Don't get your scooter boosted! Anti-theft GPS tracker for cheapskates

[iridiumblue]

As someone who's experienced the heartbreak of getting my scooter stolen four times over the course of my (admittedly longish life), I finally got a GPS tracker. I didn't want to spend a lot - especially not a big monthly fee. I did a lot of shopping around, and found what I'm pretty sure is the cheapest reliable way to do it. Thought I'd share out the info here (I have no business interest in any of these products.)

First, this GPS tracker, the SinoTrak despite its low price, has performed flawlessly for me for a couple of months:



You can get it on ebay for about $25. Installation is easy, connect it directly to your battery (ignore the orange wire), and mount it somewhere non obvious. The tracker also has its own small battery in case thieves remove the battery right away or simply power is lost.

Next you need a SIM card to put in it. Speedtalk mobile has a plan just for GPS trackers for just $5 a month, no contract, pay-as-you-go. https://www.speedtalkmobile.com/gps-sim-card . Just make sure your area is covered (sorry, Nebraska) : https://www.speedtalkmobile.com/coverage-map .

Here's a key point where other trackers squeeze you for money : You don't need a special app or website to use the tracker. It's all best done by text-message.

When you put $5 on your SIM card, you'll get a phone number for your tracker. You control your tracker via text message from your mobile phone. You can send one code to ask for your current location. In a minute or so you get a text back with a google-maps link to location. It works the same for all the functionality. It's all done by text message. (Do you really want to rely on a data-signal anyway?)

The biggest feature is geo-fencing. You park the bike, and send a text turning on the geo-fence. Then, if somebody removes the bike from that location, the tracker starts ringing your phone over and over again. When you're ready for a ride, another text turns the tracker off.

That's it, hope this helps someone.

Ride safe.