Possible idea for a cheap DIY tracker

[chris_mack]

Hi guys Im sitting around at the moment with a broken heel, so consequently have a lot of time to think!

Anyway what with all the spate of LR thefts in the UK, I have a possible idea for a cheap DIY vehicle tracker. I live in Australia nowadays so LR thefts isnt really anything of a concern like it is for you guys.

My idea is get an old cheap iphone, and put a pay as you go sim card in it.
Hard wire a charger in the battery (discreetly), and install Find my iPhone on the phone. If you are not aware of this app it is a brilliant FREE app that allows you to track your phone on a map similar to googlemaps, to within a couple of metres accuracy. Great if you lose it.

Anyway hide the phone somewhere discreet in the car, plugged into the charger so you dont need to worry about charging it. Then if someone nicks it you have a tracker!

I have no idea how much a tracker & subscription costs these days but this may well work out cheaper.

Food for thought!

 

[GINGE]

i think it has been done to a certain degree of success over here.

Issues i can see are if some one unplugs the charger and finds the phone and turns it off. Also if they break the car for parts which happens alot here then they will find the phone.

 

[lorri789]

It has been done with mixed success. I was waiting to here a bit more from folk.

 

[SnowmanV8]

I used this method before and will again. Cheap phone with autoanswer is a good one. I want to pull apart a phone and mount camera so it shows drivers face use auto answer on video call then you have I'd and police can track it. However they check cars quickly for such items so would only work if you notice it being taken

 

[chris_mack]

yeh i guess you need to do a good enough job of hiding the whole lot so that it wont get discovered in the first 12 or so hours after they nick the car. chances are in that time unless you are on holiday that you will notice its missing and can get online n track them down.

i like your idea snowman but sounds a bit technical for me!

 

[The Ferkin BoB]

get a slitty wagon

 

[TD5power]

You could wire it so when you ring it you can speak through the phone in the car speakers so that you can scare the **** out of them.

Only problem I can see is if the phone got wet, didn't get any signal or the sim gets cut off due to lack of use

 

[Costlyy]

Any career car thief worth his salt will have a wide-band GSM and GPS jammer.

You may think that's unlikely, but you can pick them up pretty cheap and they're only a little bit bigger than most smartphones.

 

[ebbadger]

Any career car thief worth his salt will have a wide-band GSM and GPS jammer.

You may think that's unlikely, but you can pick them up pretty cheap and they're only a little bit bigger than most smartphones.

about £80 on Ali-Babas last time i looked, plug straight into the lighter socket, job done.... not every thief is that switched on though and something is better than nothing..

cheers steve

 

[Grit Valve]

You can buy cheap trackers for china for pennies google search