I would like, if needed, to be able to track my own vehicle online when others are using it. I don’t have the money to afford expensive solutions. I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience with DIY GPS tracking.
I found this online, and wondered if anyone has tried it, and/or if there are any similar solutions? I don’t own a smartphone or know much about GPS, so I can’t even evaluate if this is technically feasible/credible… http://www.instamapper.com/diy.html
Whats your definition of expensive? Here is a 150-170$ garmin product that does what you want. It also includes a free year of service. After that I think you can buy service for 5$ a month, but you’ll have to confirm that for yourself.
While I don’t know the laws regarding this, I hope those using the vehicle are informed as to your tracking device and sign a statement that they are aware. Not informing them seems fraught with legal peril.
Actually, an increasing majority of new vehicles come with GPS tracking and reporting, including speeds driven at, etc. I don’t see where it is any different than my phone, laptop, or pet’s collar having GPS tracking. The device is legal, the service is legal, and the property is (entirely and solely) legally mine, so I think if anything it comes down to the purpose of the tracking.
If I want to know where my teenager is after curfew when they won’t answer their phone- then I don’t think there’s any issue. Or if I’m an employer who owns the vehicles and does fleet tracking, or I have an elderly parent that drives my car and I have concerns about dementia.
I know there are electronic stalking laws, but unless you are using the device to track your cheating significant other to find them and beat the hell out of them- I don’t see it as a concern. This is not like hacking online accounts, recording their phone calls, or surreptitiously videotaping someone in the shower- where somebody has an expectation of privacy. According to this article, “California and Texas, unlike most states, ban many uses of GPS trackers without consent, with exceptions for law enforcement and car owners.” (bolding added)
Thanks for the other input. I don’t need to actually track live, so stored reports would be fine- I’m just trying to avoid a high-priced device or service commitment (annual contract) if possible, as I expect to only need this short-term for a specific purpose then the need will be gone.
People are playing fast and loose with concepts which makes advice confusing.
GPS does not mean “magic”. Let’s start with that. Let’s make some concepts clear.
A GPS receiver only receives GPS signals which allow it to determine its geographical position. It does not transmit anything, much less to GPS satelites, and it cannot communicate with the outside world in any way. So there is no way to be sitting at home communicating with a GPS receiver which is somewhere else.
But pretty much all GPS receivers can keep track of where they have been by storing this information internally and you can later access this information on the device itself or by downloading it to another computer or mobile device. I do not know any GPS receiver which does not have this capability and you can probably buy a used older model on ebay for close to nothing.
I have a very old hand-held Garmin which I carry during my travels and which I later plug into the computer and show my tracks on Google Earth. I have tracks of my travels for the last 15 years or so and they make for great memories together with photos and video.
Then you have devices which besides including a GPS receiver have some way of communicating with the outside world and sending their position out. The most common way to do this is via SMS. These devices are often used to keep track of fleets of vehicles, pets, lone workers, etc. But if you program such a device to send its position via SMS every five minutes you are going to be paying for a lot of SMS so normally these services are package deals which include the service at lower price from the phone company. Having a device is not enough, you need to contract for the service. Obviously cell phone coverage is needed for this to work.
If you want to know in real time where your daughter or your dog are that is going to be more complicated and expensive than if you just want to know where they went last night which can be done with any GPS receiver which stores its tracks.