Need to get a theft tracker fitted to a car. Any ideas on what to go for in addition to the tracker normal one.

Is diy an option?

 

The choice seems to lie between GPS/GSM based systems on the one hand and the long established Tracker™ system which works on VHF. The former can be jammed (some say) and won't work if the car is in a container on its way abroad (some say). I am fairly sure VHF doesn't penetrate metal boxes too! Not sure if your Lotus would go to foreign fields in a box anyway? (Though having said that, your last one went to live in France didn't it.) I tend to the Tracker which inter-operates with the police. I prefer their coverage and call-handling experience to private firms that have arrived on the scene more recently - as have the techno-savvy thieves. I still use my Disclok as deterrent. Removing that would have to seriously damage and reduce the value of the stolen car to the thieves. Also, these days the perps are not tooled up for heavy work anyway.

Judging by this week's Watchdog the use of fob-blasters is still an issue with top end RR, Audi and BMW. They started a BMW X5 'live' on the show after 12 minutes elapsed. Last time Watchdog did a show on this topic it was just BMW and it took them 2 minutes to program a blank key fob for a top end 3 Series. BMW claimed that it was only pre 2012 vehicles and they had sorted the problems. Not so, it seems. Though I suppose they can claim a ten minute 'improvement'

edit: diy, maybe ask your NW garage gang who might be along shortly

 

Its not the lotus.... not really stolen to order those.... now I've said that

Its for another new motor which I know will be attractive to tea leaves. Need to have a plan by end nov. Cheers for the advice

 

Thing is, do you want it back if it has been out of your hands for more than a few minutes?

My advice would be to focus on stopping them getting to the car rather than finding it after it has been nicked (which is more of a benefit to the ins co than it is for you, assuming it's not an ultra rare car).

Somewhere in between, something like this:

http://abacuscaralarms.co.uk/alarmsh...d&productId=41

Another option would be to give up on nice cars, have three sprogs and buy a Zafira.

You'll never need to worry about someone nicking your car again.

 

I have a tracker monitor on my S2000 (it is worth a lot more in bits than I would ever get from an insurance co) ....

But I also have this little android device, Personal GPS Tracker, sitting on my desk that I keep meaning to install in the Jazz .... it is powered by Micro USB and has a SIM slot. I believe you insert a PAYG sim with a bit of credit and at any time you can send it a txt and it replies with it's coordinates.

It is pretty small (45mmx35mmx10mm) so easy to hide in the car and I think it cost me less than £15. Very similar to This

 

Get Tracker Locate - better than the base unit. It uses GSM/GPS and VHF. The base Tracker I think only uses VHF which makes the car harder to locate - GSM/GPS pinpoints the car quicker as opposed to sending police to 'the area'.

Most of the others makes on the market just do GSM.

GSM can be blocked far easier than VHF. Different units are required to block each type of signal apparently.

I have seen a lot of stuff found with Tracker ... and know of a lot of stuff where the car has gone and nothing more is heard - Tracker or no Tracker. If the thief knows where the 'favoured' places are for the fitter to put it then the unit is more at risk of being found quickly as a knowing thief will look. The rarer the car the less likely the thief is to have this knowledge though equally if the car is rare it is far more likely to have been targeted if stolen meaning the thief will have done their homework.

If not the sort of car on Watchdog the other night Audi/BMW/Range Rover a thief is less likely to try and rip half the car apart looking for the Tracker and just leave it parked up say 2 miles from where it was stolen to see if in a couple of days it moved - the theory being if Tracker is on it then the car will be located fairly quickly.

I am a firm believer in Tracker as opposed to other makes - but that is just down to many years ago finding a lot of stuff which had it on. I never found anything courtesy of RAC Trackstar for example (which was only GSM).

I have had Tracker on numerous vehicles but thankfully never needed it. As has been mentioned though, do you want it back if it is stolen ? If an insurance requirement just treat it as an extra 'tax' I guess that gives some peace of mind.

 

Aftermarket immobiliser and one of those anti jacking units would be my choice

Do cars get nicked?

I agree with Gad, having seen the approach i'd not want it back

 

cheers for the tips. Still confused. Its going on a new rr. Didn't spec keyless entry which is one of the big weaknesses. Maybe they sorted out some of the security I have read about on my2015. Prefer not to leave it to chance. Its when its out and about that concerns. Its the missuseesses car so prefer she didn't get stranded/jacked.

 

Hmmm.. So you're in way of warranty too.

These cars lock when you set off so should be safe

 

Anyone fitted a sky tag?