In Light of Marv's Stolen Car, My security solution and recommendation Options

[narino]

@Robarabian I bought the TK905B and hardwired it. I'm still figuring stuff out, but I got it to reply back. Through the app I set the admin phone number and other things. But when I see GPS mode it says 30sec. Does this unit go to sleep on its own, or is it refreshing constantly every 30secs?

Thanks!

[jim_hoyland]

I’d like to see more about the set up procedure from those who recently completed the process (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[trojanhorsepower]

https://www.hagerty.com/media/advice/a-few-...u-steal-my-914/

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Robarabian]

In the app, look for "work mode setting" you can set it to basically sleep and come on when you want; every 30 minutes, or live tracking...


For those asking more about setup, Like I said in the original post, it is easier to email the company and let them basically set it up for you with a few emails or live chat. You can do it yourself, but it is just easier to let them do it.

Basically, the instruction book lists some initiating commands. You put in the SIM card and take it outside and let it find a satellite and GPRS signal. Once the light blinks the right color, you sent it a text message (phone SIM card phone number). It will respond back. Then you send another message that is a little confusing, and it responds back. Basically it is set up from there, but the instructions are quirky.

I took my car to a shop for alignment this weekend and had that sucker slapped on the car. A bit of piece of mind for sure.

@Robarabian I bought the TK905B and hardwired it. I'm still figuring stuff out, but I got it to reply back. Through the app I set the admin phone number and other things. But when I see GPS mode it says 30sec. Does this unit go to sleep on its own, or is it refreshing constantly every 30secs?

Thanks!

[narino]

@jim_hoyland I purchased exactly what Robert laid out SIM card and tracker brand. I opted for the TK905B which has a larger battery than the regular TK905. Also, I had to do a little searching to find the hardwire kit. I didn't see it listed on the website, but found it on amazon. Here is the link to the kit I bought. Amazon Link

You first activate the SIM through the website, very straight forward. After activating through the website you get an email sent to you with your new phone number. Next you place the SIM in the device, which automatically turns on the device. They suggest placing the GPS tracker outside with open sky for better connection, I didn't do that at first and spent half an hour wondering what I did wrong because I wasn't connecting. These devices do not work well under structures. So I sat in our common area rear yard and got the device to connect fine. Once you get the the device to respond to your text command go ahead and install the app for your phone. It's a lot easier than sending commands via text. And that is basically where I'm at.

App seems pretty straight forward and intuitive. Per my question to Robert, I'm still trying to figure out the details of how the device sleeps.

I installed the GPS on my fox mustang as the 914 is still in pieces. Because of all the wiring repair I've done on the 914, the hardwire was easy. Found a ground bolt, then a spliced into the nearest wire that had constant power.

Currently the app says the device is offline. Like I mentioned before, if you are under any structure it will affect it's ability to connect. My car sits in tuck-under parking in a small condo building.

I haven't had a chance to test the geofence I setup around my building. But I hope to do so tomorrow, or this weekend. Overall I'm happy with it. And I do have a sense of relief that I finally have a layer of protection on the car.

Apologies if this sounds rambling. I wanted to reply but am rushing to get back to a deadline.

Oh, last thing, I did take a reading of my battery before installing the device. I'm curious to see how much the voltage changes after a night or two.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[narino]

Here is a good video that shows how to setup the device.
https://youtu.be/22lvq6r3f2M

Also, tech help got back to me quickly. By default the device goes into sleep mode after 5 minutes of being idle.

[Arno914]

Like I mentioned before, if you are under any structure it will affect it's ability to connect.

...that is the "problem" with those trackers. Thiefes know about them and will transport your stolen car in an enclosed trailer completely lined with aluminum foil or something alike. "Faraday Cage". No signal, no matter what tracker is installed. Same goes for a well equipped "shop" where your car is beeing ripped for parts...until then they have discovered your tracker anyways and put it for a ride on the next school bus...

Any thoughts?

[jim_hoyland]

That for the detailed set-up. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Will the tracker detect a car, say, inside a parking structure Or only detect the car if it leaved the parking structure ?
@narino

[ClayPerrine]

Like I mentioned before, if you are under any structure it will affect it's ability to connect.

...that is the "problem" with those trackers. Thiefes know about them and will transport your stolen car in an enclosed trailer completely lined with aluminum foil or something alike. "Faraday Cage". No signal, no matter what tracker is installed. Same goes for a well equipped "shop" where your car is beeing ripped for parts...until then they have discovered your tracker anyways and put it for a ride on the next school bus...

Any thoughts?

@Arno914 You have to remember, no car is theft proof. If someone wants the car bad enough, they will get it.

Years ago, I worked near a BMW dealer in Arlington, Texas. They kept losing brand new high end BMWs off the fenced lot overnight. The fence was 10 feet tall topped with razor wire. They had dobermans running the lot at night as well.

The perps had a brick truck with a hoist on it. They would drive the truck down the alley at the back. One guy would throw ground beef balls mixed with peanut butter over the fence to distract the dobies, and then ride crane on a sling over the fence. They would put straps around the car, and lift it out of the lot and onto the brick truck. The truck had bricks around the outside edge of the truck to hide the car. They would hit that dealer 3 times a night.

The only reason they got caught was the cops stepped up patrols of the area and caught them with a car suspended in mid air over the fence.

Bottom line is you can't make your car impossible to steal. But what you can do is make it harder to steal than the other guy's car down the street. Thieves are lazy, and they will normally go with the easy score.

Clay

[Robarabian]

Which is what you want... it sleeps till it senses movement then awakens and you track.

And for the "Faraday cage" comment, it is true, you can block a signal, but you can track it to the last known location of the signal... leads are everything in car theft recovery.

@Jim_hoyland they will to some degree but without a good cell signal or GPS signal, no. You get to the location it was last seen. My son is in school in San Diego. I can track to his campus parking structure, and then back to his residential structure.

Dont be concerned about sleep mode, you want the battery to last as long as you can without a hard wire setup. Also, you dont want constant battery drain if it is hard wired. It awakens with the force of movement....

Here is a good video that shows how to setup the device.
https://youtu.be/22lvq6r3f2M

Also, tech help got back to me quickly. By default the device goes into sleep mode after 5 minutes of being idle.

[FlacaProductions]

As to battery use/hardwire - mine is set up on a switched circuit so that it gets charged when the vehicle is running. you get a battery status as part of any text alert so it's easy to note. If it gets really low, you can always just bring it in and plug it in to top it up - a couple of hours, max.

[jim_hoyland]

Thanks for posting the Video link; it explains well:
https://youtu.be/22lvq6r3f2M

[cali914]

Thanks for the video i did not know these devices were that affordable.

[narino]

Got to test the system yesterday. Got into the car normally and started it up, within a few seconds I recieved a shake alarm via text. The second alert ,geofence "out", also triggered within a few seconds of leaving the boundary. So far, I am really pleased with the system. Is it perfect? No. But for the low cost, it does more than enough for me.

I'm also planning on using this in conjunction with a kill switch. Yes, those aren't perfect either. I'm not looking for the perfect no fail security, just something that will make it harder for the average car theif. And hope they give up and walk away. Or give me enough time to go check on the car and scare said theif away.

Here is a page I book marked years ago. It's an old school way of making a kill switch that works with a magnet (reed switch). You wave the magnet near the switch to close the circuit. No visible switch for someone to find if they know what they are looking for.

https://www.fordforumsonline.com/threads/ho...t-switch.30204/

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