Best GPS setup
#1
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Joined: Apr 2022
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From: SWFL
Bikes: Cannondale Bent 2, Fuji Royale, Mongoose Snare
Best GPS setup
So what's the standard now for anti theft GPS tracking systems for no more than $10/month hardwired to ebike inside the frame with a backup battery that is charged by ebike battery AND offered with a medium rare steak potato broccoli carrots and a beer?
#3
aka Tom Reingold




Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,160
Likes: 6,381
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
I believe GPS units consume energy more than the latest crop of trackers. There are various ones such as the one called Tile. I have experience with Apple Airtags plus one compatible Airtag device. They connect to a nearby iphone, and they secretly tell the iphone (which may belong to a total stranger passing by your Airtag) the location where the Airtag and the iphone met. So if the world gets saturated with iphones, your item will always have its location be known.
One problem with putting anything that uses radio for location is that bicycles are made of metal, and metal attenuates signals. You could hide the tracker inside your frame, but that would make it less useful. When put it in a place that's useful for tracking, you also place it where a thief can see it, remove it, or disable it.
Another problem with these is what to do when you know where your bike is. Suppose you meet your bike with a person on it. Do you assault the person? Detain him and call the police? Knowing where it is, that's a nice thing, even if you're not going to confront your thief, but what is next?
I have an Airtag on my key ring and a wallet card thingy in my wallet. Wouldn't it be nice if they could make one small enough to fit on a pair of eyeglasses? These things are useful to me because I can't find my keys in my home, or I leave it at home and can confirm that it is safe at home. This way I don't have to replace my drivers license and credit cards or change my locks.
One problem with putting anything that uses radio for location is that bicycles are made of metal, and metal attenuates signals. You could hide the tracker inside your frame, but that would make it less useful. When put it in a place that's useful for tracking, you also place it where a thief can see it, remove it, or disable it.
Another problem with these is what to do when you know where your bike is. Suppose you meet your bike with a person on it. Do you assault the person? Detain him and call the police? Knowing where it is, that's a nice thing, even if you're not going to confront your thief, but what is next?
I have an Airtag on my key ring and a wallet card thingy in my wallet. Wouldn't it be nice if they could make one small enough to fit on a pair of eyeglasses? These things are useful to me because I can't find my keys in my home, or I leave it at home and can confirm that it is safe at home. This way I don't have to replace my drivers license and credit cards or change my locks.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#4
Thread Killer

Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII, 23 3T Strada
E-bike manufacturers should be integrating anti-theft systems, since they can, electronically, make a bike unridable when an alarm is triggered. DelFast e-bikes have an excellent alarm system and disabler; adding a Lo-Jack type GPS tracker would be easy and might be nice, but personally, I wouldn’t bother. The bike is heavy enough that the odds of anyone picking it up and loading it in a van (while it’s screaming at 120db) is awfully low.
Knog have an aftermarket bicycle alarm system called Scout, that, while not e-bike specific, not only integrates Apple Find My tracking with a motion alarm, it also sends an alert to the owner’s iPhone app when in Bluetooth range. That’s pretty perfect for my typical scenarios, like a quick cafe stop or end-of-ride biergarten hang.
I really like the idea of deterring a theft a lot more than tracking one.
Knog have an aftermarket bicycle alarm system called Scout, that, while not e-bike specific, not only integrates Apple Find My tracking with a motion alarm, it also sends an alert to the owner’s iPhone app when in Bluetooth range. That’s pretty perfect for my typical scenarios, like a quick cafe stop or end-of-ride biergarten hang.
I really like the idea of deterring a theft a lot more than tracking one.
#5
aka Tom Reingold




Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,160
Likes: 6,381
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
E-bike manufacturers should be integrating anti-theft systems, since they can, electronically, make a bike unridable when an alarm is triggered. DelFast e-bikes have an excellent alarm system and disabler; adding a Lo-Jack type GPS tracker would be easy and might be nice, but personally, I wouldn’t bother. The bike is heavy enough that the odds of anyone picking it up and loading it in a van (while it’s screaming at 120db) is awfully low.
Knog have an aftermarket bicycle alarm system called Scout, that, while not e-bike specific, not only integrates Apple Find My tracking with a motion alarm, it also sends an alert to the owner’s iPhone app when in Bluetooth range. That’s pretty perfect for my typical scenarios, like a quick cafe stop or end-of-ride biergarten hang.
I really like the idea of deterring a theft a lot more than tracking one.
Knog have an aftermarket bicycle alarm system called Scout, that, while not e-bike specific, not only integrates Apple Find My tracking with a motion alarm, it also sends an alert to the owner’s iPhone app when in Bluetooth range. That’s pretty perfect for my typical scenarios, like a quick cafe stop or end-of-ride biergarten hang.
I really like the idea of deterring a theft a lot more than tracking one.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.





