Advice 4 Global GPS tracking on our rigs needed

[The Jade Bean]

I wanted to see if anyone had some experience with global GPS tracking for cars. We are going to be shipping one of our work/expo rigs to Honduras and we would really like to equip it with a global real-time GPS device.

I'd like to be able to keep an "eye" on our workers so we know what and where our rigs are via web. Also seems like it would handy if it was stolen. I'd like it to be self maintaining as I don't want our workers to have to touch it. Thanks in advance for any help you have!

-Daniel Kent

 

[Tapage]

Dunno the Honduras case .. but here we have local companies offering that service .. actually it's pretty common for big CO. like Coke or Milk companies ..

 

[The Jade Bean]

Yeah I've seen a lot of options on the web, but I wanted to see if anyone has personal experience with a particular model and or service.

-Daniel Kent

 

[The Jade Bean]

Bump for advice from personal experience with a brand and or company. Thanks!

-Daniel Kent

 

[TexasJack]

Here is a cheap option that I think will work. Buy an iPad3. Buy an Otterbox and install the iPad in the Otterbox. Buy and install a Ram Mount in your Landcruiser. Load a software package that has global maps...they are available for the iPad. Purchase an external bluetooth GPS unit that you can mount on the dash and plug into the vehicle's electrical setup. Also plug in your iPad. The software will link into the external GPS unit and your global maps will use it instead of the phone company's positioning system.

I used this setup recently in Colorado and it tracked me perfectly through the mountain trails around Ouray and Silverton. I didn't have phone service of any type so it was definitely using the external GPS source....besides, I don't have access to the phone system for my iPad.

This is an awesome setup. It is reasonably hardened so nothing should happen that will break it.

If you show up at the Lone Star Landcruiser meeting tomorrow night, I'll show mine in action.

 

[The Jade Bean]

If you show up at the Lone Star Landcruiser meeting tomorrow night, I'll show mine in action.

Cool. I should be there, but I won't be in our 4R I'll be riding my Christmas present that I got from my wife!





-Daniel Kent

 

[merryweather]

Cool. I should be there, but I won't be in our 4R I'll be riding my Christmas present that I got from my wife!

-Daniel Kent

Sweet ride Daniel! BMW Touring? I'm a big fan of the old BMW R/90s from the lates 70s.

I'd be interested to see what you come up with, I'd like to eventually do something in my rig. Although, the iPad setup sounds pretty cool.

 

[The Jade Bean]

Sweet ride Daniel! BMW Touring? I'm a big fan of the old BMW R/90s from the lates 70s.

I'd be interested to see what you come up with, I'd like to eventually do something in my rig. Although, the iPad setup sounds pretty cool.

Thx! Pretty stocked the wife agreed to it. It's a BMW R1200GS (Adventure enduro model), used 2008 w/16k on the clock. It'll be going down to HN eventually to concur the mountains there.

The iPad is a very cool idea and I look forward to seeing TexasJack's setup, but I really need something that can be hidden under the dash out of sight.

-Daniel Kent

 

[The Jade Bean]

TexasJack I didn't get to see your setup at the meeting because of the auction. I'd like to see it at the next meeting and I should be driving the Hilux next time which is what I need the GPS tracker for.

-Daniel Kent

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

SPOT

http://www.findmespot.com/en/

 

[EOE_overland]

I wanted to see if anyone had some experience with global GPS tracking for cars. We are going to be shipping one of our work/expo rigs to Honduras and we would really like to equip it with a global real-time GPS device.

I'd like to be able to keep an "eye" on our workers so we know what and where our rigs are via web. Also seems like it would handy if it was stolen. I'd like it to be self maintaining as I don't want our workers to have to touch it. Thanks in advance for any help you have!

-Daniel Kent

Looks like OP looking for something more like LOJACK? Spot has to be initiated at least every 24hrs for full time tracking. And it has to be left/kept in the vehicle.

 

[ColoCruiserJeff]

OP-


I owned a trucking company for a number of years...and tracking the vehicles across the country was vital for me as a small business owner.

I used a company called AVLocate. Check em out online. They've changed ownership a time or 2 since I was a customer...but the devices were cost effective, and tracking exact locations with 5 minute intervals - as well as live tracing was awesome! I could even disable the vehicle remotely, should the need arise.

Best of luck!

 

[Fighthard]

Lot of personal experience with this...

You can use a variety of low or high profile techniques.

For higher profile visibility, you can use Commtech or Qualcomm rental units and monitoring. This technology is visible real time and the monitoring can be done from anywhere that you have Internet access.

For lower profile, the hidden iPad/iPod or international iPhone that is wired into the vehicles harness and has the GPS activated with real time tracking app works. You can also use a hidden or disguised SPOT or GPS tracking unit for covert surveillance. Cost is about $300 for the cheapest most reliable devices.

Hope this helps.

 

[The Jade Bean]

Thanks everybody! We were just discussing it again and we determined we really need one so now I just need to start calling companies listed.

-Daniel Kent

 

[NLXTACY]

Before committing to anything, consider the limitations of GPS, like line of site. GPS doesn't like cargo containers. We tried

 

[Megadoomer]

Couldn't you just put a smart phone in the truck with latitude running and you can track it on your phone. The droid2 global will jump on most networks while outside the US. Also you don't even need service to run GPS on smart phones. I use an old phone with a speedometer app in my 55 now until I get a new speedo.

 

[The Jade Bean]

Couldn't you just put a smart phone in the truck with latitude running and you can track it on your phone. The droid2 global will jump on most networks while outside the US. Also you don't even need service to run GPS on smart phones. I use an old phone with a speedometer app in my 55 now until I get a new speedo.

You don't need service to use GPS...I didn't know that. My thinking with a smart phone is it would likely need maintenance (updated) at some point and if I'm not there I don't want my workers knowing where it is.

-Daniel Kent

 

[Surfy]

I think you look for something like this:

Delorme Inreach - a Satelitte 2 Way Messager

You can use it with your smartphone for sending and receiving short messages, livetracking, over the satelite network...

With that you dont need a Satphone in very remote areas.. You can configure it too that way, that you can start the "where are you" within the browser - so you dont need so much battery...

http://blog.delorme.com/category/android/

This device give our family and friends some safety - during our transafrica... We was able to update the blog this way (email 2 blog) - and they know where we are, and we was able to provide a short message what is happen...

And you can call for help if needed (GEOS).

Surfy

 

[The Jade Bean]

Thanks Surfy...I'll check that out!

-Daniel Kent

 

[e9999]

There are a number of commercial solutions intended to monitor kids driving.

think about the possibility that the improvised solutions as in hiding something under the dash may well suffer from transmission issues and that you may need an outside antenna.