We had a unit plugged into our OBD port and it worked for years but the company has now gone bust, not surprising considering I'm pretty sure my husband paid for it when he bought it but not ever since. I'm looking for ideas of an alternative solution, I'm apple and he's android so needs to be something which works across both. We're not looking for anything to stop a thief but instead for him to be able to keep an eye on where I am as I regularly disappear in our van for two weeks at a time to Scotland. I generally always have either wifi and/or phone signal because I need it for work and even when I wont have signal I think having the last known location will at least give him somewhere to send the rescue team! Some devices I have looked up have a £60 upfront charge and then about £100 a year subscription charge which is just too steep really (I know the hope is it'll save my life and my life is worth a lot but even so!)
I'm assuming you stay in regular contact with him whilst you are away?
If it the vehicle he wants to track or you? When I say track, that sounds dodgy, but it is likely just a wee check to see where it is...does it need to be the vehicle?
An app of some sort - no idea what though - that works on both Apple and Android so you can both check in with the other?
What do those insurance black box things do? Can they flag location? If so, would that work?
Life360 App on both of your phones? It's free and location sharing can be turned off in app when not needed.
Depends on your/his nerd level!
If it was me I'd get an ESP32 or similar and a bare GPS device and program it to send it's location to my Initial State dashboard every 30 mins or whatever then deep sleep in-between to save power.
Alternatively you could just use an old phone somehow. And some paid for service.
Apple Airtags are dirt cheap and there's various Android equivalents for similar money. Just buy one of each and leave them both in the van or carry the relevant individual one with yourselves if needed.
Of course, both require mobile phone signal and your device or other devices picking up the signal so won't work deep in the back country but would be cheaper than a SPOT device of similar.
(Unless you both have high end, recent satellite capable mobiles...)
Could you use the 'Share Location' feature in WhatsApp? Might be a bit quick and dirty, but it should work for most days out on the hill, or driving around. Ive used it to track my brother cycling from mid Wales to meet up on Brown Clee. I'm not familiar with all its features, admittedly.
Edit- may be limited to 8 hours max duration, by the look of it. Not necessarily so useful, then. Sorry.
Insurance black box was my thought. 10 years ago it was occasionally slow to be visible online, but generally ok
It’s not vehicle tracking you want then, so use AirTag, similar or a phone app.
Share location in whatsapp is only 8 hours at a time, no way I'll remember to keep on doing that. Don't stay massively in contact and I currently rely on my parents to keep an eye on my iphone when I'm out in the hills and alert somebody if necessary but I know this won't continue forever. I guess the airtag relies on using an iphone nearby and the android version relies on android phone nearby so neither of which happen at the same time, would be pointless my carrying the android version for example.
I don't need to see where he is at all really as he doesnt go solo hiking up munros or out on big adventures with higher levels of risk and if the van breaks down he'll fix it with a large hammer and his meaty hands. I'll look into location sharing on google maps and Life360 as well.
Life360 App on both of your phones? It's free and location sharing can be turned off in app when not needed.
This
Life 360 or Android Maps share location or Find My Phone (set up to OH phone) to check.
It really depends on what you're trying to achieve?
Anything phone-based is going to be flaky at best, so you really need something satellite based, if you're out on the hills.
(such as a SPOT tracker)
Then theres the question if its of any real use if you have to actually use it in an emergency situation.
Life360 looks like it'll fit the bill and can always get one of their tiles for the vehicle and use just the apps on our phones. I have a new iphone so have the satellite functionality to be able to contact emergency services etc.
Life360 may not be totally accurate. I have tiles on my keys and wallet. The app has a driving data tab which told me I was speeding last week. 152mph!
Got to be easiest and most reliable on Google Maps. One of my work colleagues started sharing on a work jolly probably 7 or 8 years ago, and I can still find the bugger now!
I'm confused? It is you that needs to be located, not the vehicle?
Simple answer is an Outdoor Active subscription and use the 'Buddy Beacon' feature. Bonus is the OS maps and route planning. £2.07 a month at the moment.
Tiles/AirTags (and generic imitators) are very cheap but they don't seem to update very quickly or consistently. It's enough to know "the car was in Bognor a couple of hours ago" but not necessarily "it's turning left into Snoddington St"...at least imvhe
We're not looking for anything to stop a thief but instead for him to be able to keep an eye on where I am as I regularly disappear in our van for two weeks at a time to Scotland. I generally always have either wifi and/or phone signal because I need it for work and even when I won't have signal I think having the last known location will at least give him somewhere to send the rescue team!
I've never used Life 360 but location sharing in google maps works very well for what you seem to be describing. When my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes we agreed that she would turn on location sharing and in return I would do the same so there was a reciprocal level of trust/spying. We've never needed to use it for a medical intervention but both of us use it fairly often to avoid "where are you / when will you be back etc". Obviously needs a data connection, but it will show you when the person last was at that location AND how much battery their phone had which is also useful info for narrowing down a search. It costs nothing, is an app you probably already have.
Tiles/AirTags (and generic imitators) are very cheap but they don't seem to update very quickly or consistently. It's enough to know "the car was in Bognor a couple of hours ago" but not necessarily "it's turning left into Snoddington St
Hmm, my AirTag's are very accurate and update quickly. We used it to track an ultra runner over the summer and you could see him moving.
well, air tags are only any good if picked up by a nearby phone which has signal...
Sounds like you are likely to be out of signal sometimes?
how do you work? do you need something like starlink on your vehicle to work with internet connectivity?
Hmm, my AirTag's are very accurate and update quickly.
Depends. All tags work on the basis of them being 'found' by other phones which then report their position.
So if the tag owners' phone is out of signal/lost/dead and there's no one else within bluetooth range (i.e. up a hill) then they don't work.
I'm still confused as to whether GC wants to track herself or the van!
Well my initial thought was tracking the van just because that's what we already had but really I think its just simpler if he can track 'me'. There's no chance he'll want me to track him (he unplugs our camera in the living room while I'm away) so I guess I thought at least if I could see the van I'd know where he was too but maybe I can do both, he can track me and I can track the van. He probably thinks somebody is going to hack the camera and see him sitting in his pants because I have better things to do while I'm away than watching him sitting in his pants! (the camera is there so I can check on our dog who gets shut into the living room at night).
do you need something like starlink on your vehicle to work with internet connectivity?
I was wondering that but it maybe going a little extreme!
That said it would give you internet* literally anywhere the van is. The Starlink Mini also has a gps built into it so you can actually see where it is at any time using the Starlink app.
* In 'standby' mode you get unlimited low speed data [which is still fast enough for messaging, slow browsing, web calls and low qulity video calling] for about £3/month.
Or pay £50/month (rolling contract) and get mega-speed when you're off on a big trip.