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Aryana
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2015
Posts: 568
Location: Southern CA
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 Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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| E1 wrote: |
| Aryana wrote: |
| Buy your unit on Amazon and you won’t ever have any issues like E1 experienced. |
By all means.  |
The last one ordered on Amazon by a friend with a tintop was delivered in 8 hours, same day. |
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Paulbeard
Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2015
Posts: 2604
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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| dobryan wrote: |
No add on service needed. Just get the cheapest AT&T sim you can find to activate a phone (I think I pay $10 a month). The device works when you call it like it is a phone. Instead of answering it sends you a text with a google maps link that puts a pin at the location it is at. It can also do geofencing and other alerts. |
I pay $6/month for my line and not much more for the actual usage (a text whenever I drive away, when the geofence is activated). You can use CDMA (Verizon) or GSM (AT&T, T-Mobile) if one offers better coverage.
_________________
Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs
— dhaavers |
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jimf909 
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7455
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:42 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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| Aryana wrote: |
| E1 wrote: |
| Aryana wrote: |
| Buy your unit on Amazon and you won’t ever have any issues like E1 experienced. |
By all means. |
The last one ordered on Amazon by a friend with a tintop was delivered in 8 hours, same day. |
I was traveling through Arizona two years ago and someone had just posted that their Vanagon was stolen near Phoenix. I got paranoid, went on Amazon, ordered a Spot Trace and picked it up the same day from an Amazon locker near Phoenix. It's been working great ever since.
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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agibson
Samba Member
Joined: April 23, 2013
Posts: 7
Location: washington
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| Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:15 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Not sure if this has been mentioned, and it won’t be helpful to everyone...
But, when I got my iPad mini 2(?) way back when, it came with a promotion through t-mobile that gave it 200mb of free data for life.
After reading this thread, my plan now is to run 12v power somewhere innocuous and when traveling, leave it plugged into a little backup battery (which is plugged into the 12v) with only “find iphone” allowed to use data.
Should allow me to ping the iPad if the need ever arises, and will last for a while even if the battery’s disconnected.
This specific promotion is long gone by now, but maybe there is some other piece of hardware out there that could be used in a similar way.
Good luck! |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22633
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 5:15 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Good thing you can't hack these things.
Dave, why did you start parking on the other side of the driveway?
_________________
.ssS! |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16496
Location: Brookeville, MD
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agibson
Samba Member
Joined: April 23, 2013
Posts: 7
Location: washington
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| Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:06 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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YMMV:
https://www.freedompop.com/offer/cent-sim-6a?utm_s...goQjan-Vxo
| agibson wrote: |
Not sure if this has been mentioned, and it won’t be helpful to everyone...
But, when I got my iPad mini 2(?) way back when, it came with a promotion through t-mobile that gave it 200mb of free data for life.
After reading this thread, my plan now is to run 12v power somewhere innocuous and when traveling, leave it plugged into a little backup battery (which is plugged into the 12v) with only “find iphone” allowed to use data.
Should allow me to ping the iPad if the need ever arises, and will last for a while even if the battery’s disconnected.
This specific promotion is long gone by now, but maybe there is some other piece of hardware out there that could be used in a similar way.
Good luck! |
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thewump
Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2008
Posts: 215
Location: Denver
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| Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 11:04 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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If you have Google Fi as your phone providor you can have extra data only SIMS for free. I plumb old android phones into my vehicles so they act as wifi hot spots (e.g. for an Android deck I have in my SUV) and for "low jack" functionality using normal apps. Life 360 app is a good locator (and also shows driving history which can be nice) and other apps allow you to switch on the mic.
K
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87 Weekender |
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blackglasspirate
Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2006
Posts: 1612
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| Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 10:37 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Any new suggestions for Spot Trace alternatives that anyone has tried lately?
The price just went up again, as it has every year I've owned it, and it's now $245 a year (with all the taxes and "maintenance" fees). Up from $99 when I got it three years ago. It's ridiculous. Unfortunately they auto-billed me before I noticed so it may be hard to cancel. I don't think there's a way to justify that sort of price increase for such a basic tracking service.
Anyway, seeing as we tend to do a lot of "off the grid" traveling, we'd need something satellite based. Every alternative seems to have some sort of "gotcha" that's a deal breaker. The Spot still seems like the best option except the price, so if anyone has suggestions I'd be interested in hearing.
Maybe once we stop traveling full time I'll switch to a cheaper or DIY cellular based system.
_________________
'87 Vanagon GL Westfalia
IG: @holidayatsee
FB: https://www.facebook.com/holidayatsee |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16496
Location: Brookeville, MD
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16496
Location: Brookeville, MD
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stuzbot
Samba Member
Joined: March 30, 2018
Posts: 377
Location: Pining for the Puddles of Yesterday
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| Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 10:39 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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I bought one of those No-Brand Chinese ones off Amazon. Cost me all of £16,99.
Pop in a PAYG SIM card, send it an SMS and it replies with a Google Maps link with its current co-ordinates.
Took a bit of setting up, due to the instructions being in Chinglish. But it's been working fine for nearly a year now and has only cost me a few of quid in data. I put a tenner on the SIM card when I got it and there's still over £6 left.
[Being stingy. I've set it to only respond when I query it. But there are various other options, such as to send current location at fixed intervals, send when vehicle moves from current location, etc. which would use up the credit quicker].
_________________
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Click to view image
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1992 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1993 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1992 VW T3 1,6TD Syncro [SOLD]
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Aryana
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2015
Posts: 568
Location: Southern CA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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SPOT raised their prices with the email below that arrived Saturday, 6/1/19:
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Dear Valued SPOT Customer,
Thank you for your continued loyalty to SPOT. We hope that SPOT Trace's satellite technology and proven reliability has helped you to keep track of your important assets located beyond the reach of cellular coverage and provided you with additional peace of mind.
As we continue to upgrade our network to ensure you the best possible and most reliable service in the industry, this email is to inform you of upcoming changes to the cost of your SPOT service plan(s):
A Network Maintenance Fee of $24.99 will be charged to your account upon service renewal.
The Trace Basic Service plan fee is increasing to $199.99 per year per device. As such, you will be billed at this new rate at the time of your renewal.
The Trace Extreme Tracking fee will be $49.99 per year per device. If you hold this service on your account, you will be billed at this rate at the time of your renewal.
If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact Customer Relations at 866-651-7768.
Thanks again for trusting us to help track and protect all your valuable assets, no matter how remote they may be, and we look forward to doing so in the coming year.
SPOT LLC |
When I called today to cancel my upcoming renewal, they hooked me up with a yearly rate of $99 + tax for the next 2 years as a "loyalty discount" because I've been with them awhile.
I'm happy with that! |
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6820
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16496
Location: Brookeville, MD
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6520
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 9:10 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Second that. 👍🏼👍🏼
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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newerwesty1987
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2010
Posts: 407
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| Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 12:25 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Wouldn't it just be easier to rig up a well thought-out kill switch instead of all of this? When I get another van, I plan on wiring in a remote for the power locks, like most cars have now, but I'll be adding a relay that will activate with the locking function which will open the ignition circuit. No way to start it after that, unless someone really knows van electrics and has the time to sit there and figure out what I did (which they won't).
Admittedly I have auto wiring skills above normal but it's not that complex to set up. A kit wouldn't be hard to design. |
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Paulbeard
Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2015
Posts: 2604
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 12:36 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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It's all about degree of difficulty/deterrence. What deters one might not deter another. As noted elsewhere, the third pedal is enough to keep a lot of people away. A Club™, a kill switch, a carefully chosen fuse removed…those work too. But what if someone forgets to arm the system? Or leaves someone with a lot of time to trace wires (at a trailhead, let's say)? There is no one way to do this…everyone can find their own preventive measures.
_________________
Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs
— dhaavers |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6520
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 12:41 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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This thread continues to be the greatest gift ever to thieves who may read here.
Can we PLEASE just discuss available GPS units instead of every other thing to look for in a parked van?
Do we really think all the stolen vans near our borders is coincidence?
My vote would be to edit every single post deviating away from GPS options. Or delete the entire thread.
A little common sense, People, pa-lease?
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman
Last edited by E1 on Sat Jul 06, 2019 1:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16496
Location: Brookeville, MD
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| Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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| E1 wrote: |
This thread continues to be the greatest gift ever to thieves who may read here.
Can we PLEASE just discuss available GPS units instead of every other thing to look for in a parked van?
My vote would be to edit every single post deviating away from GPS options. Or delete the entire thread.
And folks here wonder why I don't post photos of our van...
A little common sense, People, pa-lease? |
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E1 I will disagree with you on this. There has been no evidence of a thief using the samba to stalk or find where a kill switch is placed. To my knowledge the thefts are crimes of opportunity and not planned heists. YMMV. 😀
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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