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Ask Slashdot: Inexpensive Anti-Theft Vehicle Tracking System?
New submitter Chuckles08 writes "I'm about to complete the purchase of an electric scooter that is worth over $5,000. Since I'll be parking it on a college campus, it will be vulnerable to theft. I'd like to install some kind of tracking device on it but the solutions I've seen so far seem quite expensive. Are there any reasonably priced and effective solutions out there? Ideally, I'd like to be informed by text message if my scooter moves without my knowing. I'd like to then track the scooter's movements." And anything small enough to work for a scooter might be very useful for car owners, too.
a "Made in the USA" sticker.
It comes with a built-in alarm system.
Automated turret
You won't find a cheaper way to cover the loss and there is no way to prevent it from being stolen for a reasonable amount of money. As it can be lifted into a truck, taken out and dismantled and any anti=theft system defeated before you can finish reading this response...
Noone is going to steal a pink electric scooter. Maybe put some flower stickers on it.
"I have the attention span of a strobe lit goldfish, please get to the point quickly!"
If your car was stolen, you don't want it back. Trust me.
Fuck systemd. Fuck Redhat. Fuck Soylent, too. Wait, scratch the last one.
It is a known fact that burglars skip over houses that have dogs in them in favor of houses without dogs. The same should hold for your scooter. As an added benefit, if you pick the right breed, the coolness of the dog will balance-out the total uncoolness of the scooter and you might still have a chance at getting laid.
Chances are that the insurance company will pick up a significant portion of the tab to have the vehicle lojaced. I was looking into it when I was going to buy a motorcycle and the cost after insurance company rebate and discount makes it quite inexpensive. Plus they have a good record for recovery and ever car that's lojaced increases the likelihood that a vehicle thief is going to be caught red handed and sent to prison.
Building one for $130 would be easy enough. You would have to pay a monthly for cell service though.
An Arduino, a voltage regulator, a GPS module, and a GSM module would be the essential parts. Stick them in a weatherproof enclosure and conceal it on the scoot. You would be good to go. You would need to write a little code to get it to squawk its location to a webserver somewhere so in case it was stolen you'd know where it was hiding. I'm not sure how much the retail version are but I'd bet they are similarly priced. Economies of scale are a bitch.
Instamapper provides a tutorial for a pretty cheap tracking option. It is basically free, except for the hardware cost ($35 or so) and the data cost (10/month so so). You may need to worry about weather-proofing but that could probably be taken care of with a zip lock bag. Check it out, this may be exactly what you are looking for.
http://www.instamapper.com/diy.html
Find a Xexun TK-102 on ebay, they will report back their position via the mobile network (you supply a SIM card, and can send it a request for the current position, it will text you back). You can get large extended battery packs too, or you could wire it into the bike's power. They work well enough for us to track drivers at work. Just make sure you get a genuine Xexun one, the others are less reliable and tend to lie about their position, in my case being offset by about 4 miles. There are separate car sized ones, but I have not used them.
get a viper alarm. you can get them for motorcycles, which is essentially the same thing as a moped or scooter regarding theft. it will alarm if the bike moves off it's kick stand, upright, or moves a distance. it will alarm on the bike and alert you via a keychain device that tells you whats up. you can turn it on and off with the remote as well. look to spend 300 for this. too much for you? then dont own a 5000$ bike that two people can pick up and put in a truck.
There are GPS trackers that incorporate a GPRS (or similar) uploading function. Some of these are smaller than a pack of cigarettes and contain a backup battery (in case the thief figures that disconnecting the primary battery will disable any alarm).
These will report in continuously (any time the tracker changes location), so you'll have to either turn it off or filter the messages in the event of authorized use.
The down side is that you will have to pay for a wireless plan that supports this minimal communications.
Have gnu, will travel.
How about one of the GPS kid locators? I despise them for tracking your kid, but for your scoot? Maybe. I've seen some for $200 or so. Mount it on the bike somewhere hidden...reports back to your smartphone.
less than 30 euro
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/gsm-realtime-anti-theft-vehicle-tracker-81881
the downside: chineese documentation
Garmin has two plans. The simple one lets you draw virtual fences around where it's OK for the thing to be, and alerts you when it leaves the area, and also lets you poll for location at any time.
The more full-featured plan (basically $10/month) also will automagically poll and keep history, so you at least know where the thing was when the thieves realized that it had a GPS tracker on it and ripped the thing off.
I built a little 12v -> 5v converter for the one of these I have on a device that has a battery, and hooked it in permanently, so every time the main device is switched on, the GPS's battery gets recharged.
Become a person of interest to the FBI and they'll track you with their superior equipment free of charge.
"Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
Get yourself on the terrorist watch list. The FBI will install one free of charge.
Atlas stands on the earth and carries the celestial sphere on his shoulders.
Get a ham license, an old 2m handheld and a GPS puck.
http://www.aprs.org/
-- I have a private email server in my basement.
Unfortunately that may collide with the goal of low-cost.
There's been plenty of reports about people using their home-made tracking systems and getting zero interest from the police. You should go for one that has proven to have credibility with the police (which basically means a brand name and existing relationship that the company has invested in to build).
Alternatively, if you go for a home-made one, it might work because a scooter is big enough not to hide easily. In that case if it's ever stolen you should NOT call up the police and say you have a homemade tracking device - rather just track it down yourself, and when you see it parked somewhere, call up the police and say you randomly spotted it and is absolutely sure it is yours.
if it has disc brakes, I've seen some pretty nice locks which go into a hole on the disc so it's easily portable.
as others have said, being able to lock to a fixed object is best. Next would be motion based alarm and then the last resort might be a full on GPS-GSM tracking system. Or you could wire some electric shock system to the seat and handlebars triggered by the motion sensor. When you hear ambulance sirens, go back to your bike and watch them pick up the convulsing would be thief. Don't forget the warning label.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
While you *could* get a method to track your now stolen scooter, what is the point? Are you seriously gonna retrieve it yourself? Dangerous. Get the police to do it by giving them the data? Difficult as that still requires the police getting a search warrant on probably cause assuming the police would cooperate with you.
Either way, it's an expensive solution that creates alot of hassle if it does get stolen. Quite simply, insurance is your best bet. The relatively low cost and reliability is much better. You know you will get the money if your scooter isn't recovered with insurance. Doing it yourself, you have to deal with the probability of the scooter recovery. Even if you do recover it, you have to deal with the time it took to recover it and the possibility of damage to the scooter during the time it was missing.
Insurance = minor hassle who you know who to complain to if things don't go your way
Your own method = hassle in which you may not even benifit from
Paint it Pink.
Ponca City, We Love You
It occurs to me that you could get a really cheap ("free") smartphone with GPS (not a Samsung, their GPS is crap), hide it somewhere on the vehicle (where it can still get signal) and track it with Latitude. Dunno what to do about notification. There's probably an app for that.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
I have been working on an online GPS tracking system for about 4 years now. The tracker we use the most is from Enfora. For about $130.00 dollars you can get their newest model with built in antennas and a 3 axis G sensor. It has a latching output to control a disable relay, a couple extra I/O (digital in, digital out and analog in). It supports different types of geofence and an overspeed. You should be able to find a service that supports this tracker for 10 to 25 dollar a month or you could roll your own if so inclined. Typical data usage is about 1 meg a month. I would shamelessly plug my service but I only operate in Brasil in partnership with risk management and insurance companies.
Sounds like a job for the Sparkfun UberTracker! It grabs GPS coordinates and sends them out via email using the cell network. It polls the GPS at a programmable interval (as much as once per minute or as little as once per day). Not sure if it can be programmed to start sending coordinates upon being moved though, so you may have to just activate it whenever you park the vehicle. Total cost: $325 + shipping.
Slashdot's first reaction to VMware
http://yikebike.com/
I don't have one, as I'm holding off to see what my new job's commute will be like, but it looks pretty interesting to me anyway.
Awesome furniture, accessories and cabinetry in Santa Rosa, CA: http://humanity-home.com/
A few years ago I bought, and started using, an electric motorcycle. A geekier vehicle has rarely been seen.
Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be an utter chick magnet. Better than a puppy. Even better than a baby. Once two women lifted their shirts and pressed their chests to either side the windshield. I kid you not! I was constantly approached by curious women (and some men) wanting to know about the vehicle, and then giving me their contact info. I wish I'd known about this effect when | was single!
Your mileage may vary.
Just buy a few suspicious chemicals and/or read some carefully selected books at the library and they will tag your vehicle for tracking for you. Just check it periodically for modifications, remove it, re-purpose it and you're done.
Electric scooter that costs over $5000
OhShitNiggerWhatAreYouDoing.jpg
WhatTheFuckAmIReading.jpg
WhyWouldYouDoThat.jpg
Seriously!? OP, you are an idiot. For $5000 you could have bought a really nice, low-mileage motorcycle from the used market, giving you the following benefits:
My advice? Try and return the shitty thing and get your money back, buy a motorcycle.
Oh, and so far as your anti-theft worries? Don't bother worrying. There is nothing you can do to prevent theft of it if someone really wants it, and even if you run a huge cable through both wheels and the frame, it's not going to stop someone from taking parts off it. Or just smashing it up, and vandalizing it.
A tracking device will only help aid in recovery *after* theft, it won't prevent the theft in the first place.
Since you already likely have to carry some sort of insurance, it's cheaper to just ensure you have coverage for theft, ensure that the front wheel is locked, and keep the make / model / VIN / photo / insurance info handy in case you ever have to make a police report.
I'm speaking from experience, my scooter was stolen a few years ago -- Vespa LX-150. The insurance company cut a check, I bought a new one.
Just buy a minivan and lock your scooter in it once you arrive at your destination.
Pick up an Amateur Radio License and install a APRS beacon.
Maybe this arduino app with be of some use http://b.leppoc.net/2011/04/23/operation-lo-jack/
If it were me, I'd replace the $5000 scooter with a $500 bike and a $20 u-lock. Replace it when it gets stolen.
Have you considered a giant ball of yarn? Tie one end to a pole and the other to a fender. If the bike gets jacked just follow the string.
We don't make anything anymore? Popular rhetoric, I suppose, but I thought /. readers dug down to the numbers.
Let's look at some facts: The US is still the largest economy in the world. The US is still the largest manufacturer in the world - 1/5 of the entire world's output. China will probably pass the US soon but they have a billion more people - over 4 times as many - as the US. The US is the largest trading country in the world. Sure, the US economy is in the tank with nearly 10% unemployment. But where would one go? Greece (18%)? Spain (>21%)? Ireland (14%)?
There are some bright spots like Germany and Brazil but they are currently the exceptions.
~~~~~~~
"You are not remembered for doing what is expected of you." - Atul Chitnis
and hidden, a cheap prepaid cellphone with GPS tracking turned on should do the trick. P.I.s use them to track surveillance subjects all the time. Just be sure to turn the ringer off.
Why can't we go back to using jumpers to configure slot adapter cards? Why? I say!
"The US is still the largest economy in the world."
Not without California, it isn't, given that California by itself is the like #5-#8 economy on the globe right now.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Next to a straightforward disk lock or chain, generally considered the best and most cost-effective "in event of theft" option amongst the motorcyclists I regularly converse with.
They'll do it for you.
"Keep track of your valuables with the universal A-GPS locator from Zoombak." $100 plus T-Mobile service fee. Check T-Mobile coverage.
Of you can afford to waste $5000 on a electric scooter then you can afford to pay insurance on it and let it get lifted and then replace it.
a $800.00 used 250cc-500cc motorcycle will do far, far, FAR more than what this scooter can and still get 100+mpg. Plus you wont look dorky and it wont get stolen. A ninja 250 sportbike is dirt cheap even brand new, less than $4500.00 if you find an honest kawasaki dealer. Plus it has enough power to put a set of givi saddlebags on it so you can carry a LOT of stuff.
Can you get your money back on the electric toy scooter?
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
As far as cars go? No we don't. What we have is a "branded" product where most of the guts come from somewhere else, often a LOT of somewhere elses, and then are simply thrown together here. Look at the Ranger which I drive, its a nice truck but frankly its more Mazda than Ford anymore and for everyone outside the USA it is ALL Mazda with a Ford decal.
And how much of that economy is fictional products, ala IP? I bet if you took California out of the equation we'd drop off the map and biggest thing cali has is Hollywood. Since digital makes it beyond simple to just copy anything you want (a friend went to Asia and said they have movies being sold on every street corner and you can buy Windows 7 all versions on a thumbstick. I wish he would have thought to buy me a Win 7 stick, it was only $6 US) I have to wonder how much longer THAt will last.
Finally here is a figure that will make you want to puke, in just the last decade the USA has lost 21,000 factories although I'd suggest that if you have eaten recently don't click on the link as the data they have will piss you off and ruin your digestion. We were ONCE a truly great nation, but sadly those days are long gone. The "get a better education and you'll compete!" lie has been driven through with a stake thanks to offshoring, H1-Bs, and so many college educated about to default on their loans simply because there is no way to EVER pay them back when everyone is having to compete with 300 other guys for scraps. I wonder if one day people will look back at the cold war years like they did with the old "the sun never sets on the British empire" days, because it is pretty obvious at least to me our good days are over and BRIC is coming to the top of the heap now.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
An insurance policy that covers theft and vandalism is your better bet, especially on a college campus.
Then tie it to your pit bull
Wire it to your Tasser
Plant an IED in it
Take off the muffler
Wrap it in 30' of 13/16" continuous length XIP IWRC wire rope and 18-pound Kryptonite lock
Leave it parked in the most public place, climb a nearby tower with a sniper rifle, and pick off the first five people who try to take it.
Word will get around.
first, steal someone else's scooter. use it as long as you can. then, when 'yours' eventually gets stolen, its just the universe keeping parity. you won't feel so bad. maybe it was someone just like you!
(what? like, your idea is better.)
there's no way to protect stuff anymore. alarms, etc, don't work. if you live or work in a bad area, that's just how it is. don't own nice things - or don't get attached to them. when I lived in boston, my car got broken into almost once a year for all the years I was there (my college days). now I'm in the sf bay area and my car has gotton broken into just once in about a decade. the difference? where I live. its not the alarm or other anti-theft (other than being stealth). its all about where you are; and you often don't have a thing you can do about that.
buy a junker and if it gets stolen/trashed, get another. you can't have nice things in a bad area. sorry, life don't work that way.
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
an electric scooter that is worth over $5,000
Why? For $5,000 you could buy a bike that will last the rest of your life, buy it a lojack, you'd combine some daily exercise with your commute, and you might even have some money left over.
Unless your commute isn't safe on a bicycle or you live well over 10 miles from campus I can't imagine any good reason to buy a scooter, other than as an eco-hipster penis extension.
And come to think of it, a commute of more than ten miles and/or not safe on a bicycle wouldn't be much more pleasant on a scooter...
Don't worry, there's help: "Using Google Docs to do OCR of the manual, and then Google Translator to translate the manual to English, here are the results."
Awesome features, too, like coma dialing: "Set voice messages to send QA1 start monitoring, live sound that coma dial your phone."
The actual downside: "positioning will work only in China, using ChinaMobile network."
I hope I didn't brain my damage.
Buy a used iPod Touch (under $100 USD) and wire it to charge off of the scooters battery, then you can use "Find My iPod" service if the scooter is ever stolen.
Just hide the iPod someplace it is not likely to be found right away.
On a campus, you only need one untrustworthy person to steal a bike
As far as cars go? No we don't. What we have is a "branded" product where most of the guts come from somewhere else, often a LOT of somewhere elses, and then are simply thrown together here.
It works both ways. Which is the more American car, the American branded car with 60% US made components and assembled in a NAFTA trading partner or the Foreign branded car with 40% US made components and assembled in the US? I personally can't decide. By "more American" I'm thinking employed more US workers.
BTW, the details are not made up for the sake of argument. Those numbers came off of two vehicles I looked at.
Surprised to see noone has opted the easiest solution yet!
Make some random calls to people in Saudi Arabia, Soedan, Ethiopia, etc.
Make sure to mention words like bomb, white house, infidel, plane etc etc.
If some one steals your bike, just call the FBI and ask them where it is.
Why are other peoples sig's always more witty ???
One method - and kinda fun too - get your Technician class ham license and setup an APRS tracker. Hams have been doing this since when, 1998 or so. It's pretty much 'ancient' tech. But robust as all get-out. Not only can you track your scooter - but you can do other things too. Better part? Once you've got it up and running - no air charges. http://www.aprs.org/ http://www.aprs.fi/
Senior NCO in the fight against entropy. I've seen things, man. Things no one should have to see.....
Why on earth would you NOT count California? Last I checked they have neither seceded or fell into the ocean, so it's still one of our states. Even then parts of it are virtually bankrupt.
Students aren't untrustworthy, as far as I know. But thieves know they have lots of new stuff, like bicycles and computers, so they make an inviting target.
Here's what you do: split your key 'on' or starter switch lead (which should legally still be there) to a switch epoxied under the case somewhere, then wire that up to the horn. Problem, thieffags?
The worst risk with a scooter is that someone will be stealing parts from it, not the whole vehicle. A fat lock and chain around a lamp post is preventing the thieves to walk away with it but it won't stop them from stripping it naked.
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
If it tells you when it moves without you knowing then you know and it doesn't need to tell you, or if it tells you without you knowing then you don't know and the telling isn't required. Take your scooter with you to class if you love it that much.
That Honda that you love so much? If you actually read the news you would know that for model year 2009 Ford matched Honda and Toyota in initial quality and owner satisfaction surveys. And if it wasn't for the touchscreens they installed in 2010 vehicles, they would have matched them for that year as well.
So before you go bashing three completely different corporations under one blind moniker, do your research.
Hell, the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year was the Ford Fusion. Being as that was also a model year for an all-new (and therefore CotY eligible) Toyota Camry, that is a huge coup for Ford. Anybody who reads Motor Trend knows that very few awards from them have gone to Ford, GM, or Chrysler in the past couple decades.
But you didn't seem to want to bother with facts in your post. So I won't expect you to follow up on this.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
I had an amusing encounter recently with two dumb surfers.
(I don't know if there is a Two Dumb Surfers joke genre', but if not I'm starting one now.But this isn't a joke - it really happened.)
I was walking through a S. California beach parking lot, and I noticed a nice 50's pickup truck all tricked out. Not quite a "low rider", I guess these are called "cruisers". So, I assumed they were admiring the vehicle.
As I walked past, one called out to me: "Excuse me, sir, can I ask you a question?" I say sure. "How does that work?"
It took me a few seconds to realize he was talking about "The Club" installed in the steering wheel of the pickup truck. I explained that it was an anti-theft device.
He said, "I know that, but how does it work? How does it keep somebody from stealing your car?"
I told him that it limits how far the steering wheel can be turned, and so makes it difficult to drive the car away. You wouldn't be able to make turns.
"Because it would hit you in the leg?"
I said that, well, that might be true, but that in addition to that, if you tried to make a left turn, The Club would strike the inside of the door, making it impossible to turn the wheel further.
He appeared dumb-founded. "Oh. Thank you!" His friend was apparently equally clueless, BTW.
I wish I had thought to add:
"unless you drive it away with the driver door open, which might attract some unwanted attention..."
That's what insurance is for. If you're going to get reimbursed if it's stolen, why do you care where it goes after it's stolen?
I don't respond to AC's.
The problem with this is that it's media-driven. You can't compare reliability on a vehicle until you've had 1,000,000 on the road for 5 years. You are correct that Ford has done some catchup over the last 10 years but talk to anyone in the industry and they will tell you that the money is all made repairing domestics. Their engineering strategy of cheaper cheaper cheaper means a constant supply of work for us mechanics. I love domestics because I can make a lot of $$$ off them.
Fair enough. Same as english and french garbage then. Unless you are German you should not crow about European products.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Since I'll be parking it on a college campus, it will be vulnerable to theft.
Just because YOU are a student, it doesn't mean that everybody else is going to be as untrustworthy as yourself.
You remind me of this person I knew who wouldn't let me into his home because he was afraid that I would steal things (because I wasn't middle class like the other people I was with). Well at least I'm not black. At least being poor means that you can make yourself look like a Winner, which is how successful salesmen are made: just ask Steve Jobs.
Anyways yeah, never trust people who try to improve their knowledge and education. I guess it must be some Promethean type thing. Meanwhile I won't even bother trying to answer your question because you demonstrated that you are an asshole unworthy of an answer. BTW, I could probably guess that you live in the United States of America, because only in a place that is so anti-socialist and pro-capitalist would they have students who would even think of stealing somebody's transportation at an institution of higher learning. When you can't even trust people at your own school; it's just a very sad commentary on where you live.
Wow! Could you come help at my next movie night? You seem to be really good at projection.
I am not a crackpot.
My vehicle was recently stolen in Daytona Beach, FL so I've put quite a bit of thought into this.
I'm using an HTC Incredible (busted screen, but it has composite output!) firmly embedded in the vehicle itself in an inconspicuous location, wired into its own battery + small 12v battery + vehicle battery (all properly fused to avoid battery shorting attacks)
Using perl via ASE the Incredible polls the vehicles location every 5 seconds, determines if the vehicle is stationary or moving, and keeps a log (on sdcard) if it changes within 10 meters from the previously logged location.
If the vehicle is moving the bluetooth subsystem is polled to determine if my current phone (HTC Thunderbolt) is within range, if not, it starts emailing me location changes. I can also email the phone and query its location if I happen to forget where I park.
I plan on supplementing this with an Arduino in the future to automatically lock/unlock the vehicle depending on if I'm nearby, some type of ignition cutoff, flashing headlights/interior lights, horn and perhaps some very loud air horns inside connected to a compressor to at least deafen anyone that breaks into the vehicle and attract a lot of attention.
Future plans also include a pico projector (once the laser pico projectors have a high enough lumen output) for a HUD on the windshield using the same HTC Incredible or a small low power PC. There are various OBDII bluetooth interfaces that would work well for displaying various gauges on the HUD.
It's quite a fun project for a very small investment.
Just because you disagree doesn't mean it's not true.
1-year owner satisfaction surveys don't mean much to me. I want to know how reliable the car is going to be 5 years down the road. Ford doesn't have much of a record for long term reliability.
Not a perfect solution I grant, and it requires you interact with Apple kit/websites - but lots of people upgrading to iPhone 4S's have perfectly functional 3GS phones, which will run iOS5, that they may be happy to give you are sell to you for a modest sum. (Not sure what they cost on ebay, here in Japan people are giving them to me "free" - I have quite a collection I am wondering how best to use...)
As far as I know, the GPS works reasonably well without a network/3g connection. You should be able to use either the "find my iPhone" facility, or, if you have another iToy, set it up on a separate account and set up the "Find Friend" function. You will need to provide power for it of course, but then hide it as best you can. Password protect the iPhone of course.
I THINK that should work.
Find Japanese addresses in English on Google Maps Japan: http://diddlefinger.com/
Prepaid cellphone and GSM provider location service.
Any cellphone will do, so free
Receiving calls on prepaid in Europe lasts 1 year from purchase date.
GSM providers let you locate your own cellphone with an sms. All you need is to activate it (one time fee) and after that its as easy as sending sms from a number you activated. Location data is triangulated celltower info, not GPS. but still very accurate and useful.
as an alternative you can use more modern phone with symbian/android. In Europe you can remotely top up Prepaid card at any time during that year. So you just stick prepaid in the phone, mount it on the bike and forget about it for a year. In case it is stolen you transfer $10 to the card to activate it and you are good to go.
Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
Why not rig up an alarm like this http://handsomedonkey.com/videos/the-orgasalarm-patent-pending/ With a bit of programming and some off the shelf components you should be able to make one in real life and if someone tries to steal the scooter everyone around will turn and look at the person.
Those weren't women.
Paint it bright pink with daisies all over it?
It's tiny and seems to do exactly what you want. Comes with one year of free service, no idea what the monthly cost is after that.
I was thinking the same thing until I considered how much juice a phone can go thru, maybe 1500 mah per day. But a motorcycle or car battery could have 20, 30, or a much higher amp hour rating, dozens to hundreds of times what a phone could use in a day. So even sitting and not being used, the battery would be able to keep the phone working for several days, if not several weeks, before it would ever deplete the battery enough that it wouldn't start. A lot of guys in the instamapper forums have had great success with this type of setup.
Couldn't you just power up the tracker once every 15 minutes or so for as long as it takes to report its position (maybe 30 seconds)? A CMOS 555 timer connected to a power transistor switch would draw only a few milliwatts when inactive.
Get yourself on the terrorist watchlist, and let the government do the rest.
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. - John 14:6 NLT
A taiwanese company called gopass makes several GSM tracking solutions. If you can find someone to give you a SMS-only plan then you can use it quite effectively. The fancier models have audio options so that you can listen in on in-vehicle conversations, which doesn't sound useful on a scooter, but if they drive it into a garage or something then you might overhear something handy.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Attach a hidden horn (120db) that will go off if someone moves the bike without turning it off..
Also build a cheap ass taser and add a few leads to where you usually touch the bike if you are dragging it.
Wire it up so it will go off after one of the wheels has turned 2-3 times to prevent it from going off accidentally...
For GPS tracking... get a cheap-ass phone (http://www.lightinthebox.com/pan-android2-2-smartphone-w-3-2-inch-touchscreen-dual-sim-tv-wifi-gps_p208017.html) that you wire to the internal batteries.. mod the phone and put an external GPS antenna on the bike just below some plastic covering...
Then you just use one of the existing apps or write your own that will either send a email to you with the coordinates every 2-3 minutes when moved without being deactivated..
Other simple way to do it is to get a really cheap-ass phone without data-service, get a USB or rs232 GPS module and a cheap router that you run openwrt or similar on, when bike is moved just send a text with the coordinates...
As a former military criminal investigator, I can talk a little about vehicular theft. I have conducted a lot of community outreach classes on personal safety and crime prevention, including classes on how to deal with carjacking and how to minimize your risk of vehicular theft. I can flatly assert there is no anti-theft system that is going to deter a determined pro thief. You can chain your scooter up, but all it takes to defeat your $50 Kryptonite U-Lock is a bottle of liquid nitrogen and a $1 screwdriver. Four guys and a panel van is all it takes to steal a Harley in about ten seconds; a scooter requires two people and a car with a large trunk and about a five second window. Lining the interior of the trunk with small-mesh chicken wire creates a Gaussian cage that will defeat any kind of transponder- or GPS-based tracking system. We routinely confiscated cell-phone blockers from chop shops -- the professionals keep up with the technology they need.
You can deter casual, opportunistic thieves with U-Locks and a prominently displayed LoJac sticker, but if you have a high-ticket scooter and a pro thief wants it, he's going to get it.
That is how I understand it too. You can set the frequency of the GPS reporting anywhere between every 5 seconds all the way up to several hours between reportings. Which, as you imply, would greatly decrease the battery usage.
With all the talk of California's looming bankruptcy, I seriously doubt that.
I think he is pointing out that most of the figures are from what is produced in california, now lets think what that is, shall we start with the San Francisco Bay area or Los Angelos? hint, hint.
1-year owner satisfaction surveys don't mean much to me. I want to know how reliable the car is going to be 5 years down the road. Ford doesn't have much of a record for long term reliability.
Owner satisfactions surveys mean nothing at all. A useless marketing metric that does not reflect real quality or construction, merely blind brand loyalty (in Australia Holden (GM) and Ford fanboys are worse then Apple fanboys, at least Apple fanboys are too sissy to start a fistfight). I have a 98 Honda Civic, it's done 250,000 KM (Australia is a big country) and kept very well maintained. That engine, chassis, drive train, axles and everything will do another 250,000 KM if kept well maintained, well except for Gearbox, probably.
Honda's are very well made, very reliable cars, the flipside of this is that if anything vital on the Honda does break, it will cost a fortune to fix. If the GGGP's Honda engine did die, without the free replacement it would be worth more to scrap the car.
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
"Looming bankruptcy"
Yea, which is why we're still by ourselves in the top 10 in the global economy. What does that tell you about the rest of the world, eh?
Sorry, without us, the USA (and a HUGE majority of the globe) dies.
Come back when you have an actual clue of the state of the world as a whole. Get a passport (I'm on my fifth one, full of stamps) and actually go learn this shit for yourself.
So many places so severely dependent upon us that is isn't funny any longer.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
I have a LoJack installed on my motorcycle, and it sends me text messages whenever it gets moved... not sure about cheap though... anti-theft will usually reduce your insurance premium.