GPS Location

[Erfolg]

I have a neighbour with two Scottish Folds. I mentioned that I thought I had seen one in a location, some distance from its home. She said, yes, most probably, I have a GPS locator on them. I can see where he in particular has gone and where he is. I also put a locator on my suitcase when I go away.

 

Eventually, I thought, perhaps these would be suitable for my models?

 

A look on the internet located these 

https://www.wowcher.co.uk/deal/shop/electricals/accessories/e/gps-tracker-tag?st_cid=GoogleShopping&ito=GoogleProducts_RevenueMarketing_20106951&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsZTYyNXa-AIVjYFQBh0_vQ0lEAQYAiABEgKFNfD_BwE

at approx £5 a piece they seem to good to be true. There appears to be others at this level of price.

 

I know there have been similar devices targeting modellers, they have generally been expensive, or very clunky, often both.

 

What are others thoughts, experiences.

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

At £5.99 it look to good to be true, does it work on a sim card or wifi, and what's it's range .

[Andy J]

Looks like they are all Bluetooth link to your phone so not a great range I suspect. Think another limitation would be the map display to ensure it would go down to a useable range to allow you to locate a model hidden from view.

[Erfolg]

I guess the first thing is, initially I was a little surprised that she knew where the cat had been. Then had a passing interest that her luggage could be located if it went missing. all of these things had me in thought with respect to what were the limitations and possibilities.

 

I have used key/wallet noise emitting sounders. These did not use GPS. They do work as does waggling the sticks, where cast iron gears are used. The servo method works reasonably well as long as the Lipo is connected. Key locators work, as long as you have the discipline to ensure the sounder unit battery is not flat.

 

I have seen dedicated model GPS locators, they have been prohibitively expensive, work reasonably well, that normally you will find the model, even if the transponder has been ejected from the model.

 

The real issue are these pet/luggage devices as good, given that the price is to an extent determined (many orders of magnitude lower) by having a market of potentially millions of people and a competitive army of suppliers. Which is possibly a contrast with bespoke model targeted systems, where a few thousand customers, could represent the scale of the market and some one who values their time highly?

 

I will confess, that even if not perfect, as long as I understand the limitations, and decided i can live with them, the price is right, I am tempted.

 

At present I do not know anything, not really, I will ask my neighbour about her product, its performance and cost. I am also hoping that there is real experience amongst us modellers. I just feel that the model bespoke systems, suffer from the same limitations as anything solely targeted at the hobby. Just looks at the costs of screws, in a model outlet, a packet of 10 costs the same as a box of 100-200 targeted at industry.

 

 

[Frank Skilbeck]

You need the bluetooth to set them up, then they use the mobile phone network to update their position which you access via an app on your phone. By signing up on the app your phone also becomes a receptor for communication to the network for other users tags.

 

Friend has some apple airtags, same idea. He was showing it to somebody and then couldn't find it, thought he'd dropped it in his car, but as we got down the road it was obvious he hadn't and we went back and found it, they are accurate to around 10m or so (which is why we thought it was in the car initially)

[Erfolg]

There is potential then in a field of Rape, Corn etc. I think we all have a Android phone now (I am assuming she has a Android).

 

I am encouraged, though still need to know and understand more.

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

My Brother has one of these hidden on his motor bike, not the same model a bit smaller and lighter he paid around £50 for it 3 years ago.

https://diagizi.com/collections/produits-phares/products/traceur-gps-auto-trakizi™-sans-abonnement?gclid=CjwKCAjw2f-VBhAsEiwAO4lNeL8ofYn3W096RsjzEJrr12kbxy4Xi-62TQYSoaRDwogPg9_mAC91zhoColIQAvD_BwE

[Dale Bradly]

I use similar products at work, and have never been tempted to put them in models.

1. They are very low powered (this is how they have a reasonable lifespan) so the transmission range is not much, only meters.

2. They transmit their GPS obtained  location via bluetooth to a receiving bluetooth device (e.g. a phone). 

3. This location data is transmitted by this receiver to the manufacturer's (or their agent) server, and subsequently the data relayed to you as the owner who actually wants their stuff back.

Points to note:

a. The transmitter (fob) device has to be in range (see point 1 above) of a receiver (see point 2) to know where it was last. This works great for kids in shopping malls, dogs in the neighbourhood etc as the transmitter is regularly coming into range of a receiver (or vice-versa) so the location is regularly being updated to the server. Does not work so well out in the wilderness, as there are just not the transmitter/receiver interactions going on.

b. The GPS receiver is low powered for the same reason the bluetooth transmission is, so any kind of tree/long grass coverage will likely block the satellite view.  

c. If you as the owner need to have internet access to get the location data from the server. Seems obvious, but if your flying site is out of cell coverage, you won't get the data you're after.

 

So to summarize, if you're considering this because you're slope soaring over large bushes at the coast, or the farmers fields are covered in tall corn, this will likely add little value, because it likely won't tell you anything until you're standing on the remains of your plane anyway.

 

 

[Martin Dilly 1]

GPS trackers have been used for competition free flight aircraft for some years now. Try Googling "GPS + iCare 2" . Frederic Aberlenc's Mini Flying Neurone system weighs about 3 gms and has a 20 km range.

 

[Erfolg]

I only just spotted your post Martin.

 

It is very useful to have endorsements of at least one product that works.

 

I have just returned from Norway, where I had the unfortunate opportunity to see what works with luggage in airports. My wife put a few of her Golf Stickers on our luggage (I did think, useless, far to small).

 

At Copenhagen SAS had gone on strike with all ( actually most incl. ours) ongoing flights. The airport was empty of people, with just a few luggage conveyers working. I could not immediately spot ours, eventually one. Meanwhile ther was piles of luggage piled on the floor area.

 

Others with coloured straps around their luggage spotted and retrieved theirs. Yet another announced to their husband one of ours is coming, that's the first, it being retrieved. This continued to the family had a number of cases.

 

In our case, there was no sign of the second case. I asked about the great of pile of floor cases, being told, it was a Turkish flight that had not gone and was awaiting retreival. Our second case was found by my wife in this pile (in spite of me and the airport staff).

 

The woman who retrieved the cases with ease, was using one of the trackers. Due to the stress of the moment, I did not even try to establish what model she was using.

 

They do seem to work, so it seems.