Originally Posted by
xizangstan
Do you know if anyone is any closer to having an actual product that can be purchased for locating a stolen bike? I'm looking for something like a GPS based LoJack for bicycles, that we can install in a discrete place and maybe stand a chance of finding our bikes after the crime is committed.
I keep thinking that with the technology available out there, the bright minds of the younger generation, and the value of our better bikes, we CAN and MUST install locating chips before our bikes disappear!
Here's some things that you can buy now --
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11314
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25332
... and dealextreme does sell several other similar devices.
If you put in a "pay as you go" sim card, this might actually be cost effective.
It's not clear how long the battery will last -- you'll probably have to charge it at least every few days.
And both the GPS and the cell phone part have antennas, so this can't be inside anything metal. Your best bet might be somewhere in your seat?
Turning on the GPS when you need it may not work -- if the bike is indoors when you activate it, the cell phone part will probably work but the GPS part may not. It could be designed so that the GPS could be always on, remembering the location if it loses signal, but that would drain the battery quickly.
Either way, look around on DX's site under their "GPS gadgets" -- they have several similar devices. But using this day to day sounds like a real pain in the neck -- investing in a better lock or bringing your bike inside makes a lot more sense. This is likely to only really be practical if you're planning on your bike being stolen, like if it's a bait bike ...
I should also mention that it's more than a chip. You need a GPS chip, a cell phone chip (or some sort of radio transmitter), all the glue that goes between the two, antennas for both and a battery. The battery will need to be recharged on a regular basis -- if it's dead when your bike is stolen, it's useless. So it can be small, but isn't "a chip" small.
This actually makes a lot of sense for a car -- a big battery is available to power it all, you've got lots of space to hide it, etc. For a bicycle, it's less practical, but still doable.