Yes I have, works really well.
Apple airtags as a tracker?
- Thread starter Kingsimon2000
- Start date
@Tsixty. That Vodafone thing looks spot on - you mention hardwiring it in but do you know if it will power from USB? (rather than just charging - hope that makes sense!). I ask as I bought a cheap GPS tracker from eBay and the only function of the micro USB input was to charge it - for some reason, once charged, the battery simply died after a couple of days even if you left it plugged into a USB charger. I then bought a cheap(ish) Streetwize tracker from Halfords which is permanently plugged into a hidden USB socket in the van which works a treat (apart from the very occasional spurious alert) - no need to worry about it running out of juice and it's cheap to run with a GiffGaff sim card. The Curve looks neater and might be a very viable alternative which wouldn't even be that expensive on a two year contract.
The Curve is charged using a USB cable so I got a hardwire USB socket from ebay and just leave it permanently connected to that. I leave the Curve in power save mode which lasts for about 7 days, in this mode the Curve updates its location every 3 hours only. I always drive the van at least once a week so that keeps it topped up. If the van ever went it would be driving and hence charging and you can swap to real time track mode on the fly using the app. Real time track obviously drains the battery quickly but it would be charging in that event anyway. As a test, I flattened the battery until it turned off, connected it to a power source, it self booted up with no intervention from me and I was able to put it into real time track mode immediately even though the battery was flat, so it was effectively running off the charge cable.
Hope that helps.
Hi TSixty. This sounds like what I’m after. I only have a spare USB that connects to the head unit (the other is from head unit to USB in the dash (Kenwood 8019)) so only charges when head unit is on so not ideal. Can you point me in the direction for the cable you bought from eBay and what did you hardwire it into? Piggyback on another fuse? Cheers.
Forgot the @ sign, @Tsixty
I used one of these I had already got a piggy back fuse ignition switched live from the centre dash fusebox for my dashcam so used the same one.
Cheers @Tsixty . I too have a piggy back fuse for my dashcam. I feel a purchase coming on!
True, but how would they know the piggy is for a tracker? It also has an internal battery so it would keep working for quite a while even if the 12v was removed and that includes disconnecting the main battery.
I do agree that a less obvious power source would be more secure but finding or blocking the tracker would be my first point if call if I was a dodgy character.
Just make sure the unit itself is well hidden.
Following on from my earlier post about tracking software it seems there is quite a bit of interest for a 'how I done it' so I'll look into getting this done soon.
I do agree that a less obvious power source would be more secure but finding or blocking the tracker would be my first point if call if I was a dodgy character.
Just make sure the unit itself is well hidden.
Following on from my earlier post about tracking software it seems there is quite a bit of interest for a 'how I done it' so I'll look into getting this done soon.
Right then,,, now looking at the monimoto device after chatting a biker mate of mine.. going to stick it in the tailgate.. so if it gets lifted and I'm not there then I would get a call / alert..
phantom-uk
Member
It works for me just fine (I posed the same question in another thread), Apple have spent a corporate fortune on researching, designing and manufacturing these Airtags, they are clearly confident in their ecosystem of Apple devices being in the vast majority of places around the world. I agree with a scenario that if you take it to the middle of nowhere, its Bluetooth won’t connect to anything to initiate its whereabouts but to get it to the middle of nowhere, the chances are it’ll pass an Apple device in the vast network of their ecosystem and just like the AirPods, it’ll let you know where it was last “seen” if its disabled/ends up in the middle of nowhere/battery runs out, giving you some idea which way it was heading. If the thief has an Apple device, the tag will let it know there is a rogue tracking device in the vicinity but I believe this happens only after 72 hours, giving the owner of the Airtag time to track and find its location and as long as you hide it well enough, the thief shouldn’t be able to find it.
Low initial cost, no subscription fee and a reliable network of devices to pinpoint its location.
I bought an AirTag to experiment as a ‘tracker’ for the van.
Set it up easily enough and it is paired to my iPhone.
Hid it in the van and tested it.
Whilst my iPhone is travelling with the AirTag (I am driving the van) the tag location is updated in near real time because it is actually the iPhone that is updating its location in the FindMy app.
Pretty accurate down to a few feet too.
The bigger test was when the wife, who doesn’t have an iPhone, drove the van to her work and I watched from home on the FindMy app.
It updated her location sporadically throughout her 20 min journey, presumably as she drove by someone with a iPhone that picked up the tag. She texted me when she arrived and the location was still showing half a mile down the road but within 30mins it had updated to where she parked in her work car park.
Again on the way home I could see she was driving as it updated at various intervals and she arrived home before the tag showed her at home. It updated that she was home much quicker presumably because the tag was picked up by my iPhone.
Observations
The tag has a speaker that plays a chime to help you locate it - not ideal if it is hidden. There are videos on YouTube showing how to disable the speaker easily enough.
The battery apparently lasts a year and the FindMy app reports battery status so wherever it is hidden needs to be accessible to change the battery - CR2032 button cell.
It is not a real-time tracker so won’t show the actual route driven but will provide enough info to locate where it is provided someone with an iPhone goes near it - if it is nicked and dumped down a forest road or in the middle of nowhere you’ve only got the last known location to go by.
The biggest issue is what @Skyliner33 posted here
Post in thread 'Apple airtags as a tracker?'
Apple airtags as a tracker?
If the thief has an iPhone and is near or driving the van they will get a notification telling them there is an AirTag nearby. If you disable the speaker that might help but they will know.
If the thief has an android phone then they can download the official Apple tracker app called Tracker Detect from the Play Store and it will let them search for nearby tags that are separated from their owner.
Conclusion
Better than nothing but not a viable alternative to a proper paid for vehicle tracker. It is all about layers of security and the AirTag can be used as an additional layer, much like a steering wheel lock is another layer, or the CCTV camera I have in my van is another layer.
Don’t ever rely on just one layer
Set it up easily enough and it is paired to my iPhone.
Hid it in the van and tested it.
Whilst my iPhone is travelling with the AirTag (I am driving the van) the tag location is updated in near real time because it is actually the iPhone that is updating its location in the FindMy app.
Pretty accurate down to a few feet too.
The bigger test was when the wife, who doesn’t have an iPhone, drove the van to her work and I watched from home on the FindMy app.
It updated her location sporadically throughout her 20 min journey, presumably as she drove by someone with a iPhone that picked up the tag. She texted me when she arrived and the location was still showing half a mile down the road but within 30mins it had updated to where she parked in her work car park.
Again on the way home I could see she was driving as it updated at various intervals and she arrived home before the tag showed her at home. It updated that she was home much quicker presumably because the tag was picked up by my iPhone.
Observations
The tag has a speaker that plays a chime to help you locate it - not ideal if it is hidden. There are videos on YouTube showing how to disable the speaker easily enough.
The battery apparently lasts a year and the FindMy app reports battery status so wherever it is hidden needs to be accessible to change the battery - CR2032 button cell.
It is not a real-time tracker so won’t show the actual route driven but will provide enough info to locate where it is provided someone with an iPhone goes near it - if it is nicked and dumped down a forest road or in the middle of nowhere you’ve only got the last known location to go by.
The biggest issue is what @Skyliner33 posted here
Post in thread 'Apple airtags as a tracker?'
Apple airtags as a tracker?
If the thief has an iPhone and is near or driving the van they will get a notification telling them there is an AirTag nearby. If you disable the speaker that might help but they will know.
If the thief has an android phone then they can download the official Apple tracker app called Tracker Detect from the Play Store and it will let them search for nearby tags that are separated from their owner.
Conclusion
Better than nothing but not a viable alternative to a proper paid for vehicle tracker. It is all about layers of security and the AirTag can be used as an additional layer, much like a steering wheel lock is another layer, or the CCTV camera I have in my van is another layer.
Don’t ever rely on just one layer
phantom-uk
Member
I have had similar experience and fully agree with your ”layers“ startement. You may or may not know but the airtag will be seen by any iOS device to update its position to you, so if it comes near macbook, iPad etc.
Also, I was under the impression that the chime is only played when the ios used to set up the air tag is near it not anyone else’s iOS device, so a would be thief with an iOS device wouldn’t be able to locate it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, I’m happy to be corrected of course.
This image from Apple website seems to show that the person being alerted to the presence of an unknown tag can press the button that says 'play sound' to help them locate it. I've not tested this myself yet......
