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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731   
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After news of a tracker nailing a bunch of theives in Ashford:
http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic18247.html I thought it time to update how I'm getting on with mine and with testing and tips... This was discussed on another thread but I've started a new one to highlight that fitting a tracker is cheap as chips and p*ss easy. All you need is a mobile phone (a smartphone if you want to be shown coordinates on GoogleMaps), a cheap tracker (preferably with a 12v power supply), a pay as you go SIM with loads of SMS, and to find a permanent plus+ feed somewhere on the vehicle to wire it in. That's it. The tracker I went for is about £50 off eBay:  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TK102-UK-Mini-Sp...3a74e7b03c It works as follows: 1) You tell it how to behave by sending it an SMS. It sends one back to your phone saying "OK". Behaviour includes sending you an SMS with position if it's moved, sending you its position if you ask it, sending you its position at given intervals of time, geofence etc. 2) You ask it where it is by calling it. It gives the engaged tone (costs you nothing) and sends you an SMS with its position. 3) You can combine these behaviours and change them at any time. 4) The SMS position can link directly to GoogleMaps. Mine has been operating flawlessly for a week now and I am impressed: Positive points: It has very good reception It is incredibly simple to program It's small enough to squirrel away Negative points The battery life (800mAh lithium battery) is crap. Instructions say 48 hours standby - mine manages 12 hours. It may be my unit is defective somehow but I doubt it. It can get briefly confused if you send it conflicting commands but sorts itself out after a few minutes. You can always give the command "begin" by SMS and it restarts. The crap battery isn't such a problem when the tracker is hard wired into the car (not saying where mine is) but I will also be adding a small backup battery in case thieves disconnect the car battery and the tracker needs to operate for several days longer. I hope I don't get slated for daring to mention a security feature but as trackers are generally used I hope it does "more good than harm"... Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... Last edited by ZeDefender on 9th Feb 2013 12:23pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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9th Feb 2013 12:12pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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True, of course, and a very good system too.
Unfortunately SkyTag is not really useful outside the UK. There are also tracking companies such as Ninja, but some people want to remain independent of one company and their charges. Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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9th Feb 2013 12:20pm |
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| davew Member Since: 02 Jan 2012 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 888  
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Skytag isn't proactive. It's only of use after you've noticed the vehicle has gone and you can't really do anything with it until you have a crime number, even then you have to trust that the police are actually doing something with it. You are completely in their hands. It's a good system but not as flexible.
The unit ZeDefender is using is proactive. At no additional cost you can set your own "stockade" area, outside which the unit will automatically notify all the registered handsets that the tracker is outside the stockade, showing you where it is and it's speed. You can also set a shock sensor in the unit and a movement sensor that, again, will notify you of someone tampering with your vehicle. In tests we've done pretty much any movement of the vehicle will trigger the shock sensor and alert the owner when it's set. If anything it's probably a bit too sensitive and an option to adjust the sensitivity would be good. When parked in car parks you can get a few false alarms due to car doors being slammed nearby or heavy vehicles passing close by. I realise Skytag also have a stockade feature but it costs quite a lot of extra money and you can't just park your vehicle in a car park and set up a 300 metre stockade around it's parked position for 30 minutes or whatever. You CAN do that with this unit, especially if you have an app on your phone that does it for you. Outside the stockade it will update you with position and speed information every 30 seconds. You can also request that it updates you automatically every x seconds for as long as you like. If it loses GSM coverage it stores the locations in memory and sends an update as soon as it regains GSM. It is proactive in that it can warn you BEFORE the vehicle is off your drive rather than waiting until you wake up the following morning. The only real downside is the ongoing costs if you use it all the time. I've tried using them with PAYG sims which are fine for vehicles that don't move very often but can be quite expensive for a daily drive, better to get a cheap pay monthly sim in that case (£7 a month in the UK will get you a suitable sim, it only needs texts unless you want to use GPRS to update a web site etc... You can, of course, use both ! If it's of any help I put together an iPhone app that makes it easy to set up a stockade and handle other tasks (turning sensors on/off etc...) for that unit BTW, PM me for details, it's free. I have even taken to carrying one of these in my camelbak when I'm out on my own on my MTB, that way if I end up doing something stupid I can use the SOS feature or someone else can find out where I am should I not return home. http://www.yorkshireoffroadclub.net/ |
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9th Feb 2013 1:07pm |
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| davew Member Since: 02 Jan 2012 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 888
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One other thing that came up last time was battery life, battery life of the unit is about 12 hours if you have stockade turned on. With stockade turned off the unit can "sleep" so battery life is around 4-5 days. Obviously this is only used if the vehicle's battery is disconnected, otherwise it's constantly being charged. http://www.yorkshireoffroadclub.net/
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9th Feb 2013 1:15pm |
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| rusty66 Member Since: 22 Jun 2010 Location: Rhineland Posts: 60
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Hi Matt,
Sounds like a good project. Can you tell me the mobile operator you are using? Can you install the tracker inside the vehicle or does the antenna need to be on the outside somewhere. Cheers, Boris |
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9th Feb 2013 1:36pm |
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| Glynparry25 Member Since: 16 Feb 2009 Location: Miserable Midlands Posts: 3015  
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Good afternoon gents..... Just a quick reply before I go open the bar for today's festive rugger games
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I feel I need to add to the topic as I currently specialise in Communication systems which includes signal processing and interception. On top of what has been said. Something to consider it the frequencies. Something to note on the one you have there- GPS, GSM and GPRS ..... Which are ALL UHF. How would you feel if I said I could purchase a device for as little as £30 that would render your tracker completely useless?.... Yes it will know that someone is violating it but it wouldn't be able to do anything about it- so would no longer be proactive. Other things to think about are the more expensive units that will also use other frequency ranges which includes VHF. If anyone who has purchased any trackers (either cheap or expensive) and are willing to spend a little money seeing if it any good just drop me a pm.........BUT...... If I don't recognise your username or you haven't racked up a whole load of posts on the forum please don't be offended that I don't reply to your message- nothing personal but not going to be involved in giving information to someone who shouldn't know. Glyn  
BUT....... That said- something is better than nothing and the majority of thieves out there don't know much about communications or trackers. Last edited by Glynparry25 on 9th Feb 2013 1:47pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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9th Feb 2013 1:45pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Hi Boris
At the moment I'm using a t-Mobile Xtra call prepaid card with all options turned off except 1000 SMS per month. It costs 10 Euros per month (auto-debit off the card) but I haven't found better yet. Simyo looked promising but it uses the D2 network - not such good coverage as D1 in my experience. T-mobile also have better roaming options. The tracker doesn't use/need an external aerial. It has got good signal in all the places I have hidden it inside the 110 so far. Always worth checking before welding it in though 
Cheers Matt Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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9th Feb 2013 1:46pm |
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| BigWheels Member Since: 21 Mar 2010 Location: Somerset Posts: 1405  
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I bought one a few years ago on a LRO offer. Didn't know where to have it located, still not. Perhaps 2 is the answer. If thieving scum find one, they might not the other. But Defenders don't have many good unblocked hiding places inside.... Land Rover Defenders. 67 years heritage, minimal appearance changes, still going strong all over the world. Not a fashion vehicle, but fashionable to own. Made for the needy, not the greedy. Ta ta Defender |
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9th Feb 2013 1:50pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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I think that's the point - a "well-educated", resourceful, determined thief will be able to get past anything. I believe "investing" £150 quid gets you a VHF jammer too, or PM me for plans...no, no, that was a joke 
It's all about layered protection. Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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9th Feb 2013 1:58pm |
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| borderterrier Member Since: 09 Dec 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 1677 
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Scaleys know nothing about comms!
Steve |
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9th Feb 2013 2:03pm |
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| Go Beyond Member Since: 30 Jan 2012 Location: Headcorn, Kent Posts: 6678
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I'm running the group buy but am replying here as objectively as possible.
Firstly, Skytag will work anywhere in the world not just in the UK Secondly, ANY security device can be got around in one way or another, plenty has been posted about the need for a layered approach Thirdly, there are always places to hide a tracker (of any type) if you use your imagination. It would take a reasonable amount of time to search every nook and cranny in a Defender and time is what is against these guys. Fourthly, it is a fact that Defenders are easy to steal, in my opinion if you don't fit some type of security device / s then the odds are it's only a matter of time before you lose it .... PS if I were organised enough, I would love to have fitted a system as the OP but I know I'd forget to top up the SiM etc so I went for the Skytag system as a fit and forget option |
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9th Feb 2013 2:35pm |
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| Dave-H Member Since: 08 Feb 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 1507 
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Not true. Have a read up http://www.skytag-gps.co.uk/ You can have an upgrade [only £4.00 a month extra] so it alerts you every time it leaves a set area [Geozone]. On leaving it will send you an e-mail, text your mobile and ring your landline 
Skytag also monitors the battery feed to the unit, if its disconnected [by theiving scum cutting the earth cable] again it will send you a mail/text/phonecall .... well worth the subscription alone 
The crime number is not essential .. phone then first [before phoning the old bill] and by the time you have reported it to plod, skytag will already be on the case, saving vital minutes Guns and Landrovers .... anything else is irrelevant. |
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9th Feb 2013 2:48pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Just out of interest, their website states:
* 24 hour 365 days a year UK monitoring service, low cost and contract free. * Full Worldwide coverage When I was looking at options, I assumed that meant they don't "monitor" outside the UK but they are able to watch it as it heads for Slovenia... None of the other UK companies I called (e.g. Ninja), operate fully outside the UK either. If Skytag really have full, single priced operation worldwide, I would be very interested 
p.s. I also doubt they would call Ze Polizei - that would be up to me anyway. I realise that isn't relevant to many on here Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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9th Feb 2013 2:50pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Anyway, my main aim was to remind people that fitting a tracker is simple, whether it be Skytag or independent and that the recent police raid shows that it's really worthwhile
Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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9th Feb 2013 3:00pm |
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