Recommendations and advice for portable vehicle trackers
It's not possible to transmit data without network connection. To connection to the network, device needs to have a SIM card, unless it's a CDMA. Most devices use GSM network, so you have to have a SIM card.
Thank you for the quick reply Anton. I thought that this might be the case.
Any words on the difference in the advantages / disadvantages of the OBD2 Dongle and the portable device?
By portable you mean a device with internal battery? It makes sense to use those for personal tracking. OBD is probably better option for vehicle tracking because you just connect it to the OBD socket it takes power from the vehicle. Also, some/most OBD devices can report additional data (e.g. RPM, odometer etc).
Hi tr3vi0,
I'm in the exact same boat as you are, so I can share some of my findings if you'd like. I would appreciate it if you would do the same.
Because of the ease of installation I also turned to OBD trackers. I have purchased 4 different models so far, ranging from no-name cheap-ass dongles to ones costing 6 times as much. So far, it seems that you do get what you pay for, so it really depends on what your end goal is. Personal (as in non commercial tracking) of a car? The cheap one might do just fine. But if you're going the commercial route, those probably won't do. So do you mind telling what your goal is?
Regards,
Bas
@Anton, correct. I was referring to the devices with the internal battery where you could place the device in a car, backpack, etc. and to track where it is. I would believe that the tracking abilities of the OBD and the portable devices would be the same?
Of course a benefit of the OBD, as you pointed out, is that it would be plugged into the car and would receive a constant charge.
@baZzz, I would be open to starting a dialogue with you to share our information and discoveries. I am looking to track multiple vehicles for a project that I am working on. Which devices have you tried out? Where are you located? How can I best contact you outside the forum?
@tr3vi0 The forum doesn't support PM messages and I don't want to make it too easy for spammers :-), so you can drop me a line on this (temporary) address: gexaze@9me.site. I'll reply with my real details and we can carry on the conversation elsewhere.
I searched the forums and found the post from Anton about the supported ODB devices:
Meitrack TC68
Meitrack TC68S
Atrack AX5
Atrack AX5C
Atrack AX7
GPS306B
TK306B
And I would like to ask if anyone has any information about the prices of these devices. I have received a response from ATrack about their new AX9 product but the price seems rather high. It would be great to know a rough benchmark about the "above average" devices.
@Anton, is it safe to assume that the AX9 OBDII / J1939 Plug and Play Tracker would be supported by your system?
Thank you again for such a great forum!
It is likely that it will work, but to be absolutely sure I need protocol documentation.
I am trying to setup AX9 with traccar but this is what I get from the log file
2019-02-08 10:09:31 INFO: [8e8b9306: 5044 < 172.58.67.36] HEX: fe02000140d0783f38fd0009And the device stays offline
Hi Everyone,
I have done some digging through the forums but I haven't found a thread to specifically answer my questions. Maybe there is already a thread that I have missed and if there is please feel free to link it.
I am searching for portable tracking devices to track multiple vehicles but the device must not have to be installed into the vehicle. I am currently checking out the OBD2 Devices, with and without SIM cards, and the portable units, with and without SIM cards.
The main priority is to track the GPS position. Being able to have all the other outputs (mileage, fuel consumption, etc.) is an added bonus. I have checked the list of the supported devices but this leads me to my second question, 2. what are the benefits / disadvantages of having a device with/without a SIM card? I need the unit to transmit the GPS data itself and not to rely on any other device, ie. smartphone.
Any and all feedback, answers are welcomed.
Does anyone have any personal favourites that they are using?