Reddit mentions: The best gps trackers

It may be harder and longer, but it's the only guaranteed way out. A search and rescue guy I knew told me his longest rescue of 7 days after losing him was someone who just kept going, they even found his old camps before him. Said he thought if he just went further he'd find a road or something. The guy only survived because he was a stoner and brought a pack of snickers and many lighters.

If you don't want to go the smartphone route you could get a simple/cheap gps for this exact reason. I found This on Amazon it looks like most of its features don't work well/at all, but you can get it to, apparently reliably, print gps coordinates accurate to 20-30 feet and the rechargeable battery apparently lasts a while too. If you choose to get it, check it thoroughly before the return window is up to be positive 1) it works in your area well and 2) that you know how to translate what it gives you to your maps.

Hey man, there are no strikes in the woods, everyone in your group made it back. It might not have been the easiest way possible, but you made the right calls given the info at hand and made it out in one piece. A lot of people can't say the same. It looks like it was very enjoyable too, at least the beginning part. So success!

edit: second section final point

I have three locks, and a tracker, and living here in the UK I know if they want to take it, they'll take it regardless. Do yourself a favour and get a cheap tracker at the very least. They are barely 40 quid, no monthly fees and will do the job just fine. If you have more money, get a subscription and they'll help you track the bike, but AT THE VERY VERY LEAST, invest those 40 pounds into a cheap one like this — make sure you get an O2 sim card (2g only!), top up with 10 quid, that's it. Haven't topped up since (bought well over a year ago). No installation, no connection to battery, nothing. You charge that thing at home, and just hide it underneath the seat. It's not a guarantee, but it'll be one more chance to get the bike back. Needs re-charging every once in a while, ti says 3 months, but mine is about one a month over night (you can also wire a USB cable 12V/5V buck converter to the ignition and it self-charges continuously when the bike is being operated). There are similar ones out there, but that's the one I was most happy with (no battery drain, no installation, small and very cheap).

Edit: plus, you can enable it (I have it on by default) to track your route (not metre by metre, unless you want to drain the battery), which I did on my recent trip to France and Spain. Tracked every stop, every major waypoint and cafe, and the online service it comes with costs nothing. Plus, I exported everything into Excel. I should make a video of this, it's that good.

VK162 $10.34 Free shipping 51.70

Purchased 5 of them. Working Perfect

GPYes 14.99 free shipping $74.95

Startux(gets them from China) just put labels of them it appears.

saved me $23.25

> Why do you want a bike computer which would act as an external GPS to your phone? To save phone battery?

What I need is an external GPS. What I'd like would be a nice handlebar mounted display of my current speed. Its a nice bonus.

> But, honestly, your phone's screen probably draws more power than your phone's GPS chip

Thats actually not the drain - the drain comes from two things, the constant attempts to lock onto more satellites, and the main processor doing the hard work associating that data live. I was able to do some brief playing around with an external gps, and I was looking at 30% more out of a single charge minimum.

Edit: And I already have an external battery. Keep in mind that charging while working the processor like that causes some major heat - and I like to avoid that. If I can use the lower, 1A charge setting on my external battery instead of going to 2A just to keep the battery level reasonable, all the better.

> I'm not aware of any (but would like to be informed) which track GLONASS as well as GPS, such as my Garmin 510 does.

Not exactly puck sized, but not big either:

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Portable-GLONASS-Receiver-Vehicle/dp/B00AYAZENY

http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electronics-XGPS-160-Receiver/dp/B00E65TNYE#productDetails

The internal GPS's work OK at best.

One thing to watch for is to be sure there are antenna wires running over the top of the gps chip as that is where the antenna is located.

I found that by using the external GPS chip as found on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/VANWEI-VK-162-Notebook-Navigation-Support/dp/B01N01W8SK/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=stratux+GPS+chip&qid=1574510609&sr=8-9

You will get <3m accuracy most of the time

It'll probably work in a pinch if you bring plenty of batteries (or use rechargeables), but it might be worth researching to see if you can get something more like a GPS logger (as opposed to a navigation unit). Maybe something like this, that just logs GPS data and spits out a GPX file, but I don't know much about it or how well it'll work.

I like where your head is at, I think the multiple sensor route would be giving off false positives and become a nightmare to accurately track your pets if say multiple ins and outs happened in quick succession.

I think you could accomplish your goal if you used these Bluetooth presence detectors: https://www.happybubbles.tech/presence/detector

Paired with some small Bluetooth tags like these: TrackR bravo- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IINGBRG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3XaHzb4EVKJQT

Pair them all to a Raspberry Pi and you could get your system to send you alerts based on rules you set or just log in and see which tags have the strongest signals in whatever room you have the presence detectors in.

It reminds me of an RFID system one of the companies I worked for put in at this hospital. It basically told you exactly what part of the building each one of your assets was in. It worked well but was tens of thousands of dollars. I think the few hundred this setup I proposed here would serve you just fine though.

What do you think?

So I offer two kits now.

One is complete including the rPi. Comes with the new case, dual low power SDR's, high gain antennas, SD card, GPYes, and an AHRS module.

The original more basic kit with just the case, SD card, SDR's and antennas for people who already have an rPi or want a different GPS.

And all the other bits and pieces to DIY it however you like.

Cases

Serial adapters

AHRS modules

GPYes

VK-162

Low power SDR's

Dans great antennas

SDR and antenna combo

Preloaded SD cards

The basic idea is that any GPS logger that exports a .gpx file can be used with any digital camera. As long as the clock on your camera is correct, during post-production you sync the .gpx data file with your photos using Lightroom or other software. Your location data is matched to your photo based on time (at 4:05:42, you were at such-and-such coordinates).

Lightroom 4 has .gpx import built-in. For Lightroom 3 or earlier, you can use the donationware plug-in from Jeffrey Friedl called GPS Support. If you don't have Lightroom, Mac users can use MyTracks (works with JPGs, not sure about RAW files).

In early 2011, before a trip to London, did some testing with GPS loggers (I don't own an iPhone). The main problem I had was getting the logger to sync with my Mac. If you are a PC user, you'll have no problem; the units generally come with a small-size CD with PC software on it. On the Mac, you have to download third-party software that will sync with your unit. Most (all?) Garmins will sync with Google Earth directly. For other units you can use the free HoudahGPS or the inexpensive and very elegant MyTracks.

I began with a handheld Garmin 60C. It sync'd great and is accurate, but the battery only lasts a few hours, not long enough for a whole day. And the unit is enormous; carrying this big thing around London was not something I wanted to do.

So, I ordered the iGotU (US$60). The plastic on the logger broke pretty much immediately. I sent it back.

Then I spent a little more and got the QStarz BT1300ST, which is a beautiful little unit. The battery lasts all day, and it's small and has a nice keychain attachment. I was able to get it to occasionally sync with my desktop iMac, but it never sync'd with my MacBook. It appears to be highly accurate, but since I couldn't reliably sync it with the MacBook I would have with me in London, I decided to try another unit.

I then got a Wintec WBT-201, it is almost as small as the QStarz, and I can reliably get it to connect to all my macs. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be terribly accurate. During a walk along the south side of the Thames River, the unit had me crossing the river zigzagging from the north side to the south side several times, as if I were swimming across the river again and again.

Since then, there are new versions of HoudahGPS, and I even have a new MacBook Air with a new operating system. I really ought to try syncing the QStarz again, it's a tiny little unit. It's entirely possible that it sycs fine with the MBA, I just haven't been traveling in quite a while, so I haven't tried it.

Search inside of the car. Then look under the car where you can reach with your hand. They’re typically a small rectangular box. Often small enough to fit in your palm ,this is just one example of them. Sometimes inside a housing with a strong magnet. Just look around. Worst case scenario. Take it to a private mechanic, tell him you think your fiancé put a gps on it, some might even do it for free out of concern and sympathy.

I'd start making regular off site backups if I were you, nothing can really protect you from someone who wants to take your computer out of the building, maybe a gun ;)
So if I were you I would try to use a form of passive security. This is going to be really simple and cheap. Get some sort of auto updating DNS service. (NO IP works great for this) With this, if the machine is ever brought online again after it's stolen you'll be able to get its IP address and subpoena the records with proof of ownership, and with the help of your local law enforcement you'll be able to find it with ease. I found some motion activated GPS trackers that you may find useful, but they all cost upwards of $100 and mostly require a monthly subscription. Here's one of the better ones I found http://www.amazon.com/BrickHouse-Security-Spark-Nano-Tracker/dp/B00LZ0UXVU

Do you mean route planning or route tracking? Google maps is good enough for planning but if you want to see where your delivery drivers go then using Traccar with some cheap vehicle GPS trackers would be a good solution.

1. Judgement. location and timing etc
   
   
2. A U lock and cable combination. U lock goes through frame and rear wheel, and cable goes from the U lock to the front wheel
   
   
3. insurance. pretty rare but when you get into the 4 figure range for bikes it starts to make a lotta sense
   
   
4. GPS trackers are also pretty rare but I've always been interested in them, I just havent had a bike valuable enough to justify one :( lol
   
   http://www.spybike.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50
   
   https://www.sherlock.bike/en/device-app/
   
   https://boomerangbike.com/bicycle-anti-theft-gps-products/
   
   https://www.amazon.com/LandAirSea-Waterproof-Magnetic-Personal-Location/dp/B06XVZ6Y4T/

/u/karmar13 : Does the GPS unit look like this one?:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KX7XDIG

If so, then it can be removed from the car and be powered by any 12V power supply. Feed 12V to pin 16, and ground pin 4.

OBD2 Pinout

The plan:

• just before the next time you see your mom, get a geeky friend to wire it up to a 12V portable battery. Leave it in your car during the visit so she won't question why she got a notification. If she brings it up, shrug your shoulders and mention your car needing to be jumpstarted.
  
  
• leave GPS and battery at home whenever you wish to travel in stealth mode, take it with you when being non-stealthy.
  
  Note that the portable battery pack must be able to output power while being recharged.
  
  My geeky design would wire up an OBD2 port to the 12V battery, so you could quickly switch it from one to the other.
  
  Pretty much every car in your local junkyard will have an OBD2 port with wiring harness that can be yanked out. Or get one here for $3:
  
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/202242044773

Make a eye sweep of your area. Verify you have ALL your stuff before you leave a table. Dont let yourself get into a hurry.

If you have opportunity to buy a gps trackable chip like this one:

Kimfly Mini GPS Tracker, Anti-Theft Real Time Tracking on Free App Anti-Lost GPS Locator Tracking Device

Magicfest are the most notorius places for theft.

Good point. I have the internal Stratux GPYes u-blox 7 GPS. I'll pull the unit apart tonight and make sure it's installed correctly, but I do recall when doing the build that they were very specific about which devices got plugged into which USB ports, so hopefully I did it correctly.

Actually, I kind of hope I didn't do it right, because that's an easy fix!

How small are you thinking? Something completely hidden might be tricky, but what about something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-AM-GL300-Portable-Real-Time-Tracker/dp/B017BBPAP0

Also want to ask how are they leaving your facility? Are you seeing loss from someone pushing / wheeling away manually, or related to bus, transport van, or personal vehicle theft?

The system I work for saw a huge decrease in theft / shrink of chairs by adding ergonomic extension handles to our chairs. Like these: http://www.marketlab.com/ergonomics/p/Ergonomic-Wheelchair-Extension-Handles/

Saw something like a 92% decrease in theft / loss because with the handles the chairs don't fit in a trunk or car anymore.

FYI, you can buy these for a couple hundred dollars (give or take, depending on the features) from any marine/boating store and even on Amazon.com. Pretty much any boat that travels a fair distance from shore will carry one, as do some aircraft that fly in remote areas (like Alaska).

It works standalone, I just had it in my side pocket for this jump. You could also just use your phone, just make sure it's not going to be below your body. Here's the GPS I used. I also recently bought a 2XL wristmount for an ARES II altimeter (Edit: that one doesn't fit), so I can mount my logger away from my body to get a better signal (note I'm not sure how well it will fit yet, won't find out until Friday). The GPS can apparently log a couple of hours worth of gps recording, then can transfer the .kml files to your phone via bluetooth (and the Skypro app), or via USB.

Google emergency alert trackers for seniors. You'll find trackers that allow your dad to call an emergency service company with the push of a button and some have fall detection. As well.

Another option is a watch. I got my dad the apple series 4 watch. It's the only one that I know of that has fall detection though rumor is more are coming soon. Can monitor sleep patterns too. He does seem to wear it but it's going to take a lot of practice to get him to wear it while showering like I want him to.

The problem with both of these is that the devices need to be charged so your dad would have to remember to charge them. Also both require a service charge or phone service charge.

I found this too but I'm not sure if the business is good so they won't go belly up or not. Plus it's service charge is quite expensive too. The benefit of this is that you can get a power charger attachment that let's it run for 2 weeks without having to charge battery. So maybe you can be the one that charges the batteries instead of your dad.

https://www.amazon.com/Tracker-Tracking-Vehicles-Equipment-Valuables/dp/B07S7DVT33/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=tracker&qid=1565867605&s=gateway&sr=8-4

How do you like to add location data to your pictures? I got GPS logger a while ago (long before I got a serious camera). Unfortunately, it doesn't work with Mac, and the software is pretty kludgy at best (which I opened on a Win8 VM). When I travel abroad, it'd be nice to have the location in the metadata so I can easily identify where it was shot, etc. But the workflow to get that info into the metadata currently is a major PITA. Any suggestions?

Picked up the next step up, the XGPS 160, and are very happy with it. It handles multiple devices, so I can use it for a GPS for the phone as well as tablets. Really saves on battery power.

http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electronics-XGPS-160-Receiver/dp/B00E65TNYE

Cheaper solution with the same functionality:

1. Buy a bluetooth gps receiver for $140 (less than the cost of a flysight)
   
   
2. Install BASEline Flight Computer app for free and connect it to the bluetooth GPS

Phones only use one GPS frequency which is only accurate to about 4m, so getting different apps on your phone won't help.

You could look into getting a dual frequency GPS device, but it looks like the dual frequency GPS chip for phones was only just created, so might have to wait a bit. The new chips should be accurate to about 30 cm.

I did a quick search, but couldn't find standalone device for navigation or something that plugs into your phone. Let me know if you find something usable.

EDIT: I just found one that should be able to connect to your phone via bluetooth. Let me know it goes.

GPS car tracker - $120

https://www.amazon.ca/Ti-6000-real-time-tracker-battery-tracking/dp/B075X3N3FX

Sorry to hear about your car, I'm giving all my friends these for Christmas

I added GPS to my Stratux for < $20. Works perfectly with my non-GPS iPad.

https://www.amazon.com/Stratux-GPYes-2-0-u-blox-unit/dp/B0716BK5NT

Oxford Screamer Disc Lock

Almax 16MM Chain

GPS Tracker (Heard good things need to top up)

I'm constantly getting this one, reviews seem very positive: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TKSTAR-Waterproof-Tracking-Powerful-PS110/dp/B01KX9HFWI

This isn't something I have purchased, but like you considered for a loved one.
http://adiant-solutions.com/gps-tracking-watches/1914289
Keep in mind along with the initial price you pay a monthly subscription. I also checked into using these tags, but battery life is poor.
PocketFinder Outdoor Personal GPS Locator by PocketFinder http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKHV7RS/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_1Qk9tb057AC61

So I've been looking into this and the cheapest option I've found is BASEline. It's open source, free to use, and you can upgrade your phone's GPS with a $130 gadget if you feel your phone's GPS doesn't cut it.

I'm going to try jumping without the fancy GPS and see how my phone and the app does in the air by itself.

That's not how GPS locators work at all.

This is what a modern GPS locator looks like with a 48hr battery:

http://www.amazon.com/PocketFinder-Outdoor-Personal-GPS-Locator/dp/B00AKHV7RS

They cost $100 by themselves and require a monthly service fee.

Stuff like this shows me that very little research has apparently been done which dramatically lowers the expectations of the project.

Depending on your configuration it could be more stable to use an external GPS.

This model will even allow multiple devices to connect to it: http://amzn.com/B00E65TNYE

You can by the proper device rather than a burner phone.

$120 Canadian!

30 day battery life better than a burner.

Why not both? You can get both for £40, which is actually very little in the grand scheme of things.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/XCSOURCE-Real-time-Motorcycle-Antitheft-AH207/dp/B01KJS55JS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505649873&sr=1-1&keywords=GPS+tracker+SMS

Could also throw one of these in there too for the GPS purposes :)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XVZ6Y4T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ItH5CbRX2Z6PM

The specific one I mentioned in my post cannot. This one is more expensive, but has the ability to connect 5 devices.

I've had good results with these GPYes modules that are put out by the Stratux folks. They even work with uCenter, so they might be real. https://www.amazon.com/Stratux-GPYes-2-0-u-blox-unit/dp/B0716BK5NT

this is the one I have uk one also I lied it's £15 still prob more effective than a chain costing the same. Just stick a pre pay sim in it most use giffgaff in the UK as you can add what you like.

Looks kinda like this!
https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Tracking-Powerful-Standby-PS110/dp/B01KX9HFWI/

Random one on amazon just one that has a decent-ish amount of reviews. There's tons of trackers ranging in huge price ranges, so just read reviews to find a decent one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KJS55JS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

its basic but it works fine.

I bought this for around $20 and a free sim from T-mobile that allows 30 texts per month for $3. Mapping is over my head but the GPS location has been spot on when testing.

Sorry for your loss. Hope that lead in the other comment is real!

Just a reminder that GPS trackers are cheap and discrete.

Here's one for $20

Here's one for £13.50 that I'm gonna fit

I'm using this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KJS55JS/

In combination with a 2G "Ting” Sim card that costs $6 a month for the phone number. Easy to hide.

I could never get the feature working there it proactively pings its location to a server of your choosing every minute. The ultimate dream would be to set up an app on your phone where your phone starts screaming if the bike is ever in motion with your phone more than 50 feet away from it.

But you can still text it, and it'll reply with the exact location.

https://www.amazon.com/Mengshen-Receiver-Location-Keychain-Rechargeable/dp/B00WW6HSXM/

Reviews and questions/answers say it's not very accurate. And it looks like the battery lasts six hours before needing to recharge.

I wouldn't trust this thing. Seems to be more of a toy than a real GPS.

First result on amazon lasts 2.5 weeks, also OP has physical access to the car that they would be attaching this to so guess what...

they can recharge it.

Edit: fixed link

Hey. Sorry I'm just now seeing this. I bought an external GPS from Amazon. Below is the link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N01W8SK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

any experience with this shielded gps unit (GPyes: https://www.amazon.com/Stratux-GPYes-u-blox-GPS-unit/dp/B0716BK5NT/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1496870371&sr=8-4&keywords=stratux) ??

yup

Here you go:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/GPS-Navigation-Accessories/XCSOURCE-Vehicle-Real-time-Tracking-Motorcycle-Antitheft-AH207/B01KJS55JS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1493128326&sr=8-5&keywords=gps+tracker

I have one of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/XCSOURCE-Real-time-Motorcycle-Antitheft-AH207/dp/B01KJS55JS/ref=br_lf_m_dg43hywv6xp6ous_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&s=electronics

Pros: Very simple to install and use, just shove a SIM card in and ring it, it sends you a text with a google maps link with very precise location (and speed). It’s also insanely cheap compared to the competition!

Cons: Easy for a thief to locate and remove (you have to be sneaky and hide it), has a tendency to drain your battery so I would only get it if you’re a daily or near-daily rider.

TKSTAR Mini Waterproof Tracking Device with Powerful Magnet Long Standby GPS Tracker Locator for Kids Seniors Pets Cars PS110 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KX9HFWI?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

This is what I use. Recommended by someone else here. Cheap and cheerful. Tracking is generally good. Gets a bit confused sometimes but I reckon I'd have no issues in case I needed to use it in anger.

Vibration alarm is pretty damn sensitive. Where I used to park on the street it got set off by passing lorries a few times.

Put £20 on a PAYG sim in October and haven't topped it up yet.