As mentioned in another thread on vehicle trackers, I recently fitted a GPS tracker to my 2002 FF Vogue. I'm not going to give full details here, but I will give an outline with a few pictures.

The tracker was fitted behind the carpet on the right hand side of the boot, this was done to get access to the fuse box with the control for the fuel pump and fused feed / ignition feed. The microphone for listening in was fitted in the light fitting in the centre of the roof, from where a feed was taken to detect when the doors are open.

A siren (not pictured) was fitted just behind the removable cubby hole below the fuse box.

The tracker is a TK103B widely available from Amazon. I modified the fuse box to enable fitting of the relay to control the fuel pump and to use a spare fuse for the fused feed. The vibration sensor is fitted above the fuse box, where it isn't really visible but can be reached to change the sensitivity if required.


Microphone fitted inside the ultrasound sensor housing where it can hear sounds from the car interior.


GPS antenna mounted near the window, this is covered by the piece of trim usually but stays upright and gets a good signal.


Here you can see the shock sensor and GPRS antenna, view from outside through the side window.


This photo is looking upwards behind the trim where the boot light is fitted, showing the location of the unit. I fitted mine with some very strong double sided tape but there is room to get in to screw it in place. It isn't easy to get to, but that isn't required once fitted. The sim card can be topped up online and the balance viewed without taking the sim out of the tracker.


The modified fusebox in place, all mods are internal so swapping is very quick, you can see the fuel pump cutoff relay on the left hand side (black one) and the 1A fuse in position 13 for the feed. The unit has a battery backup and will send an alarm by SMS if power is lost.


This is a screenshot from the tracking software, the GPRS mode is turned on by SMS from an authorised phone number, so no danger of anybody getting my username/password and logging in to turn my car off. Once GPRS is enabled I can track the car online or disable / enable the car. You can track multiple vehicles, I have one fitted to one of my other cars and will be fitting more in the future.

MC

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

Good stuff

Two things:

1. Where did you find an ignition feed on the RHS. I understood everything there was live all the time.....

2. Link to the kit on Amazon ? .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tracker-Tracking-D...B009ZCEBOK

is it this one?

or,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Realtime-Tracker-S...34-5389300

There are many people who sell them on Amazon, but some are older models which don't have the low power sleep mode. The one I got is this one, which is the latest hardware.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CQ0Z...&psc=1

The vibration sensor is available on its own for a few quid.

There is an ignition feed in to the fuse box, so I just wired that through to unused pins on the 24 way connector and took it out from there.

MC

 .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Just playing devils advocate here, but what guarantee do you have that the tracker you have fitted is not having the location sold off to some dodgy car crooks? Surely it's better to have a tracking device fitted professionally?

Forgive my ignorance but can FFRR be driven off by thieves easily, I hadn't even thought of extra security ?

Thanks Mick.

PaulTyrer wrote:

Just playing devils advocate here, but what guarantee do you have that the tracker you have fitted is not having the location sold off to some dodgy car crooks? Surely it's better to have a tracking device fitted professionally?

I control the sim card for the tracker. At any time I can log in to the account with the sim provider and see to which numbers the card has sent SMS messages, I can also see if the GPRS has been used. I leave the GPRS turned off unless I am tracking it online. This stops anybody hacking the website, logging in as me and turning my car off remotely. GPRS mode has to be activated by an SMS message from one of a maximum of 5 numbers programmed in to the unit and also requires a 6 digit password.

You can't unlock or start the car remotely, so there are no possible reductions in security with the system.

Because I fitted the unit myself, only I know which car it is fitted on and where I live, there is of course a slim chance that the manufacturer could activate the tracker and send the information to somebody else, this would tell them where the tracker is, but they have no idea what it is attached to. No criminal in their right mind would pay for information on where 'a car' is, I passed loads of them on my way to work, and there is a good chance that they didn't have trackers fitted. If they did this I would see it on the sim card info, unless they can transmit on the telephone network without it registering, in which case I assume they would find better uses for their technology than this.

Many of the more expensive professional systems use RF transmitters for locating the unit using a radio receiver without needing the telephone network. This system is turned on outside of the owners control. Not only that, but the people who fit the tracker know exactly what car the system is fitted to and probably where you live. Surely there is more scope for mischief on the professional side than on the DIY side.

I am not away of there being a big issue with FFRR theft, no more than any other car where the thief can break in to a house and take the keys. But this system with enough credit for me to send a text message from the unit to test it every month for the next 20 years cost me a total of about £50 and a few hours of my time to fit, so small risk small outlay in my mind. I wouldn't have bothered with one which costs me hundreds of £ to fit and £150 or whatever per year for keeping it activated.

There are also uses for parents tracking kids cars, you can set it to alarm over certain speeds or outside certain areas, so easy to keep track on where your family are. Not an issue for me, my lad is only 4

I have been on Porsche, BMW, and Clio forums where people have had their cars stolen, it seems these days that a common way to do it is to take the car, park it up within a few miles and wait a few days. If that happens there is a VERY good chance of getting your car back. Besides, I really like the idea that if some scrote takes the car I can remotely disable the car to stop them getting any further away, not just see where they are.

MC

So are you running it off a payg sim? How much data does it use to report back, or is it just SMS texts send at regular intervals (when activated) V8 or else ...

I am using Giffgaff. Texts cost me 6p each. The quantity of data is tiny so the charges are very low. I have been playing around with mine loads and have managed to use up £4 of credit. You can track just by SMS if you want to. I guess it depends on whether you have access to a PC at the time or not.

MC