[Closed] Anyone bought a Bike Tracking Device ?

Can you get a mobile phone signal everywhere near you? These things run on the phone network, so rely on a good signal to work.

I use them at work. If you want to know a bit about them and the problems we have, drop me an email.

Does the device/transmitter have to be positioned in a visible location (on bike). The models I have seen dont look very convincing ie if i am able to recognize it then Id assume so would a thief. Is there any way of modifying so that it would still be able to transmit yet not obviously located to be easily discarded?

one's I've seen go in the headtube. Does anyone know how that chocolate bar promo thing works where they can locate after a signal is triggered from opening a special wrapper. Presumably that's SIM based as well and must need a power source so struggling to see how they can make it look like a normal bar.

We're just researching and probably going to fit one of these devices to our demo kit in the very near future having been particularly badly hit this year. We've lost a Carbon covert, a standard Covert, two Bandits and a TR250, not that we could have done much about the 250 as it was in transit between a dealer and a team rider.

If we'd had one of these tracking devices in place when the Coverts got knicked in Monmouth we'd have had a pretty good chance of recovering them ourselves.

Then we'd probably have been arrested by Plod for knicking them back from the perps.

You can't win really can you?

Problem is usualy power supplies. Car's have huge batteries which have to be connected for the car to work.

Bikes don't. Phone battery lasts a week without any calls? GPS lasts 24 hours? To be feasible they'd need expanding to nearer a month. Doable, but getting bulky and heavy.

Much easier to datatag or smar****er everything and hope Plod come across it.

Smar****er for bike stuff is pretty pointless IMO and data-tagging only helps if it's recovered. These days the chances are the frame will be stripped and then chucked in the canal so tracking is the only chance you'll have of recovering it intact, although as you say battery life is the main issue and hence why they generally go in the headtube (and can be charged in-situ from below). Hopefully in a few years there will be something smaller available.

Keep thinking of these myself.

On the battery front [url= http://www.integratedtrackers.com/GPSTrack/Spybike.jsp ]these guys[/url] claim a year's battery life atleast on the rear light version.

Looks to save battery life by only waking up every so many hours.

I like the quote from that website MadBill, explaining why the rear light tracker would trigger:

Bicycle tail lights are a legal requirement in the UK

So the scrote illegally steals you bike but feels implored by the legal pressure of having a working rear light, and presumbly fits pedal refectors too...

Headset version seems interesting, though I've not worked out how the tracker replaces the headset star fangled thingy.

Quite? interesting comments, I sense then, 🙁 that these existing gadgets are less than assured in giving at least some peace of mind on the security front. Holy Guacamolie ! It appears I must continue to donkey around a menagare of hardcore locks and chains to ensure my whip stays anchored to an increasingly growing array of street furniture with secure parking offered, at drivers discretion,.!?
Thats the crap thing about innercity cycling.
Nano tech for GPS battery life, etc, can't come fast enough, lets hope sooner rather than later!

I love the concept of the head tube version, rear light idea not going to happen.

What I suggest is the manufacturers design the unit to take user specific head set caps....which would aid in the disguise.

Also, one could utilise the seat post volume for Li-on cells, with a blue tooth connection to a sealed antenna unit inside the handlebars (thread through design).

I'd love to work on one of these projects, very exciting.

When the technology improves, I'll definitely get one...perhaps they could be used to drop insurance premiums too?

They are okay at giving an approximate location of your bike. Great in rural areas. Bugger all use in a city, without a second piece of technology to back them up. Some have back up RF transmitters which can be remotely activated to "focus" in on the device. Starting point is £1k - plus a further £1k for the tracking kit.

Like I said - there are issues.

Wow, that's expensive 🙁

WOW ! indeed at that price I cant see your average person even considering that outlay. Thanks Bregante.
Tubs; it would be great for a project, like you said though at moment limited by tech available.

breatheasy,

the star spangled thingy is just further down the tube.

Quite agree on the rear light solution.
If I get one it will be the headset version.

not that we could have done much about the 250 as it was in transit between a dealer and a team rider

I think the Integrated Trackers unit can be armed remotely by sending a text to a particular number.

They are okay at giving an approximate location of your bike. Great in rural areas. Bugger all use in a city, without a second piece of technology to back them up.

The police were able to recover my bike after getting a postcode (via an eBay auction) which contained a "known address". So it doesn't have to be pinpoint. They could also wait until the bike was moved again.

Review of the lamp unit here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2011/apr/06/spylamp-anti-bike-theft-device

this is interersting as an idea...

thinking out loud we often recharge lights... I wouldnt mind plugging in and recharging a small unit on a bike occasionally and charging it if it meant some piece of mind.

OR is there something like a tracker that can be activated remotely if the bike gets nicked? I guess that takes power, hmmm.

OR we wait for the inevitable electronic gears, use that battery and jobs a good un!

We need smudge involved! Calling smudge!

ti_pi_man - thats what we need - one battery on your bike for lights, gps, tracking and gear changes. If only we could agree a standard for it in the bike industry (much like bbs, headsets etc.).....

breatheeasy - evil laugh, 'one ring to master them all'. Sadly the bike industry always comes up with at least 3 different standards. lol.

Spoke to them at the Cycle Show, and they are working on a seat tube version that will have a larger battery. Considering that it is less than 10% of the cost of many of the bikes here, for passive security, the headcap version still looks good value. And it is undetectable.

My SS isn't anywhere near expensive enough 😉