It may sound like something from a Hollywood film, but the ability to determine the exact location of your car or even another person via GPS tracking is a reality…and not that expensive. Basically you have a few options and with different hardware and service levels.
The first from JayCar is a plug and play device for around $150. Easily installed yourself it simply requires a 3G mobile SIM card and connection to a mobile service provider (which could be as low as $10 a month). Tracking using google maps so it’s very straightforward.
Next you can use a combination of hardware and a tracking service like Myionu.com.au – With a subscription of around $30 a month to track your vehicle through their website. This provider also offers an option to rent, rather than own the tracking device.
On the cheap side – Head to eBay and type in GPS car tracker and you will find devices for under $100 that operate by using SMS to send GPS co-ordinates of the vehicle back to you which can then be tracked using google maps.
Finally, a very inexpensive option. Anyone with a Telstra mobile service can subscribe to the Whereis ‘everyone’ service that can allow friends or family to find you easily. This cost for this is around $2.50 per month or can be charged per track.
Keep in mind that you get what you pay for with many of the devices I’ve mentioned and some of the high-end features are worth considering including the ability to cut the car’s ignition and even alert you if it has been driven outside of a set area.
