Cheap GPS tracking device

50Twuncle

https://buy.thetrackr.com/intl/gu/atlas/08/?utm_source=3317&utm_medium=10177&utm_term=53165657&utm_content=321&utm_campaign=GU&aff_id=3317&camp_id=12369&clk_id=53165657&sub_id=10177&IM=A12H&TT=T08&utm_term=00d90f50deb8ea0b66faca3f8741182fcd
It costs a one off £24 (buy two get a third free !!) - and supposedly, the battery lasts 12 months
This DOES appear to be a bargain solution
What does the forum think ?

JP1978

I believe that they depend on bluetooth, yes they have GPS but have no means of independently relaying their location to you. They rely on others who have the same tag been in the location of the lost device so that their phone will act as the relay for location.

50Twuncle

JP1978 wrote: »

I believe that they depend on bluetooth, yes they have GPS but have no means of independently relaying their location to you. They rely on others who have the same tag been in the location of the lost device so that their phone will act as the relay for location.

Right - so how does the battery last, a claimed, 12 months ?
Surely - it will need to be transmitting 24/7 and I cannot see how any active battery powered device can last 12 months ?

forgotmyname

Phone finder etc = free apps on play store etc. Ive used lookout to track a phone. Saved you £24.

The Track R = bluetooth so you need to be within 100 metres of it? Although a lot of devices wont work over 10 metres.

Someone with the TrackR app needs to be within 100M of your device for you to find it. Key a £1 keyring whistler?

50Twuncle

forgotmyname wrote: »

Phone finder etc = free apps on play store etc. Ive used lookout to track a phone. Saved you £24.

The Track R = bluetooth so you need to be within 100 metres of it? Although a lot of devices wont work over 10 metres.

Someone with the TrackR app needs to be within 100M of your device for you to find it. Key a £1 keyring whistler?

I was thinking of attaching to a cats collar - but this obviously would not work ?

kwikbreaks

I've seen similar items in a newsletter I used to get but unsubscribed from which were significantly cheaper.

A quick google threw up https://www.boardwalkbuy.co.uk/products/wireless-bluetooth-anti-loss-key-tracker which is also a lot cheaper and looks to be pretty much the same thing.
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Cheaper stilll - http://www.gearbest.com/other-survival-and-emergency-gears/pp_265709.html?currency=GBP
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And on eBay. Probably worth a punt at about a couple of quid each or less from overseas.

bluesnake

in ebay search type Sim GPS tracker

you get many types, but their battery will not last a year, however if you do not see you cat for a few month, it is probably no longer your cat any more.

kwikbreaks

The cheap ones nearer to the OP are found with "bluetooth tracker". They have no GPS it's the phone that they rely on for that. They are Bluetooth 4 devices and the batteries are claimed to last about 6 months.

They don't look to be waterproof but I don't think many cats are fond of getting wet so maybe that wouldn't be a problem.

I'm guessing that the tech is similar to bluetooth phone camera shutter remotes.

forgotmyname

It would only work if your cat was within 100M but maybe as little as 10M.

Buy your cat a mobile phone

As bluesnake mentions a proper GPS device will need a sim card to be able to relay the data to yourself.

Crowdfunded so a good sign it was going to be useless. And that must be the worst website i have ever seen.... How many animated clips running at once?
How many links to watch the video?

Their replies to app users says that 30M is the max range 100FT not 100M.

Someone left a reply saying they moved to the room next door and it lost connection.

The number of downloads compared to feedback left is suspicious, paid downloads? Testers on youtube often never found another user in range of their devices.

RumRat

If you are going to do it...Do it properly....;)
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pet+collar+tracking&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

JP1978

RumRat wrote: »

If you are going to do it...Do it properly....;)
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pet+collar+tracking&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Do they have a version with a 48v shock device built in? That would really bring realism to the word geo-fencing - every time the pet went to leave your back garden it would get a small shock to remind it to stay home!

In fact, I think i will crowd fund a device for humans - and attach one to the wife so that she gets a shock when she gets near a shopping center.