TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Sep 11, 2019 6:42 am

^^^ It looks like they want you to only use their company to monitor the unit.

The one I use is much less up front cost and does everything this one does but works on a regular cell carrier sim so no lock in to a company. Not sure that this one is better. YMMV.

Mine is similar to this. (Be sure it supports 3g)

https://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Tracker-Anti-Theft-...mp;sr=8-20

Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:52 pm

I've been looking at adding a second tracker. I'd like to know if anyone has found a good (or at least functional) unit that works on Verizon (CDMA) network, for when I roam into areas that are poorly covered by AT&T.

-bobby

Tue Jan 28, 2020 5:29 pm

Ting just to offer 2G at one time, don't know now? any knows of this service? Thanks.

Wed Jan 29, 2020 7:47 am

Ting uses T-Mobile as a carrier for the GSM network. Ting subscribers have two options for networks, CDMA (Sprint) or GSM (T-Mobile).

My TK-103 tracker has a Ting GSM SIM card and still works fine in most urban areas and on major roads.

kourt

Wed Jan 29, 2020 9:49 am

Much appreciated Kourt.

Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:00 pm

I don't think I've seen this one here before. While looking around at alarms I came across this...it's a unit that has to be connected to a compatible alarm or remote starter. You get smartphone control of the alarm/remote starter/locks and further stuff such as battery level/turning on heated seats even idle runtime. You also get GPS tracking. The first year is free and subsequent years are $39.95 USD or $99.95 USD for 3 years (though I've seen it listed @ $29.95 USD/year on ebay units). You can also have multiple vehicles on the one account. Thoughts?

Cost is around $115 USD
https://www.carlinkusa.com/ASCL6/

This compatible alarm is $60ish USD
https://www.voxxelectronics.com/prestige/?sku=APS57Z

Sat May 16, 2020 7:13 pm

I wonder if anyone tried this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z5QX3YN?

Seems like a decent option to connect a SIM card. Not a lot of reviews on Amazon though.

Sat May 16, 2020 7:22 pm

That does look promising.

Fri Jun 26, 2020 8:13 pm

Spot just billed me for my fourth year of using the SPOT Trace device. They auto-charged my card for $224 plus taxes. I called, waited on-hold for 20 minutes, asked for the rates offered to new customers and they dropped the charge to $119 plus taxes.

I like the product, it works well but I dislike their worst-of-the-worst cable company practices of jacking up prices until you call and ask them to return to reasonable prices.

Fri Jun 26, 2020 10:24 pm

jimf909 wrote: Spot just billed me for my fourth year of using the SPOT Trace device. They auto-charged my card for $224 plus taxes....

I like the product, it works well but I dislike their worst-of-the-worst cable company practices of jacking up prices until you call and ask them to return to reasonable prices.
Ugh. I let mine lapse for 6 months and it was $120 to reactivate a few months ago (same as new customer it seems). Unless I’m missing something, there’s no incentive at all to auto renew year to year - just the opposite. That’s so not cool.

Sat Jun 27, 2020 6:45 am

I'm still using Ting on my Coban TK-103 tracker, for seven years now. This is a Ting GSM (read: T-Mobile) device.

I got an interesting email from Ting yesterday about preparing for the 5G network upgrade, which will naturally crowd out 2G/3G devices from the frequency band, and require 2G/3G shutdown.

https://ting.com/blog/3g-shutdown-and-volte/?utm_s...5-74941797

That tells me the Coban device will probably need replacement by the end of this year.

kourt

Fri Nov 13, 2020 9:04 am

When it sounds too good to be true....

https://get.spytec.com/gl300/?campaignid=59149968&...Z0EALw_wcB

This popped up on my FB feed. Any experience with said product? S me a person could plug it into a power source and forget about it.

Fri Nov 13, 2020 9:16 am

Viva.Sabata wrote: When it sounds too good to be true....

https://get.spytec.com/gl300/?campaignid=59149968&...Z0EALw_wcB

This popped up on my FB feed. Any experience with said product? S me a person could plug it into a power source and forget about it.

Sounds awesome.... but... how much is the Spytec account? The website did not give any details on that part of it.

Fri Nov 13, 2020 9:48 am

Looks to be around $25/mo, although the ad on my FB feed says no fee. Go figure.

Takes me back to an old iPhone and Google Fi for world wide coverage at $15/mo, unless there are new options? Seems like a pretty dynamic field.

Stay safe everyone

Fri Nov 13, 2020 10:29 am

Viva.Sabata wrote: Looks to be around $25/mo, although the ad on my FB feed says no fee. Go figure.

Takes me back to an old iPhone and Google Fi for world wide coverage at $15/mo, unless there are new options? Seems like a pretty dynamic field.

Stay safe everyone

I wish the companies would get more reasonable with their fees. This is basically a unit that sends a text yet they charge as if it was a real cell phone.... sigh.

Fri Nov 13, 2020 3:22 pm

I know I've chatted about it before but just to update, I use a GPS tracking device from FIN Find It Now, which started out providing weather proof GPS tracking devices for motorcycles. Now, they provide non water proof transmitters for cars, trucks, campers, etc.

Initial cost for the transmitter is somewhere around $239 which includes 1 year of coverage. Renewal of more years is around $70/annually.

If my camper moves, I get a text. If someone touches the camper, I get a text. If my wife attempts to steal a beer out of the Dometic fridge, I get a text. If for any horrible reason someone steals my camper, I can click onto my FIN phone ap to track it. They have emergency operators on standby to help track your rig if apparently stolen. Here's a link to their site:

https://www.finditnowusa.com/

BTW, though their transmitter runs off your battery (less than 1 milliamp in sleep mode) but has it's own backup.

Just another idea for you folks to consider.

Fri Nov 13, 2020 4:29 pm

cmayna wrote:
If my camper moves, I get a text. If someone touches the camper, I get a text. If my wife attempts to steal a beer out of the Dometic fridge, I get a text.
How serious are you about someone touching the camper, you get a text?

If I slam the doors hard enough, the spot trace will send a movement notification.

The FIN has some interesting features, like the speed alert, boundary notifications, and the "virtual odometer".

I just logged into the spot trace website for the first time in a while, and the shared maps feature is a lot more built out than it used to be. This is pretty neat because you can share the URL with someone and they can get a live update. I don't see speed data, but it does show elevation which is cool.
Here's a map from 10/16 to 10/19 when I went up to Tahoe NF.

Since I renewed spot trace back in April, I've noticed that the movement notifications are a little slower than I remember them being. Maybe 5 min. now vs. 2 min. before.
cmayna, how soon after the tracker moves do you get a notification?

Fri Nov 13, 2020 8:00 pm

Neat. Do you get a text when your wife restocks the beer? Thats a text I'd like to get. :lol:

cmayna wrote: I know I've chatted about it before but just to update, I use a GPS tracking device from FIN Find It Now, which started out providing weather proof GPS tracking devices for motorcycles. Now, they provide non water proof transmitters for cars, trucks, campers, etc.

Initial cost for the transmitter is somewhere around $239 which includes 1 year of coverage. Renewal of more years is around $70/annually.

If my camper moves, I get a text. If someone touches the camper, I get a text. If my wife attempts to steal a beer out of the Dometic fridge, I get a text. If for any horrible reason someone steals my camper, I can click onto my FIN phone ap to track it. They have emergency operators on standby to help track your rig if apparently stolen. Here's a link to their site:

https://www.finditnowusa.com/

BTW, though their transmitter runs off your battery (less than 1 milliamp in sleep mode) but has it's own backup.

Just another idea for you folks to consider.

Sat Nov 14, 2020 12:43 pm

If I put my old deactivated iPhone in my van, can I still use the Find My Iphone app to get the location?

Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:06 pm

How would you keep your old phone charged while it's in your rig?

erste,
I was not too serious about someone just "touching" the vw. I get a text each time the door is opened. I get a notice in 30+ seconds.