Recommendations for a GPS Tracker/Immobiliser for Classic 911

[tk111]

Hi PFA brains trust,

As per the title I am looking for a recommendation.  I have found a few options online, but am wondering how effective the built in gps is in these devices.

Does the device need to be on the windscreen to work? Or can you tuck it away under the dash? Or hide it in the engine bay? Perhaps connect it to the fuel pump and hide it in the frunk?

How usable are these in the real world? Does the disarming require login into your mobile phone app? Does the motion sensor go off with a stiff breeze?

Has anybody used these and happy to recommend one?

thanks in advance 

Terry

[Skidmarks]

13 hours ago, tk111 said:

Hi PFA brains trust,

As per the title I am looking for a recommendation.  I have found a few options online, but am wondering how effective the built in gps is in these devices.

Does the device need to be on the windscreen to work? Or can you tuck it away under the dash? Or hide it in the engine bay? Perhaps connect it to the fuel pump and hide it in the frunk?

How usable are these in the real world? Does the disarming require login into your mobile phone app? Does the motion sensor go off with a stiff breeze?

Has anybody used these and happy to recommend one?

thanks in advance 

Terry

Hi Terry,

GPS tracking devices are a doddle but some have subscriptions attached.  

As for immobilizers on older cars ... I got stuck for 3 hours at the Shell in Euroa whilst the none that was in my 930 decided to have a nap ... I’d go a simple battery isolator.  My 912 has one under the dash - the removable key type - and it works just fine.

I think you might also be looking at something that can immobilize remotely.  Same caveat applies.  Don’t let it put you off but beware the wiring looms and battery health on the older cars and the problems of variable current that this can entail and possibly create for something very high tech.

[Niko]

This is not a response re your immobiliser query, however as far as the tracking side of it goes, this may help.

Check out....Solid GPS tracking.  (solidgps.com/cars/) 

A couple of young Aussies  have kicked this system off and are based in Mulgrave Victoria.

A one of payment of $147. ( a bit more for a longer lasting battery and for express post) for the unit and then a subscription of $70 per year.

Small  box reasonably easy to conceal somewhere in the car.

The tracking is good.    Also when you set the system up you have three boundaries, which you set at various distances from your base

The only problem I have with it, is being a dinosaur I only have an old iPhone 5s     The app will not work on old phones

(my daughter and grand kids can't believe I still have a 5S, which is sad...for me)

but... you can still download the tracking feature etc from their website.

The notifications at this stage only come via EMAIL.   not SMS which I think is a bit of a let down.

(my house alarm is immediate sms which is perfect) 

Unless you get email notifications every fifteen minutes or whatever you have your emails set up at.

A "PUSH" programme is about to be launched apparently, which I believe helps that notification system so you are notified a lot quicker, that your car is on the move.

There is also an SMS notification system coming in, I believe in January, which to me is much better idea.

You will receive notifications of the car leaving boundaries, 1, 2 and 3, and also notifications of returning through those boundaries.

To have the sms system the yearly subscription will be going up an extra $5.00 per month or if you take the 12 month subscription approximately $20.00 per year.

Although no price has been confirmed re that upgrade and are only approximates at this stage...

The beauty about the company is that they are very good and quick replying to questions and helping out with enquiries.  mostly within the hour.

You also get the First month of tracking free.

I can track the car via my desk Mac, my obsolete outdated iPhone , and  Ipad.   

 

 

[tk111]

3 hours ago, Skidmarks said:

Hi Terry,

GPS tracking devices are a doddle but some have subscriptions attached.  

As for immobilizers on older cars ... I got stuck for 3 hours at the Shell in Euroa whilst the none that was in my 930 decided to have a nap ... I’d go a simple battery isolator.  My 912 has one under the dash - the removable key type - and it works just fine.

I think you might also be looking at something that can immobilize remotely.  Same caveat applies.  Don’t let it put you off but beware the wiring looms and battery health on the older cars and the problems of variable current that this can entail and possibly create for something very high tech.

Thanks for your thoughts @Skidmarks, I was thinking about the immobiliser issue with the old wiring also.  It seems though that these GPS/Immobiliser devices are simply a remote controlled relay switch.  

So my thoughts are I would be able to overcome a malfunctioning unit by simply short circuiting the relay wires.  Ofcourse anybody can do this if they want to steal the car, but they would need to know where to look and which wires to jump.

Given the car is a simple carburettor setup, cutting the current to the fuel pump with the relay should work nicely.

 

 

28 minutes ago, Niko said:

This is not a response re your immobiliser query, however as far as the tracking side of it goes, this may help.

Check out....Solid GPS tracking.  (solidgps.com/cars/) 

A couple of young Aussies  have kicked this system off and are based in Mulgrave Victoria.

 

Thanks @Niko, I’ll check them out. It would be nice to support an Aussie company. Although I am interested in a device that allows remote immobilising, they may have some options.

I agree push notifications are probably a high priority, as I often have more than 100 unread emails.

I am wondering if the gps was powerful enough for you to hide the device well inside the car? As it seems some devices need to have an unobstructed position to work..

[Niko]

yes mat

8 minutes ago, tk111 said:

 

Thanks @Niko, I’ll check them out. It would be nice to support an Aussie company. Although I am interested in a device that allows remote immobilising, they may have some options.

I agree push notifications are probably a high priority, as I often have more than 100 unread emails.

I am wondering if the gps was powerful enough for you to hide the device well inside the car? As it seems some devices need to have an unobstructed position to work..

Great people to deal with they even make sense to me.   Nathan is the man if you have a chat.  

My device is well and truly hidden and does not have any problems losing the signal.   We did a 400k run yesterday and when I checked the route on the Site tracking map it was spot on through all country areas.   Interesting also that at Noojee some of us did not have signal on our phones (probably because Optus) where others did have signal.   But the tracker had no problems at all covering the entire route.   I have no idea its it runs of satellites or the communications companies but it certainly worked ok yesterday.

Worth a phone call and a chat to them. 

[tk111]

@Niko

I did some research on SOLID GPS, I am sold based on the simplicity of it.  I will be ordering one tonight!

Also, I noted that the App had an update a week ago which includes: Push Notifications for Boundary Alerts, Watchdog Alerts and Low Battery.

Thanks for the recommendation. 

[Carrera28]

8 hours ago, Niko said:

yes mat

Great people to deal with they even make sense to me.   Nathan is the man if you have a chat.  

My device is well and truly hidden and does not have any problems losing the signal.   We did a 400k run yesterday and when I checked the route on the Site tracking map it was spot on through all country areas.   Interesting also that at Noojee some of us did not have signal on our phones (probably because Optus) where others did have signal.   But the tracker had no problems at all covering the entire route.   I have no idea its it runs of satellites or the communications companies but it certainly worked ok yesterday.

Worth a phone call and a chat to them. 

Dumb question. 

 

How long does the charge last? 

 

Presumably you hide it in your car and leave it on 24/7, so that any time it moves without you knowing you get notified?  How often do you need to remove it and recharge it?

[1q2w3e4r]

From a read of the site looks like a couple of months is reasonable expectation.  Imagine it's a simple as then just sticking it on a charger for a couple of hours and then back in the car, but someone who has one can chime in

[tk111]

43 minutes ago, Carrera28 said:

Dumb question. 

 

How long does the charge last? 

 

Presumably you hide it in your car and leave it on 24/7, so that any time it moves without you knowing you get notified?  How often do you need to remove it and recharge it?

There is a calculator on the website that takes into account how often you drive and how long your average trips are..

in my case the battery should probably last a year before charging... 😊

[Niko]

15 hours ago, tk111 said:

There is a calculator on the website that takes into account how often you drive and how long your average trips are..

in my case the battery should probably last a year before charging... 😊

plus you can pay a tad extra for a longer life battery.

16 hours ago, tk111 said:

@Niko

I did some research on SOLID GPS, I am sold based on the simplicity of it.  I will be ordering one tonight!

Also, I noted that the App had an update a week ago which includes: Push Notifications for Boundary Alerts, Watchdog Alerts and Low Battery.

Thanks for the recommendation. 

You're welcome..mate....

[pocketscience]

I got one of the many old iPhones laying around and mounted it in the frunk of my 993 and enabled "Find my friends" on it. So along with my wife, kids etc I can see where my 993 is. Can set boundaries for arriving/leaving etc and I've had this running for about 6-7 years with no hassles. I just got a super cheap data only plan for it and wired in a power supply so I can't remember the last time I had to actually dig it out of it's cubbyhole... simples.