$40 kicka$$ GPS tracking for your vehicle

[jprestonian]

Haw!

I did it. I bought a Boost Mobile Motorola i425t pay-go cell phone ($38.88 at Target), charged it and activated it. I then downloaded a Java app off the Web called Mologogo, and a Java Developer Kit software uploader from Motorola, and using a simple USB-to-miniUSB cable, fed the app to the phone... *slurp!*

Fired up the app, went outside (so the satellites could see the phone), and urethra! Success!  K'pla!  :)

A friend of mine joined Mologogo (free, no spam) to test it. I took a ride, and even with the phone stashed inside the People 250, it was real-time trackable. AWESOME.
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[skadamo]

urethra!

  lol

Awsome!  How did you hear about that?  $40 GPS, now I can handle that.


I'm gonna have to read up on that.

[jprestonian]

  lol

I stole that shamelessly from the writers of Married With Children. Kelly Bundy's line.  :)

Awsome!  How did you hear about that?  $40 GPS, now I can handle that.


I'm gonna have to read up on that.

I saw someone mention it briefly at scootdawg, and I looked into it, and figured it ought to work, so... I bought the phone, did the software installs, and tried it out. Lo and Behold, it works like Bob. I'm gonna write up some more about it, and maybe even offer to sell ready-to-eat, plug-n-play packages for scooter/cycle/ATV protection. The GPS doesn't depend on the pre-paid airtime, so I'm curious how the phone activation affects things... I suspect I'll have to buy a minimum amount of airtime every so often, to keep the phone active. Still, what a bargain.
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[skadamo]

and maybe even offer to sell ready-to-eat, plug-n-play packages for scooter/cycle/ATV protection.

good idea!

A few scratches on the Vino and a near mis heart attack might end up making you some cash

I was reading that the system consumes your cell phones data plan.  I am wondering how much data is consumed by just having the thing running.  Probably not much but I don't really have a clue.

[jprestonian]

I was reading that the system consumes your cell phones data plan.  I am wondering how much data is consumed by just having the thing running.  Probably not much but I don't really have a clue.

Odd. Mine's been running almost non-stop, and my Boost Mobile account shows 0 minutes used... and I only have the $5 credit that came with the phone.

I'll keep the group updated on the billing...
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[jprestonian]

Okay.

CONFIRMED: The GPS tracking does not impact the prepaid phone minutes, at all.

CONFIRMED: Boost Mobile requires a "re-up" every 90 days to keep the phone operating (and if you go 150 days w/o putting money on it, you lose the phone number). Don't know the amount, but I suspect it's $10-20 each time.

CONFIRMED: It still works like Bob. I am jazzed.

Just got my 12VDC charger, and will wire it in this weekend.

Anyone here willing to pay for a package with the phone w/preloaded software, charger and mounting/powering tips and tricks?  I'd happily do some up, if y'all would make it worth my time!
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[skadamo]

I personally don't have a use for it right now.  I don't think so anyway.

So this device will allow you to track where the phone has traveled?  It is not a gps device like tomtom or garmin right?

Do you post out on advrider.com at all?  i bet those guys might be interested. 

Also, maybe www.sundaymorningrides.com would be interested in some sort of route tracking app that uses it.  Seems like a good fit.  People could track thier favorite ride and send it to the site?  Or maybe you should develop a sundaymorningrides killer site.

[jprestonian]

It tracks in real-time, as well as shows the last 100 polling points (the phone is polled every minute, it seems, so roughly, where the phone was the last 100 minutes). Of course, the point being, if the bike gets stolen, and this is onboard, it could be recovered quickly. But this would also work for autos or any kind of vehicle where "loss" is a concern.
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