buying an GPS tracker

poorboy · Postby **poorboy** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:14 am

so considering this for my current car. will it get stolen? maybe. maybe not.

but if this is hardly expensive. reasonable and fun. I will get this.

share your experience here. has your miata ever been stolen?

Vat · Postby **Vat** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:49 am

Jaycar have one: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=LA9011. You'll need a simcard, though.

Only had mine for two months, so, hasn't been stolen. I'd be upset if it was pinched, but it's insured, and I don't keep anything valuable in it. I don't have a lot of money invested in the car so a GPS tracker would be overkill, IMHO.

It's in the garage parked in behind the wagon at night. I'm a bit lucky with work in that all of our sites around the Qld SE area are secured, so it's extremely unlikely to be stolen. I am a bit conscious about using it for social occasions - we'll generally take the wagon unless I know I have somewhere safe to park it (plus it's easier from a garage arrangement point of view), but I'm not really paranoid about it.

lizard · Postby **lizard** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:47 am

Just get it insured .If mine gets stolen I pray they burn it out as I wouldn't want it back . Had a car stolen once and the cops found it no damage apart from rear tyres were threadless. With in the next 12 months it needed $4000 repair for new brakes, gearbox sh*t its self diff was replaced total bill $18000 and insurance company didn't want to know me .

chrisearl88 · Postby **chrisearl88** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:43 pm

Does the GPS tracker have a self destruct function ala Mad Max?

bear2230 · Postby **bear2230** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:54 pm

Scooby has a Mongoose VT404 and it gives great piece of mind.
I can check up on it from all over the world and it rings my Phone if alarm goes off or gets jacked up or moves a few feet.
I can turn engine on to warm it up (not that I ever have) or kill the engine on the spot. Its a wee ripper.
Leon form Security in Motion 0430 534 248 installed mine for $500.00 at my work in Kogarah. He does a lot of the alarms for FHRX so you know he's top notch.

Richard.

doc · Postby **doc** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:50 am

Just a thought.
We installed GPS trackers on a couple Harleys at my work a year ago or so.
Only to remove them a couple months later. Seems if you don't drive them regularly they will flatten the battery.
Now I know the MX-5 has a larger battery. But I remember well the factory alarms on the 80's Corvettes would flatten Batteries if left to sit for a few weeks.
These trackers that have all these neat features do have a current draw.

bear2230 · Postby **bear2230** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:40 am

doc wrote:Just a thought.
We installed GPS trackers on a couple Harleys at my work a year ago or so.
Only to remove them a couple months later. Seems if you don't drive them regularly they will flatten the battery.
Now I know the MX-5 has a larger battery. But I remember well the factory alarms on the 80's Corvettes would flatten Batteries if left to sit for a few weeks.
These trackers that have all these neat features do have a current draw.

Yeah Doc, it does draw some power and after a month or so without driving the battery is getting quite low.
I have a Odyssey PC1200MJT battery my car. https://passwordjdm.com/Odyssey-PC-1200 ... 4C322.aspx which is a seriously powerful battery used mainly for audio. Great battery but at 17kg not for everyone.
I could certainly see how it would flatten a bike battery really quickly.

Richard.

KevGoat · Postby **KevGoat** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 4:56 pm

Is there any other benefit of a tracker apart from the fact you'd know where your cars being trashed?

I use to be paranoid about leaving mine anywhere because it's a softop. Always thought I'd come back to find it slashed, or worse.Then I bought my NB with a hardtop. We quickly got sick of being out somewhere and unable to drop the top. Hardtop has been sitting in a corner of our lounge for 5 months and I no longer stress over whether something happens.

I'm with the others in that I just make sure mine's properly insured.

chrisearl88 · Postby **chrisearl88** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 5:41 pm

I was thinking of using one on my motorbike. Car is fully insured so im not too worried but a $5k bike is just to exy to bother with insurance, so a tracker would come in handy. Especially since alot of bikes are stolen by just getting picked up into a ute. Would be rather satisfying escorting the police to the theives front door!

I did read a article about these being used for evil in the states. Apparently people were selling motorbikes/cars on craigslist and then stealing them back later (with the spare key they kept) and doing this over and over.

bear2230 · Postby **bear2230** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 5:53 pm

KevGoat wrote:Is there any other benefit of a tracker apart from the fact you'd know where your cars being trashed?

Yeah, you can call the cops and tell them where it is…..Not a huge amount of thought went into that response.
If you have ever had a car stolen, and I have so I know first hand. You would know what I'm talking about.
Both my cars are insured to the max but good luck trying to replace an SP with 30K on the clock and all the time that has gone into the engine, suspension, audio ect. I don't even want to think about that.

Richard.

KevGoat · Postby **KevGoat** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:23 pm

Yeah I knew that the cops could be called and directed but what I was thinking is that it still doesn't stop them stealing it, unless there's something else linked such as the remote shutdown mentioned. By the time any response has caught up the damage has probably still been done.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk

bear2230 · Postby **bear2230** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:52 pm

The saving grace is it seems MX5"s arent really a high theft car like a WRX or an Evo.
Pretty hard to fit 5 teenagers into one I guess.
Let's just hope it stays that way.....

KevGoat · Postby **KevGoat** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:01 pm

bear2230 wrote:The saving grace is it seems MX5"s arent really a high theft car like a WRX or an Evo.
Pretty hard to fit 5 teenagers into one I guess.
Let's just hope it stays that way.....

Very true. When I first took out the insurance on my NA in 2011, I was surprised at the low theft rating. When I mentioned that to the the operator, she said it's one of the lowest theft cars on their books! ... *touches wood* ....

doc · Postby **doc** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:52 pm

chrisearl88 wrote:
I did read a article about these being used for evil in the states. Apparently people were selling motorbikes/cars on craigslist and then stealing them back later (with the spare key they kept) and doing this over and over.

.
.
That is Absolute Rubbish.
In the States, Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles and Boats have a "Title".
Unlike here where we have no proof of ownership what-so-ever.
You cannot sell a Vehicle in the States without a free and clear Title.

chrisearl88 · Postby **chrisearl88** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:39 pm

doc wrote:
chrisearl88 wrote: You cannot sell a Vehicle in the States without a free and clear Title.

That is absolute rubbish. See first paragraph http://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Publ ... ehicle.asp
And further down "What Can I Do If I Purchase a Vehicle Without a Title?", something along these lines happened to a naive friend from the states.
In QLD checking ownership if buying a private used car is the buyers burdon, a wise move is to obtain a Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) certificate, if buying from a dealer they must guarantee free and clear title.

Tracker wise I like the idea of not having to deal with insurance (although theft is no excess for Shannons). I recall that jaycar sell them for $150 and includes an engine kill if you wire it up that way and you can start a microphone and listen in. Also can be setup to sms you if the car goes over a set speed, so when leaving it with the mechanic/tyre shop you know if they have taken it for a joyride.