Author |
Message |
svenakela Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2006 Posts: 776 Location: Ekerö
|
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 12:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Oh man that's sweet, I have so many features to add up in an Arduino now I probably need to start with a Mega.
Combining the GPS idea with a accelerometer/gyro it can start sending message if someone is in the van too. _________________ Vanagon mirror end caps |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SactoSteve Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Sacramento, CA
|
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:28 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks kourt!
Yeah, I've long thought about getting a fuse block but didn't yet have anything I really needed it for. This might be the thing.
In the winter, I plug the primary battery into a Battery Tender trickle charger, but during the summer it may go a few weeks without being started. Maybe I should set up a trickle charger on the secondary battery as well. _________________ Steve
1983 1.9L Wasserboxer Westy |
|
Back to top |
|
|
kourt Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013 Posts: 1922 Location: Austin, TX
|
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
Do wire the GPS to draw from a secondary battery.
I suggest buying an aftermarket fuse block or power distribution point for this type of thing. Google it.
If you're not driving the van regularly, checking the battery condition every two weeks should become a habit.
Also, I've moved my GPS tracker service to my Ting mobile service, using a GSM card. No more AT&T GoPhone. Now I only pay for service that I use--so I only pay fractions of a cent for any texts I send to the tracker or receive from it.
Lately I have had more peace of mind when parking in doubtful areas through the use of this tracker. With the tracker integrated into the door wiring harness, I simply arm the van and walk away... if anyone opens a door, starts the van, or moves the van, I get a text message. Still going strong over a year later!
kourt |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SactoSteve Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Sacramento, CA
|
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:11 am Post subject: Connect to primary or secondary battery? |
|
|
I just got one of these devices, and I'm wondering if anyone has advice on where to pull the power for it from.
It will be continuously drawing power, and my van can sometimes sit for weeks without being driven. I'm afraid that if left too long without being driven, the GPS will drain the battery. It might be better to have it drain the secondary battery, instead of the primary battery, yes? And I believe my secondary is a "deep cell" battery, which is designed to better handle being drained, right?
Thanks!
-Steve _________________ Steve
1983 1.9L Wasserboxer Westy |
|
Back to top |
|
|
veloandy Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2010 Posts: 356 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
|
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 7:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
Adding another +1 for http://www.amazon.com/Tracking-Drive-Vehicle-Track...ps+tracker
Thanks to this thread, I bought one and have been super-happy. It was only $5/month to add an additional text-only line to my T-mobile family plan to run it.
The unit has an internal battery that lasts a long time and takes minimal power to keep charged up. Even after I have had both my starting and house batteries 4+ days, the unit still responds to texts.
I parked deep in a subterranean Denver parking garage (with no chance for GPS coverage) and texted "google" to the device to see what would happen. Initially I got no response, as I expected. Then I drove outside 40 minutes later, and soon I got a text with a link to my current location on Google maps and my current speed.
I'm not sure if the message was queued up by T-mobile and delivered to the device when I drove outside, or if the message was received by the device in the parking garage and the device queued up the response until it could see a GPS signal. Either way, I was extremely impressed.
I leave my Vanagon unlocked now...hopefully I will never get a broken window. And if someone steals it, I'll just go get it back from the ba$tard who takes it .
Thanks a million to dobryan for starting this thread! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16474 Location: Brookeville, MD
|
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 7:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
4x4BNB wrote: |
Jon_slider wrote: |
> zoombak.com
$110 plus $20 a month
fwiw, for tracking my daughter I have used Find my iPhone. It is free, but Im not strapping a phone to my Van..
still waiting for someone to post that they found a GPS device with NO monthly fees. Or did I miss it? |
I have an old iPhone 4. And, att has a service plan for $10 a month. I think, stateside, I can use the find my IPhone app. Just need to provide a constant power source? In theory, $120 a year.
And....in the event of an emergency, you have a phone! |
If you can keep your iphone active without a data plan this would be a good alternative IMO to a GPS tracker like I just installed, no cost for the equipment.. _________________ 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 |
|
Back to top |
|
|
4x4BNB Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2012 Posts: 274 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
Jon_slider wrote: |
> zoombak.com
$110 plus $20 a month
fwiw, for tracking my daughter I have used Find my iPhone. It is free, but Im not strapping a phone to my Van..
still waiting for someone to post that they found a GPS device with NO monthly fees. Or did I miss it? |
I have an old iPhone 4. And, att has a service plan for $10 a month. I think, stateside, I can use the find my IPhone app. Just need to provide a constant power source? In theory, $120 a year.
And....in the event of an emergency, you have a phone! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
4x4BNB Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2012 Posts: 274 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 5:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
nemobuscaptain wrote: |
hans j wrote: |
So does the microphone pickup and record what's said inside? Doesn't seem to be much info on that one. Would make sense if it had a SD card installed. |
Probably not unless you want to violated federal wiretapping laws.
That's why there never is audio on security cams. |
Only where someone has "standing" or a "reasonable expectation" of privacy. Someone inside a stolen car, or car being prowled, or in a building (in the event of a burglary or trespassing), has no standing or reasonable expectation of privacy.
In other words....if you don't have the right to be there...you can't claim your right not to be audio recorded....
Of course, depending on the state in which you live....
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Waldemar Sikorski Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2005 Posts: 573 Location: EU
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Gruppe B Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2007 Posts: 1331
|
Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Blackberry has a free service that will track your Blackberry anywhere within cell or wifi coverage.
It allows you to view location, ring phone (to find if missing), display a message on screen, lock the device and wipe the device.
The location is shown on Google Map with address and accuracy approximation.
Very accurate due to the phones built in GPS. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Gruppe B Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2007 Posts: 1331
|
Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Blackberry has a free service that will track your Blackberry anywhere within cell or wifi coverage.
It allows you to view location, ring phone (to find if missing), display a message on screen, lock the device and wipe the device.
The location is shown on Google Map with address and accuracy approximation.
Very accurate due to the phones built in GPS. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
vanis13 Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2010 Posts: 3081 Location: ABQ NM USA.... Except when not
|
Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
Anyone have luck (or knowledge about) using a out-of-service mobile phone.
All phones including ones out of service can be used to dial 911 (kids had my old out-of service phones before they had their own lines)
I am wondering if having one on all ways and then getting the police/phone company to triangulate when reported stolen would work. _________________ 83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace
www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make |
|
Back to top |
|
|
djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16474 Location: Brookeville, MD
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
kourt Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013 Posts: 1922 Location: Austin, TX
|
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 8:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yes, I think any old SIM configured for local use would work. Swapping SIMs in a foreign country is common.
kourt |
|
Back to top |
|
|
almo Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2011 Posts: 174 Location: In the back sleepin
|
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 1:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
I like this setup!!
Question:
Do you think this will work south of the border?
Would I be right in saying I would have to get a Mexican sim for it to work while I'm there?
Or Roaming with a US sim?
thoughts?
Cheers _________________ San Francisco/Mayo Ireland
1986 2.1L Westy 2wd 4-spd Sold!!!!
1987 2.1L Westy syncro
2005 Subaru legacy 2.5Gt Wagon 5sp MT |
|
Back to top |
|
|
kourt Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013 Posts: 1922 Location: Austin, TX
|
Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 10:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
Howdy,
The GPS accuracy for the TK103B family of trackers is typically accurate to within ten feet. I have not had any problems getting pinpoint GPS coordinates, applying them to a map, and correlating that information to reality.
kourt |
|
Back to top |
|
|
yiucycle Samba Member
Joined: August 22, 2007 Posts: 421
|
Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 9:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
kourt, Do you know how accurate the GPS while its moving and stationary? I was looking at the TrackR,(Bluetooth Crowd Source Tracking) and the review is really bad(from not working to couple 1000ft off). _________________ 1980 2.8LV6 Fiero ASI/Riviera Vanagon
"there is no point in being embarrassed of all the stupid shit i done and will continue to do"
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Last edited by yiucycle on Fri Feb 13, 2015 10:40 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
|
kourt Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013 Posts: 1922 Location: Austin, TX
|
Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 6:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yes, I posted an extensive review of my install and use of a member of the TK103B GPS tracker family on page 4 of this thread... but here's a link to the review:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6946473#6946473
I'm still using it today. It's been very reliable and I have it fully featured in the van--both the panic button and the fuel pump shutoff relay are installed. I have the door triggers wired to the device as well. I can determine the location of the van by calling or texting it. If the tracker's alarm is armed, it will warn me by SMS if anyone opens a door, starts the van, or moves the van (even without starting it).
There is no "service" fee but the pay-as-you-go GSM SIM card in the tracker costs about $10 per month.
Considering all these features (door alarm notification, ignition notification, movement notification, plus the GPS tracking, and other extensive features not listed here), I have yet to see any product (and that includes Spot) which comes close to this device in terms of overall function and value.
kourt |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Waldemar Sikorski Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2005 Posts: 573 Location: EU
|
Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 3:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
Anyone using something like this (TK103B Gps Tracker)?
Link
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
|