GPS anti-theft
04-20-2007, 03:47 AM
#1
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Location: Dallas, TX area
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GPS anti-theft
I'm trying to find a GPS anti-theft device, but I don't want to have to pay a monthly fee to some company that may not be around forever. I found this on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Real-time-GPS-Ca...QQcmdZViewItem
Does anyone have any experience with these devices? I tried to Google this particular device, but I only find it from this one company on ebay. I haven't found anything like it from any other companies. If it works as advertised, it looks like what I'm looking for. And the price doesn't seem bad at all. But that ad on ebay makes me a little suspicious.
What do you guys think?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Real-time-GPS-Ca...QQcmdZViewItem
Does anyone have any experience with these devices? I tried to Google this particular device, but I only find it from this one company on ebay. I haven't found anything like it from any other companies. If it works as advertised, it looks like what I'm looking for. And the price doesn't seem bad at all. But that ad on ebay makes me a little suspicious.
What do you guys think?
04-20-2007, 06:27 AM
#2
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RE: GPS anti-theft
Ok...So...If I read the ads right, this thing is supposed to be a GPS tracking device that uses cell phone towers and GPS to track where your car is if it should be stolen, and magically notifies you for FREE somehow via a text msg that your car is being moved/stolen/towed.
And it doesn't specify which GPS standard it uses, which means it might not be very accurate, as GPS units over the last 10 years have made HUGE strides in accuracy. I have a feeling that this system might say your car is one street over from where it really is, if you're trying to track it...
Plus, the fact that this is the only company that carries it?!? That right there is setting off major warning alarms in my head.
And it doesn't specify which GPS standard it uses, which means it might not be very accurate, as GPS units over the last 10 years have made HUGE strides in accuracy. I have a feeling that this system might say your car is one street over from where it really is, if you're trying to track it...
Plus, the fact that this is the only company that carries it?!? That right there is setting off major warning alarms in my head.
04-20-2007, 11:29 AM
#3
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RE: GPS anti-theft
ORIGINAL: Sprzout
Ok...So...If I read the ads right, this thing is supposed to be a GPS tracking device that uses cell phone towers and GPS to track where your car is if it should be stolen, and magically notifies you for FREE somehow via a text msg that your car is being moved/stolen/towed.
Ok...So...If I read the ads right, this thing is supposed to be a GPS tracking device that uses cell phone towers and GPS to track where your car is if it should be stolen, and magically notifies you for FREE somehow via a text msg that your car is being moved/stolen/towed.
And it doesn't specify which GPS standard it uses, which means it might not be very accurate, as GPS units over the last 10 years have made HUGE strides in accuracy. I have a feeling that this system might say your car is one street over from where it really is, if you're trying to track it...
Plus, the fact that this is the only company that carries it?!? That right there is setting off major warning alarms in my head.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn't. Thanks for your comments.
04-20-2007, 12:35 PM
#5
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RE: GPS anti-theft
ORIGINAL: Blueline
one word
LOJACK
Jay
one word
LOJACK
Jay
The biggest downside to Lojack for me is that you must be aware that the car has been stolen and report it to the police. I'm sometimes out of town for a couple of weeks at a time. If my car was stolen while I was out of town, I wouldn't know it until I got back. By then, it would be already parted out or shipped to Mexico.
This is just my take. Anybody know if Lojack has a solution for this problem?
04-20-2007, 01:12 PM
#6
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RE: GPS anti-theft
Well, I answered my own question. I went to the Lojack site, and they have a new system called Early Warning. In addition to the normal transmitter, they put a motion sensor on your car and you put a Lojack fob on your keychain. If the car is moved without your fob being nearby, you get a phone call. You then file a police report, and they locate your car.
He quoted me a $995 one-time fee. I don't know if that price applies everywhere, or if a local dealer would charge less.
Now I just have to figure out where I can scrape up $1000. Isn't that always the problem?
He quoted me a $995 one-time fee. I don't know if that price applies everywhere, or if a local dealer would charge less.
Now I just have to figure out where I can scrape up $1000. Isn't that always the problem?
04-20-2007, 01:27 PM
#7
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 3
RE: GPS anti-theft
I have a 2005 GT which has a LoJack and Early Warning. The LoJack is ok but you have to notify the police of the car is stolen and only they can get LoJack to start the tracking. Early Warning doesn't report until the car has been driven 30 mins without the Key FOB being in the car. That's too long for me to wonder where the car is.
However, I use GPS tracking systems from Landairsea.com in my fleet trucks so I installed one too in my 2007 GT500. www.landairsea.com
I think I paid about 500 bucks for each unit. It has a GPS unit and a GSM phone built in. I use the Model 7100. The company is releasing two newer models shortly. Go to the web site to read how it works.
In my fleet trucks and the GT500, I have the unit set to automatically report its location every hour if the car is moving. You can set the unit to report at much shorter intervals if you prefer or you can use their web site to do an immediate locate. The web service alsowilluse the lat/lon coorindates to provide an interface to satellite images to show an aerial view of the suspected location (not showing the car of course, just historical images) It reports location, heading and speed. I have used some of the alarm contacts provided to unlock the doors and disable the ignition remotely. If you go to www.mcleodscotties.com and click on the mustang page, you can see a printout of when I drove the car from IN to AZ when I purchased it in October of 2006. The entire track of the 1800 mile trip was captured. There are a lot of features too numerous for this post. I have no financial interest in Landairsea other than being a client.
Ken
However, I use GPS tracking systems from Landairsea.com in my fleet trucks so I installed one too in my 2007 GT500. www.landairsea.com
I think I paid about 500 bucks for each unit. It has a GPS unit and a GSM phone built in. I use the Model 7100. The company is releasing two newer models shortly. Go to the web site to read how it works.
In my fleet trucks and the GT500, I have the unit set to automatically report its location every hour if the car is moving. You can set the unit to report at much shorter intervals if you prefer or you can use their web site to do an immediate locate. The web service alsowilluse the lat/lon coorindates to provide an interface to satellite images to show an aerial view of the suspected location (not showing the car of course, just historical images) It reports location, heading and speed. I have used some of the alarm contacts provided to unlock the doors and disable the ignition remotely. If you go to www.mcleodscotties.com and click on the mustang page, you can see a printout of when I drove the car from IN to AZ when I purchased it in October of 2006. The entire track of the 1800 mile trip was captured. There are a lot of features too numerous for this post. I have no financial interest in Landairsea other than being a client.
Ken
04-20-2007, 03:09 PM
#8
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RE: GPS anti-theft
I checked out LandAirSea's web site, and that does look pretty good. I'll have to check them out further. Did you install your unit yourself? They don't have a dealer nearby. Actually, there is one dealer nearby, but they don't advertise the 7100, just the, uh, 3100? It's the one that only tracks, with no notification features.
Were did you get the information that the LoJack Early Warning doesn't notify you until the car has been driven 30 minutes? Is that from your own experience, or from another source? I asked a local Ford dealer who installs it, and he said if they start the car and the fob is not nearby, it notifies you. That seems to contradict the information that you have. I'm not trying to be argumentative. I just want to go into this with all the information I can gather.
BTW, I asked that Ford place for a price, and he quoted me $595 for the standard system and $740 for the Early Warning. That's a lot cheaper than getting it directly from LoJack. As I stated in an earlier message, they want $1000 for the Early Warning system.
Were did you get the information that the LoJack Early Warning doesn't notify you until the car has been driven 30 minutes? Is that from your own experience, or from another source? I asked a local Ford dealer who installs it, and he said if they start the car and the fob is not nearby, it notifies you. That seems to contradict the information that you have. I'm not trying to be argumentative. I just want to go into this with all the information I can gather.
BTW, I asked that Ford place for a price, and he quoted me $595 for the standard system and $740 for the Early Warning. That's a lot cheaper than getting it directly from LoJack. As I stated in an earlier message, they want $1000 for the Early Warning system.
04-20-2007, 04:49 PM
#9
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Join Date: Feb 2007
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RE: GPS anti-theft
I had Lojack put in my car when I bought it for two reasons, 1. it gave me a discount on the insurance, 2. I bought the car outright (no monthly payments 
) and if it gets stolen I want it back. They called me from Lojack one day and said they wanted to test the unit, I said go ahead. I live in NY, I was on MaCarther Road in Allentown Pa., they new where I was in a second........Hope they didn't tell my wife. But it gave me peace of mind.
) and if it gets stolen I want it back. They called me from Lojack one day and said they wanted to test the unit, I said go ahead. I live in NY, I was on MaCarther Road in Allentown Pa., they new where I was in a second........Hope they didn't tell my wife. But it gave me peace of mind.
04-20-2007, 05:04 PM
#10
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