Ask Slashdot: Inexpensive Anti-Theft Vehicle Tracking System? 296
New submitter Chuckles08 writes "I'm about to complete the purchase of an electric scooter that is worth over $5,000. Since I'll be parking it on a college campus, it will be vulnerable to theft. I'd like to install some kind of tracking device on it but the solutions I've seen so far seem quite expensive. Are there any reasonably priced and effective solutions out there? Ideally, I'd like to be informed by text message if my scooter moves without my knowing. I'd like to then track the scooter's movements." And anything small enough to work for a scooter might be very useful for car owners, too.
It's called "Insurance" (Score:5, Insightful)
You won't find a cheaper way to cover the loss and there is no way to prevent it from being stolen for a reasonable amount of money. As it can be lifted into a truck, taken out and dismantled and any anti=theft system defeated before you can finish reading this response...
No good for car (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:It's called "Insurance" (Score:5, Insightful)
I tend to agree with this. I always laugh at people wasting time installing 'the club' on their steering wheel. It jsut screams "Im desperate and have no means to recover from losses."
It's not that it's impossible to dismantle such anti-theft systems but that the anti-theft systems provide enough incentive for the thieves to move on and steal the low hanging fruit. Given two identical cars parked next to each other, where one has a club and the other doesn't, which one will the thief steal?
While you could... (Score:2, Insightful)
While you *could* get a method to track your now stolen scooter, what is the point? Are you seriously gonna retrieve it yourself? Dangerous. Get the police to do it by giving them the data? Difficult as that still requires the police getting a search warrant on probably cause assuming the police would cooperate with you.
Either way, it's an expensive solution that creates alot of hassle if it does get stolen. Quite simply, insurance is your best bet. The relatively low cost and reliability is much better. You know you will get the money if your scooter isn't recovered with insurance. Doing it yourself, you have to deal with the probability of the scooter recovery. Even if you do recover it, you have to deal with the time it took to recover it and the possibility of damage to the scooter during the time it was missing.
Insurance = minor hassle who you know who to complain to if things don't go your way
Your own method = hassle in which you may not even benifit from
Re:you could build something for $130 (Score:5, Insightful)
A Nokia N95 has GPS and it very low power compared to modern phones (week between charges), you get a cigarette charger hooked up to the battery to keep it charged and then write an application that listens for text messages. Upon recent of the text message he phone would text/email it's number. Then all you would need is a water proof case and a pay as you go sim card.
A quick check on ebay shows them going for £40. I'm getting a Honda CBR 600 RR next week I might do this.
Re:Easy! (Score:5, Insightful)
The irony is, we cant do that anymore.
Re:We don't make much of anything anymore (Score:2, Insightful)
"The US is still the largest economy in the world."
Not without California, it isn't, given that California by itself is the like #5-#8 economy on the globe right now.
Re:Easy! (Score:4, Insightful)
used to be? I still will not touch a Piece of Crap american made car. Although that in of it's self is not real. ford,GM and Chrysler cars are made in Canada and assembled in mexico. Part assemblies happen in the us from china made parts.
Honda and Hundai actually are more of a "made in the USA" car than GM or Ford is. Plus they dont do stupid crap like GM.. route the MAIN wire harness out of the cabin right where all spray from the tire will hit so it will corrode out within 5 years. (Grand am 2000-2009, Buick Rondevus, Grand Prix) Or use crap gaskets from china and dexcool crap that eat each other and get water in the oil. (1998-2007 all Gm cars that had the 3400 engine)
Both of the above MAJOR manufacturing/engineering flaws never had a recall.
Yet the 2007 Honda civic I have, I just was sent a letter from honda stating I have a lifetime warranty on my engine for free replacement because some cars had engine blocks that may have a flaw, so to own up to it all honda civic sold from 2006-2007 have a unlimited mileage/ unlimite time warranty on them for engine block cracks or any failures due to this flaw. it will be replaced with a NEW engine.
This is why I will never touch a Piece of crap american car again. The companies refuse to own up to flaws and make things right. BMW, Audi, Honda, subaru, mazda and even KIA have done this in the past. Admit to a problem and make it right to everyone that bought their cars. GM and Ford tell you, "sucks to be you!"
So yes, American made typically means it's garbage.
Re:We don't make much of anything anymore (Score:2, Insightful)