tk 102 and other gps tracking device advice

[skdndy]

i have some questions.if you answer i will be thankful.

1-some say genuine xexun tk 102 cannot find more than 3-4 satellites even without obstacles.how is accuracy

2-is it too hard to add an external gps antenna.i dont know much about electronics.

3-is it too hard to modify/change power source to extend working time?there was a 12000mah battery for tk102 on ebay claiming to last 1 months.this battery can be plugged to usb but if it is not possible how can this be achieved

4-how is tk102 and other gsm trackers accuracy , ability to work with obstacles compared to cell phones.cell phones have agps does it make difference and how reliable cell phone softwares are

5-can you advice other devices with better gps (especially accuracy and ability to work obstacle).max 200$ including shipping.i will only use sms autoreport and perhaps gprs autoreport mode so other modes are not essential.not essential but a well known device would be better so i can find info at forums before and after buying.

[9D280]

Hi, Welcome!

Unfortunately the Xexun website doesn't seem to want to play this morning, but if it's a tracker (as opposed to a navigational device) you need, have a search through the forum, there have been plenty of discussions on this subject in the past.


I can't see the preoduct in detail, but just as an observation, the things you want it to do, would you be better just buying a bigger / better tracker rather than mucking around with one that doesn't do what you need?

As for the 4 satellites, you only need 3 to get a 2D fix. As I assume the police aren't going to be able to do much at 30,000 feet if it's on a 'plane (where the metal body would kill the signal anyway so altitude calcs become irrelevant) 4 should be more than enough, especially if the 4th is the EGNOS / WAAS bird. Also the more satellites, the more maths it has to do, so the battery gets eaten quicker.


There is an argumment that if you want to "play" with it, something like a Garmin 12 off Ebay might be a beter bet?

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by skdndy

i have some questions.if you answer i will be thankful.

Is this for a boat?

[skdndy]

Not for a boat to track my children.So what i need is a device which sends coordinates with sms to a cell phone or with gprs to a website for real time tracking.I searched garmin 12 and it doesnt seems to do that.In case of an abduction the device has to work in a car trunk so 3-4 satellites in clear sky may not be enough.Thanks

[Leapy]

[9D280]

It's probably best to just keep an eye on them like the rest of us as have been doing for the last 3000 years or so!

Forget GPS. No receiver will work in the boot of a car - GPS needs a clear view of the sky.

If you are rich / powerful enough to reckon that's a realistic scenario, forget ribnet - talk to your security people & get a 24/7/365 team of armed bodyguards to follow them around. Anyone who watches movies knows the abductors will leave the tracker where they found your kid or gaffer tape it to a passing pigeon or something.


With that thought I'll leave this discussion.

[Poly]

I have to say I am with 9d280 on this one. Are you just being paranoid? Your children are no less likely to be abducted if you have a covert tracking device. If they are abducted the likely outcome is not good - by the time you even notice they are missing, and alert the authorities, and find the tracker its probably too late to avoid harm - although you might catch a sicko. In reality however, most child abuse and child murder is done by people the child knew.

If you knew your children were always being tracked would it make you more likely to let them wander off? I doubt that increases their chance of being abducted but it might mean that they are at other risk.

If you are really concerned, then a SMART phone running something like google lattitude would give you a very good start for a similar cost (indeed even a £20 tesco's budget phone can be tracked via various websites - without requiring any software on the phone - in a built up area accuracy is probably 100s of m, rather than 20m you might get with GPS - but that might give you some reassurance that they are close (or not)). Of course a phone has the advantage that if the child is old enough they can call for help too (e.g. they may not be "out of area" but they might be hurt!). None of these trackers are significantly smaller than a smart phone.

In my experience the GPS on my phone is just as accurate as the one I use on the boat. It acquires signal in open space just as quickly - and actually seems to be more intelligent when it looses the signal indoors. On top of which it can use available WiFi networks as a way of giving reasonable location info even when GPS is unavailable.

[Leapy]

A bizarre thread this...the user profile says UK based yet the op suggests first langauge not English and he sets a price ceiling for a gps in US$ for a device that will help him locate his kids if they're abducted

And all this on a RIB forum.

Bizarre...interesting in an unusual way, but bizarre

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Leapy

A bizarre thread this...the user profile says UK based yet the op suggests first langauge not English and he sets a price ceiling for a gps in US$

Most American's, though would have made that "$200 US".

Dunno.

jky

[skdndy]

Thanks for answers.I am not from UK it was on the top line of countries list and i didnt think it would matter.I wrote $ because i am planning to buy on ebay.I googled tk 102 forum and rib.net electrics and electronics topic came out so i posted here.