Tracker Systems

[whitenemesis]

My car spends a fair time parked in hotel / airport car parks so am thinking some sort of Tracker would be good, but which sort? Monitor / Response / Horizon?
Any suggestions?

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

not sure what the difference is. My car came fitted with a tracker when I bought it (optional extra from MB). I must admit that this year I am unlikely to renew the subscription as I'd be quite happy if someone nicked it.

 

[type49]

"Retreive" relies on you notifying the tracker centre that your car has been stolen. Your tracker is then switched on & will be picked up when a police car with the monitering gear on board, is within the area. The police are then given an arrow screen to follow for directions.

"Monitor" relies on the car's movement without the key (towed or low-loaded). Good if you have the keys but no good if your house is broken into & the keys stolen. It still relies on a police car carrying the right equiptment etc etc.

"Horizon" is a GPS system activated the same as monitor but when switched on, gives a location to any police regardless of if they have to monitoring system on board or not.

"Response" is also GPS but also requires you to travel with a transponder (not attached to your keys in case your keys are stolen). If you forget to take your tranponder with you on every trip, you may find yourself with a police escort. Not too many false alarms going to happen there then.

Monitor is the more common.

You could get a pay as u go phone, wire it in to the car so that it's always charged, switch to silent call & hide it somewhere in the car. If the car gets stolen, there is a company- (cant think who but google it) who can give you a location of a ringing phone - for a fee of course.

 

[whitenemesis]

Thanks for the info Type49. Sounds like Monitor or Horizon might suit best. I'll give MB a ring

 

[Blobcat]

Tracker tracking equipment is provided FOC to the UK Police Forces and is fitted to the helicopters and traffic cars pretty much as standard

 

[whitenemesis]

Tracker tracking equipment is provided FOC to the UK Police Forces and is fitted to the helicopters and traffic cars pretty much as standard

Doesn't it give you that warm comforting feeling...?!

 

[Blobcat]

Doesn't it give you that warm comforting feeling...?!

Put it this way if they don't have it there is no one to track your car should it go missing...

 

[jberks]

Once you've consdered it, do it. Sods law decrees that if you don't it will now get nicked and you'll be kicking yourself!! (if you hadn't considerd it,there would have been no problem!)
I didn't know mine had a tracker (monitor) until the paperwork came through. Based on the same principle, I activated it and she's been safe and sound ever since!
It is nice to know that id she did go missing, I have a decent chance of getting her back though.

 

[ricky s]

On A Different Vein To The Tracker, To Which My Car Is Fitted With The Basic Tracker, Which I Must Activate In The Event Of My Car Being Stolen, As Usefull As A Choclate Chisel! If You Were Away On Holiday, I Approached Local Mb Dealer To Ask About Additional Security, Only To Be Told By Them, That No One, Without The Key Could Get A Modern Mercedes Started, Albeit They Did Comment On Persons Putting The Car On A Trailer Was A Possibilty. Can Any Of You Wiser Owls, Tell Me If This Is Correct, And To Weather There Are Any Additional Security Steps To Be Taken Or Fitted.

 

[Blobcat]

That is correct, whilst you can break into Mercedes you cannot drive them away without the key.

 

[FELLOW]

Has It Got A Tracker Already?

Mine Came From The Dealer And They Gave Me Prices For Tracker..quick Call To Tracker..one Was Already Fitted..small Fee To Reactivate..have Monitor ...they Call Me If The Tracker Is Set Off If No Reply Alert The Police And Recover The Vehicle

Before They Became Popular A S. African Friend Had His Bmw Nicked ...but Being An Inport Had A Tracker To Allow Rescue In The Townships! ..they Recovered His In The Middle East Having Tracked The Cargo Ship's Progress With Several Other ....BMW MERC JEEPS

?? There Used To Be Talk Of Signal Strenght And Refridgerated Lorries Gps Vs Radio Tracker?

I Thought Of Pager Attached To Fuel Tank But The Thought Civi. Casulties PUT ME OFF!

 

[type49]

I've not heard of anyone getting a DAS3 (electronic type) car started without the key. Have you seen "gone in 60 seconds"? They actually show the wrong key for the car they are trying to steal but the idea is correct.

 

[jberks]

I agree, most modern cars won't start without the correct key, hence if that's all it did, the monitor would be pretty useless. However according to http://www.tracker.co.uk/home.php?SVR/Works/monitor
"If a TRACKER Monitor equipped vehicle is illegally moved, a movement sensor hidden in the vehicle sends a signal to TRACKER HQ. "
so I guess the idea is, if they put it on a trailer, pretty much the only way they'll get it without a key, and if they have got the key, you should know about it and can tell tracker who will activate it remotely.

 

[Shambolic]

The alarm on mine would go off if the car was lifted or tilted to get it on a trailer (there is a button to turn this off,but requires key to turn on ign first), when the alarm goes off I am assuming this also activates the Tracker to say car is stolen.!??!!
Mine is not activated, the person who had the car b4 me used it but let the subscription lapse.
Could I, if the car was nicked phone them up to get it activated and then get it tracked!!

Chancing my arm a wee bit!!

 

[jberks]

Could I, if the car was nicked phone them up to get it activated and then get it tracked!! Chancing my arm a wee bit!!

Actually, I suspect they would!
After all, they publish stats on recoveries so it's cash in the bank and brownie points all the way if they said yes. Plus the bad publicity if they said no isn't worth it to them. I doubt they'd admit it officially and if people did it a lot I suspect they'd back away, but but I reckon if you called them in a panic they'd probably oblige.

I have to make the 'final' payment shortly. Allegedly they've changed policy and won't let you convert an annual payment into a full membership now, but they said yes when I started and I'm going to hold them to it!
I just hope I don't get an argument as I'm not going to pay another £300!

 

[Shambolic]

Cheers had thought of the 3 payment thing but was too late and haven't bothered. Don't use these things until you need them type thing!!!

 

[whitenemesis]

Tracker or no Tracker... It's no help if you forget where you parked it!!! Got off the wrong stop in the Pink Elephant Heathrow and had a moments panic!

 

[jberks]

Tracker or no Tracker... It's no help if you forget where you parked it!!! Got off the wrong stop in the Pink Elephant Heathrow and had a moments panic!

Been there (panic - not heathrow). Parked in a multi storey, right by the door, made a mental note of the floor no and went shpping. Went back up to the floor, opened the door to be met with ...an empty space.... A panic run up and down the stairs and I found her one floor up. I reckon someone must have moved her!

 

[PAPA]

I had the same thing, parked in a multi steal me, rememberd the floor number and space number, came back and gone !! asked the wife she said she had also looked at the floor and this was the right one, Went up one floor and there it was safe and sound, But both the wife and I were sure it was on the other floor

 

[whitenemesis]

Been there (panic - not heathrow). Parked in a multi storey, right by the door, made a mental note of the floor no and went shpping. Went back up to the floor, opened the door to be met with ...an empty space.... A panic run up and down the stairs and I found her one floor up. I reckon someone must have moved her!

Not just me then! Tried looking cool as I strode purposely back n forth. Bet the courtesy bus driver thought "There goes another one"! :Oops: :lol: