Recommendations for GPS Boat Tracker?

[Razorfish]

I am thinking of fitting a GPS tracker to my boat while she is out on the mooring this season. There seem to be a variety of car/asset GPS trackers out there with an equal number of subscription or data charges. Do any of the forumites have experience using these devices and services.

Things I want from it are:
Geofencing (to alert me if the boat moves from mooring)
Tracking if it does move
Low running cost/annual subscription
Battery powered

Thanks in advance.

 

[ianj99]

I had one from Amazon a few years ago. It had all the features and did not need a subscription* as it simply sent you a text if there was a problem. It also had a input for a microswitch which I fitted to the pilothouse door and a microphone so you could hear an intruder though not tell him to FO!

I think this was it:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tracker-Ve...System-Model-TK103A/dp/B003XDN58K/ref=sr_1_15

* It did of course need a phone sim and Giffgaff was the cheapest back then.

 

[paulajayne]

An anchor alarm app on a spare phone will do what you require.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.webmajstr.anchor&hl=en_GB

 

[ottow]

This one is what I use: https://www.topkodas.lt/modules.php?name=Products&pa=showpage&pid=51
Does all you ask for, as well as a lot more.
I have mine wired to the float switch on the bilge pump, so I get a text if it starts.
They can be bought directly from the manufacturer, or via eBay.

 

[mlines]

Bought a £15 one from Ebay and a GiffGaff sym. Fully works with SMS messages but if you want more you can connect it to a Traccar public server for free or if you are more technical, build your own Traccar server. Here is my £15 tracker working into my free Traccar server last weekend.

 

[Razorfish]

I like the bilge pump alarm idea for a boat out on a mooring. Thanks ottow!

 

[Razorfish]

Nice one, not going to break the bank either. Its really worth getting one if they are this sort of price and the PAYG sim charges are worth peace of mind.

 

[LadyInBed]

THIS ONE looks like it can be activated by noise ie Boat Alarm, so would act as a intruder notification.
Is that a common feature, as it could act as an intruder notification.

 

[Sea Devil]

I think what you probably need is AIS transceiver and kill to birds with one stone!

Friends of mine have theirs wired in and permanently switched on and the box of tricks is hidden somewhere in the boat and they can´t find it! Therefore from any device they can see where their boat is all the time via Vesselfinder or other similar websites

 

[ShinyShoe]

I think what you probably need is AIS transceiver and kill to birds with one stone!

Friends of mine have theirs wired in and permanently switched on and the box of tricks is hidden somewhere in the boat and they can´t find it! Therefore from any device they can see where their boat is all the time via Vesselfinder or other similar websites

No actually I don't think it really meets the OP's requirements. I can see the concept of trying to kill two bird with one stone.

But - provided his mooring has at least 2G mobile coverage he'll get more robust coverage with a tracker.

- AIS would in theory allow alerts if your boat leaves its mooring but unless you subscribe to marine traffic (for a fee) you are limited to a few alerts per month. Alerts are by email so if you want something more active you then need to connect the email to a phone service.

- AIS is telling everyone that the tracker is there all the time. So someone who had pre-meditated a theft could board your boat and disable it. They might not know where the device is - but 30 seconds with some wire cutters and I can chop both its potential power supply and the antenna. I will know of success by means of checking marine traffic. Meanwhile the OP doesn't get notified of a lack of signal, and might discover it by chance, but is unlikely to go and investigate... (because)...

- Marine Traffic data is mostly crowd sourced data - some receivers switch on and off depending on what the owner is doing. There is limited resilience.

- No ability to do any of the extras people have suggested like a bilge alarm.

Plenty of cheap motorbike/car trackers that use a SIM card. Giff Gaff keeps your credit as long as you make one (chargable) call a quarter from it, I'd want one that will let you send texts to one or more numbers on movement, can send position updates (although I think the mapping is less important - you just want to be able to send a text and ask 'where are you now' and it reply! and there are some that use an "ignition on" sensor to activate an alarm - which I'd use for the bilge alarm through a float switch. You can also get some with "fuel pump off" to immobilise a car. Not sure how I'd use that on a boat. But effectively it would let you trigger a relay which you could chose if that is opening or closing a circuit.... so could switch something on or off. I'd rather track my stolen boat that switch the engine off and cause a problem that resulted in a total loss...

I think AIS is a different beast...

-

 

[Sea Devil]

You are probably right. I never have much on board worth stealing but somebody going off with the boat would be a pain which is why I thought the AIS solution was possible but I take your point about just cutting the cable to the gps antenna.

 

[GTom]

Signed up for the topic! Solar powered cattle trackers, especially with 4g/LTE capability seem interesting, bit pricey though:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4G-3G-Sola...hash=item4d9216c2bc:m:mqsTuCOKTcjMLziJpYuHKVA

2G only stuff is a lot cheaper but have to check coverage in the target area.

 

[LadyInBed]

Signed up for the topic! Solar powered cattle trackers, especially with 4g/LTE capability seem interesting, bit pricey though:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4G-3G-Sola...hash=item4d9216c2bc:m:mqsTuCOKTcjMLziJpYuHKVA

2G only stuff is a lot cheaper but have to check coverage in the target area.

A lot more than the one I kinked to in #8 !

 

[Shuggy]

I’ve got a couple of these in cars. £32 each then a Giffgaff 2G SIM in each. Battery lasts for ages or you can buy an adapter and hard wire/hide:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/173609198770

 

[Razorfish]

I’ve got a couple of these in cars. £32 each then a Giffgaff 2G SIM in each. Battery lasts for ages or you can buy an adapter and hard wire/hide:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/173609198770

Looks similar to the one that I have just bought. Seems to work fine for what I need.

Thanks all!

 

[c.buck]

I heard that AIG give you a yacht tracker on yachts over a certain value. Linked with an app, geofencing, intruder alerts, battery monitors, bilge pump alerts, immobilisation and gps tracking apparently!