GPS cycle security

[Colin Stanley]

..gosh I never considered that aspect...choking in front of the tele.....
It's a dilemma sure enough. I normally cable lock the bike, but I thought that in this day and age that there might be a back-up system that would alert a smart phone if someone moved the bike. One would have to be fairly quick off the mark though to stop it being stolen.

[bikes4two]

One would have to be fairly quick off the mark though to stop it being stolen.

So you've got one of these GPS alarms fitted:

> The GPS Alarm itself - hopefully the battery is fully charged? The alarm mechanism works on a 'geo-fencing' principle I expect. This means that the size/area of the 'fence 'has to be some 10 or so sq metres to prevent satellite signal variation causing a false alarm. Therefore by the time a genuine alarm situation is detected, your bike is on the way to its next life.
> It goes off - hmmm- the horse has bolted then
> Assuming that where ever you've parked the bike, the GPS alarm has got a workable signal (so think of all those places where you won't have a workable signal as per Mick F's post above and a good many other places).
> So the GPS alarm sends an 'alarm' to a remote server somewhere: what communication medium is it and does it work (thinking mobile phone data network here, so more possible signal problems).
> How quickly does this remote server handle the GPS 'alarm'? It (the remote server) has to then generate an alert to send to you/your mobile phone
> Is your mobile phone network busy? Do you even have a signal where ever you are at this moment in time, and do you hear the mobile phone alert?

Save your money - too many unknowns by far

[[XAP]Bob]

Normally they SMS via 2g.

2g tends to have decent reception, and SMS is quick, if not guaranteed.

They also tend to have vibration sensors, so geofencing isn't always needed.

[Colin Stanley]

I like the sound (?) of a vibration sensor, or perhaps something like an attack alarm which emits a loud noise on sensing movement, so I could hear it in the coffee shop, above all the chatter.
Perhaps I have been watching too many si-fi programmes?

[[XAP]Bob]

I keep looking for one with a two way remote, so your remote alarm can go off as well (within a decent range)

Of course the issue is always battery power, yet none are made with 6vAC chargers built in

[Colin Stanley]

Battery power would not be an issue. If rechargeable, the battery would be fully charged before the ride. Only switched on when deploying the device. One hour for coffee and a bacon sandwich, or longer if for a lunch stop.

[bikes4two]

> Some 4 years ago Ilooked into the idea of a bike alarm that would be sensitive to movement and then notify me of the 'disturbance' by pager (with a pager range of 1/2 mile seemed possible).
> This took me into the world of motor bike alarms where such systems exists, but I never took the idea forward with power supplies being one of the stumbling blocks
> A quick Google of 'motor bike pager alarms' brings up a good few lines of enquiry and this one here shows a U-shackle lock with the pager system built into the lock - I've no idea of the weight of the lock though

Happy hunting

[[XAP]Bob]

Battery power would not be an issue. If rechargeable, the battery would be fully charged before the ride. Only switched on when deploying the device. One hour for coffee and a bacon sandwich, or longer if for a lunch stop.

8 hours at work, then needs to stay alive through the weekend?

[Colin Stanley]

ah yes, I see your point. The Oxford Screamer Alarm Disc Lock looks worthy of investigation. OK, it is for a m/cycle so may be too heavy, and of course not GPS reliant. I imagine that it is a constant pitch, so might not be noticed soonest, unlike a cyclic high to low wail.

[Colin Stanley]

Well, thank you all for suggesting a suitable GPS system for the OP. I think that I need to wait a few more years for such a device to become a workable solution and on the market. In the meantime, I might investigate the use of an attack alarm linked to a lock. I am only a simple mechanical engineer, but willing to try out a few home made designs that are light weight. Those for motorbikes look a little too heavy to me.

[Revolution]

I just came across this http://techiefans.com/how-to-track-your-bike-in-case-of-theft-using-your-smartphone-uk/?IM=A02&TT=T01&sxid=l74088ev40j4
haven't tried it - but at only £20 it could be worth a punt

[Revolution]

at only £20 it could be worth a punt

Hmm - having just read some reviews you would be better off spending £20 on beer. This isn't a viable bike tracking device as it only uses Bluetooth.

[[XAP]Bob]

IT crowd sources the BT data though - so people who have BT on, and the app installed, will report items locations as they pass... Then your phone (which was paired with the device) will tell you where it is....

In theory

[bikes4two]

I've a feeling it's a con as I cannot see how this can work (although I'd be very happy to be proved wrong ).

[[XAP]Bob]

It relies on other people's devices telling where it is - or on your own telling where you left it...