Mobile phone Satellite locator

[tarik]

Evening all,

My wife had just had a programme put into her mobile phone which tracks the location of her son, regardless of where he is so long as he has his phone with him and switched on. Apparently it works via satellite GPS ???

Is there any reason why I could not use a similar system for my Jester jaunt? I'll be relying on GPS for my navigation ( also Sextant) but SWMBO and the family could track me, hopefully not into too many bars.

The programme is called Google Latitude.

What does the Team think??


David

 

[prv]

It'll need mobile phone signal to work, which is conspicuously absent in the middle of the Atlantic.

You'll need something that works by satellite. The one that comes to mind is called a "Spot Tracker", though there may be others.

Pete

 

[charles_reed]

It tracks, roughly, the position of the phone within the cellular system, it probably has nothing to do with GPS. As already pointed out it's only of value within a functioning cellular system.

There are a number of commercial vehicle tracking systems that do use the GPS network, but they are relatively expensive expensive (far more than your boat is worth probably) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_tracking_system

 

[prv]

There are a number of commercial vehicle tracking systems that do use the GPS network, but they are relatively expensive expensive (far more than your boat is worth probably) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_tracking_system

...and probably still need a mobile phone system to report their position.

In any system like this there are two separate communication problems:

1. For the device to figure out where it is. This can be done via phone-tower triangulation or by GPS. The former will work in populated areas, the latter anywhere. GPS chips are pretty cheap these days, so this half of the problem is pretty easy now - pick GPS, work anywhere.

2. Reporting the position back to base. Again, this can use the mobile-phone networks or it can transmit to a satellite. In this case the phone option is fairly easy (although more complex than the GPS option in step 1) but the satellite approach is not. It needs power, a reasonable antenna (not a big dish any more, but still more than a GPS chip needs), and purchased bandwith on the satellites. So satellite systems are available, but not ubiquitous. For a lot of purposes (car-theft trackers etc) mobile-phone comms are good enough because they'll usually be in range of a phone mast.

For tracking a Jester participant, you're going to need satellite both ways.

Pete

 

[tarik]

Thanks Pete,

Your answer explains it all.

best wishes

David

 

[knuterikt]

It'll need mobile phone signal to work, which is conspicuously absent in the middle of the Atlantic.

You'll need something that works by satellite. The one that comes to mind is called a "Spot Tracker", though there may be others.

Pete

On this page you can see how the "Spot" system works.
http://www.yrvind.com/
Interresting web site by the way.

 

[tarik]

Spot tracker

On this page you can see how the "Spot" system works.
http://www.yrvind.com/
Interresting web site by the way.

Thank you for that info - I will make further enquiries, looks very interesting


kind regards


David

 

[Bilgediver]

It tracks, roughly, the position of the phone within the cellular system, it probably has nothing to do with GPS. As already pointed out it's only of value within a functioning cellular system.

There are a number of commercial vehicle tracking systems that do use the GPS network, but they are relatively expensive expensive (far more than your boat is worth probably) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_tracking_system

Not true......

The latest Smart phones DO have a sat nave chip in them and internally log your every move. This information can be harnessed for all sorts and one use is transmitting positions in this log to other users who request it. Beware your wife could be tracking you to some one elses bed

 

[Searush]

Not true......

The latest Smart phones DO have a sat nave chip in them and internally log your every move. This information can be harnessed for all sorts and one use is transmitting positions in this log to other users who request it. Beware your wife could be tracking you to some one elses bed

That's a bit paranoid, but maybe you have reason to fear.

However Google Latitude requires you to set your phone to report your location & also to specify who of your friends can receive the info. Tracking can be by mobile signal alone which is not that accurate, or by using the phone's inbuilt GPS (all smartphones have GPS capability) which will pinpoint where you are.

If you are within internet coverage you can also use the system as a satnav by viewing your own location on either a map or Google Earth.

I use it with close family so we can keep in touch. No use phoning my mobile if I am at home (no reception there) and no use phoning the house if I am out. A quick look at Latitude means we only need to call one number to make contact.

Very useful for boaty mates to link up at weekends too & would eliminate rid of much of the annoying weekend VHF chat. It's a fun programme & free.