The worst nightmare has come true...

[Aptyp]

L O L

Sucks for the car though, press charges, fight insurance for repairs.

[Sean]

Awww...man, that's terrible. I think I'd fall into a deep deep depression if this happened to me. Specially since I only have liability. :(

[george graves]

Please let me know how that goes, I would be very interested. I would even upgrade my phone if it's necessary. Great idea.

You need a $20 prepaid phone, a $10 a month text message plan, a raw GPS receiver, and a microcontroller. Total cost is ~$100-$150 to start, then it's just $10 a month. You can program it automacially send you messages, or only when you send it a message. You can make it do anything you want by sending it different messages - for example, you could text message the car to unlock the doors. Start the car. Turn on the AC. Kill the ignition, ect.

http://www.opengpstracker.org/

[TDE30]

You need a $20 prepaid phone, a $10 a month text message plan, a raw GPS receiver, and a microcontroller. Total cost is ~$100-$150 to start, then it's just $10 a month. You can program it automacially send you messages, or only when you send it a message. You can make it do anything you want by sending it different messages - for example, you could text message the car to unlock the doors. Start the car. Turn on the AC. Kill the ignition, ect.

http://www.opengpstracker.org/

Sounds like a crap load of wiring, yes? So, I'd have to buy another phone or could I use my current phone (LG VX9800)? I believe my phone does have GPS tracking.

[george graves]

You need a phone that will communicate with the micro controller. The phone above is what you would buy. It's a prepaid.

You can just stick a cell phone in your car that has GPS that will talk to other phones to tell you "where your dot is" but then it won't control anything. And the thief would spot the cell phone anyways, and chuck it out the window or turn it off.

With this, the microcontroller "talks" to the GPS module, then passes the info to the cell phone. When your "car" gets a message, the cell alerts the microcontroller, it reads the message, and based off a list of pre-programed instructions, it figures out what you want to do. The microcontroller can then turn on or off relays, servos, ect...

It would be no different than wiring a car alarm - do a hidden install, and you're golden.

[TDE30]

Hmm, interesting. I'd have to carry around two phones, but it's obviously much better than carrying around one and not having a car.

I looked at all of the submenus on the site, most of it seems like third century Latin to me, but I'll have to contact them and tell them exactly what I am looking for.

[george graves]

No - one phone(cheap pre-paid $20 phone) is installed in your car permanently. You then send text messages to it (the phone installed in your car) form any cell phone, or computer. Maybe I'm not explaining this well. (sorry for the thread jacking)

[TDE30]

No - one phone(cheap pre-paid $20 phone) is installed in your car permanently. You then send text messages to it (the phone installed in your car) form any cell phone, or computer. Maybe I'm not explaining this well. (sorry for the thread jacking)

Ah, got it. Makes a bit more sense when you put it like that.

[Jean]

You need a $20 prepaid phone, a $10 a month text message plan, a raw GPS receiver, and a microcontroller. Total cost is ~$100-$150 to start, then it's just $10 a month. You can program it automacially send you messages, or only when you send it a message. You can make it do anything you want by sending it different messages - for example, you could text message the car to unlock the doors. Start the car. Turn on the AC. Kill the ignition, ect.

http://www.opengpstracker.org/

Thanks for the link!

[Money$hit]

I cant believe this technology like an easy way to GPS track your car hasnt been invented. Im kinda unfamiliar with how lojack works as well.

Whats stopping someone from selling GPS modules that you put in your car and setting up some web based application? Then you can get on your PC, find where your car is, thus allowing you to exact some good old American justice on the fucks who stole it.

[george graves]

LoJack IIRC send out a signal that the police can use a handheld device to locate. It doesn't use GPS.

I believe that OnStar and the like will track a vehicle. In 2009, they will add a feature to slow the car down if it is reported stolen.

No of that matters if it's a high value car - they are usually in a shipping container by the time the owner realizes its' gone. And a device in a sealed shipping container, can't send out a signal - the metal walls block it.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Wire it up with a car charger into a solid charging source as well. This is one sick setup george.

[george graves]

No need - the device will run for about 15 days on 3 AA batteries - but I won't be using batteries - maybe as a back up, it will run of the car's battery just fine.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Yeah, I meant use the cell charger wired into direct power via battery. I guess I didn't elaborate my statement. Speaking for the cheapo prepaid cell phone portion, not the GPS operations.