones, I believe it uses GPS plus AGPS to calculate location.

 

[StuartsProjects]

To detect a well hidden small GPS tracker, the thieving scum would need a scanner.

Unless the tracker is in alarm mode, as in actually transmitting an alert, there is not much for a scanner to detect, depends on the scanner I suppose.

 

[guerney]

Unless the tracker is in alarm mode, as in actually transmitting an alert, there is not much for a scanner to detect, depends on the scanner I suppose.

My tracker light connects periodically to the phone network, so one of these would detect it?

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

I doubt most thieving scum will bother buying anti-tracking devices.

 

[StuartsProjects]

My tracker light connects periodically to the phone network, so one of these would detect it?

I doubt most thieving scum will bother buying anti-tracking devices.

When the tracker is phoning home then I guess the scanner would pick it up. How often does the tracker phone home, when not in alarm mode ?

 

[guerney]

When the tracker is phoning home then I guess the scanner would pick it up. How often does the tracker phone home, when not in alarm mode ?

I suspect it's in constant communication with the Chinese government, but to know for sure, I'd have to set it next to an unshielded speaker, but I think it phones home as regularly as my mobile phone. When it can't get signal, it flashes a small orange indicator LED.

 

[Bikes4two]

Trackers should be seen as a last ditch effort to keep your bike (as in the locks and other securing paraphernalia have failed at this point).

Tracker accuracy will be affected by many factors starting with the design of the device and how many satellites it can see in it's location and providing it has cellular network service.

One very handy feature for the tracker to have, is for you to be able to remotely activate a built in sounder so that when for instance you get to the indicated GPS location of the bike, you can pinpoint where it is in say a car park, block of flats or garages.

 

[guerney]

One very handy feature for the tracker to have, is for you to be able to remotely activate a built in sounder so that when for instance you get to the indicated GPS location of the bike, you can pinpoint where it is in say a car park, block of flats or garages.

Once you've ascertained the approximate location of the thieving scum's lair, we could stake-out a small set of buildings and when it looks like everyone is out... sound the sounder for our stolen bike's exact location, break in and rescue our bikes - we couldn't be charged with stealing, only breaking and entering.

If the location sounder function was activated by app, and the sounder was about 140db loudness, the app could also be programmed to sound a very loud single beep every 5 seconds while riding, to encourage texting driver's eyes back onto the road.

 

[Laffin ebike]

Once you've ascertained the approximate location of the thieving scum's lair, we could stake-out a small set of buildings and when it looks like everyone is out... sound the sounder for our stolen bike's exact location, break in and rescue our bikes - we couldn't be charged with stealing, only breaking and entering.

If the location sounder function was activated by app, and the sounder was about 140db loudness, the app could also be programmed to sound a very loud single beep every 5 seconds while riding, to encourage texting driver's eyes back onto the road.

I suppose we could all get a clown horn ! #ffs

 

[guerney]

I suppose we could all get a clown horn ! #ffs

A convenient switch located in a big ned nose?