Seriously. This will work. Given the number of thefts and carjackings recently, you'd be mad not to.

Click here or you're daft.

 

Not until the carriers upgrade their networks to enable tracking - it's supposed to be coming.....

 

Turbo Six
I had already had a think about this as a recent advert in Max power advertised a system with a payg phone that you could use to guide you when lost.
I seem to remember rental for the service was 80 quid a year. Obviously for this fee the company concerned must be tracking the mobile phone.
It seemed a small step to use this as a tracking device.
I was thinking that as the phone is installed in the car, a car thief probably wouldnt even know that it was tracking your car.
Of course this also had a value in that you had communication in the car if you or your wife broke down.
I will dig out the article tonight and post the details as it merits further investigation and at 80quid a year is far cheaper and useful than a tracker, dont you think?
Just to clarify the company concerned wasnt offering a tracking device but a service to give you directions from where you are to where you want to go.
Anyone know what I am talking about?
Beastie

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR><B>At manufacture, the car's ECU has a GSM reciever fitted. It has a SIM card just like a mobile 'phone, with its own unique number and all the other whistles and bells.[/quote]

Not wanting to rain on anyone's parade but - this sounds far to general and unlikely to be true - at least for *many* models of car....thoughts anybody?

I have to say that I'll trust my car to Tracker and all the backup/support/police that that involves - worth the "extra" piece of mind

Matt

 

That's my point, they don't yet. but they should. If they can knock out a 'phone for £50 ish it won't make much of a dent in the price of a car.

Also you could download ECU maps by phone like you can those useless ringtones and logos at the moment.

 

One slight downside, as mobile phones can be tracked in this country and the Police have used this information to prove a persons location wrt to a crime, the next logical step will be to track your car's movements and hence average speed could be easily calculated!

Andrew...

 

A good idea, but not that practical if you live in an area where there is virtually no phone reception on any networks. i.e. The Lake District.

 

I like the idea that the earth o/p can be used to operate something remotely. You could disconnect the speedo and the car would go into 'limp home mode' making it very slow, or disconnect the ignition (a bit dodgy as you could hurt oher innocent drivers if scumbag lost control). I do like the idea of operating the lights, horn and hazards flashing though.

F

 

From what I understand of GSM technology and phones the trackign systems are still in their infancy and even then tracking requires triangulation - similar to GPS I think ?!

I've come across another system which involves the use of a PAYG phone - a phone is mounted in the car and if somebody breaks into car / sets of the alarm then the phone is triggered to automatically call you. It's similar to a paging system but the best bit is yet to come ....... whatever you say thru the phone when you are called is relayed through the car speakers - imagine that !!!!!

Think of the fright the little trucking tankers (replace first letter of each word to make two other rhyming ones !) would get to hear somebody shouting at them, if it was me I'd $hite myself and peg it !

:-)

Jai

 

Jai,

Minter. Buy a cheap PAYG handset and some kind of electronic actuator; jubilee clipped to the send button. If the car door is opened, you get a call.

The added bonus is, if you get out there fast enough, you get to give 'um a good hiding as well.

 

Have a look at this