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About GPS trackers
With a GPS tracker, you can find out exactly where children, animals, cars, suitcases or machines are located. The tracker uses the signals of the GPS satellites circling around the earth to determine the position and sends the location to you via mobile phone module via Internet or SMS.
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GPS tracker: Know who or what was located at any time
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What was a GPS tracker and how does it work?
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GPS trackers give you a safe feeling
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Customized alarms from the GPS tracker
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GPS Logger: GPS-branded photography
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What was GPS and how does it work?
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GPS trackers also use the mobile network for locating
GPS tracker: Know who or what was located at any time
Is my child already on the way home from school? Where is my dog lost? Is my camper still in the parking lot on the outskirts of town? Has my suitcase been loaded at the airport or has it possibly been left? A GPS tracker provides answers to these and many similar questions. The handy satellite receiver for determining the location is available for wrist, for hanging around, for attaching to clothes and objects as well as for mounting on or in vehicles.
GPS – the American Global Positioning System – is indispensable as a navigation technology in the car and on the smartphone. The base unit for GPS signals has now shrunk to the size of your fingernail, so there are no possibilities - built into a GPS tracker - for many applications. The most important are:
- Tracking (tracking) persons, pets, cars and trucks, luggage and other objects with a GPS tracker.
- Logging the location with a GPS logger, for example, for holding hiking routes, cycling routes or for extending photos with details of the location of the recording.
Similar to a navigation device in the car, a GPS tracker is able to determine its position using a built-in GPS receiver (moving transmitter) and display it in near real time (real-time tracking). The exact range of functions of a tracker depends on the model. Some devices can also record routes and send alarms.
What was a GPS tracker and how does it work?
A GPS tracker consists of a compact housing that houses a GSM module (Global System for Mobile Communication) in addition to the GPS receiver and GPS antenna, which is also used in mobile phones in a similar design. This allows the tracker to submit its position data to you. For the mobile phone connection, the tracker still needs a SIM card, if a card has not already been installed by the manufacturer. A splash-proof casing is practical.
The cost of using the data connection depends on the rate of the SIM card you have chosen. For models with a built-in SIM card, usage is usually linked to a monthly subscription from the manufacturer. Details of the cost of the subscription can be found in the respective product description.
The power supply of the tracker is usually done via an integrated battery. The scope of delivery usually includes a charging cable with mains plug. The battery life is indicated in the product description for the average use. It depends on the capacity of the battery and the settings. Better models can take many days with a battery charge.
Trackers for cars and trucks for connection to the OBD socket receive their power directly from the on-board electrical system via the OBD interface – a separate recharging via a connection cable is thus no longer necessary. Some car trackers are still equipped with a small battery, so that the position data can be transferred even when the vehicle thieves interrupt the power supply.
To retrieve the location information of your new GPS tracker, contact your device. This is usually done via phone call, SMS, mail, smartphone app or the manufacturer's website (service portal on the Internet).
The tracker then sends back information about the exact position by SMS or via the Internet. The tracker position is then displayed on a map or in the corresponding tracking app after a single registration via the device manufacturer's server.
Even in a bag or backpack an exact location is possible. For optimal GPS reception, it is recommended to have a clear view of the top. The modern GPS reception technology usually also permits a view-protected tracker attachment.
GPS trackers give you a safe feeling
Especially when it comes to the topic of safety, GPS trackers are gladly used, for example, to facilitate the care and care of relatives of persons in need of assistance or without orientation at times. Parents of children who don't come home on time know themselves in safety via GPS tracker if the offspring simply stay on the school grounds for longer or go to friends after the lessons.
Ideal for children and those in need of assistance, people tracker in the form of a watch to carry on the arm. These models often offer additional functions such as two-way talking, hands-free talking, receiving messages or SOS emergency call in addition to the location and time display. Multifunctional trackers – multitrackers or multi-finders for short – are also suitable for tracking people.
Cars, motorcycles, caravans, construction vehicles and delivery vans can be exactly located at any time with a magnetically held or concealed built-in GPS tracker. This makes it easy to find out whether the vehicle is still standing where you left it. Alarms give you instant notification when your location changes. Craftsmen, delivery services and other companies can track the current position of their service vehicles with GPS trackers at the touch of a button and thus coordinate assignments better.
For securing bicycles, trackers are available for installation in the steering column, the saddle tube or as rear light for the two-wheel.
GPS trackers with Bluetooth or USB interface are suitable for use on computers and notebooks.
Customized alarms from the GPS tracker
For most models, you can set notification functions for different purposes: In addition to an alarm when moving or shaking by moving away, lifting, moving or parking space, this is a notification when the defined radius is exited (geofencing alarm), an alarm when the SOS or emergency call button is pressed, when the speed is exceeded and when the battery level is low.
Geofencing defines a specific geographic area where the tracker can be located. Usually there is a choice between a radius of 100 and 1000 meters around the desired location. As soon as the area is exited, the tracker sends a corresponding push message.
Geofencing is especially useful for people or children who need it if they want to avoid leaving their environment. Geofencing can also prevent pets or vehicles from leaving the property or application area unnoticed.
GPS Logger: GPS-branded photography
GPS loggers are mobile GPS trackers with protocol functionality . The devices record the current GPS position data on the internal memory or a memory card every few seconds. The log allows you to easily track the distance traveled and your tour afterwards. GPS loggers are also handy for geotagging photos: Geotagging – another name is georeferencing – is a technique that allows you to geotag your photos with geo-coordinates. With a click you and your friends can then look at the point on the earth where the photos were taken in a map of Google Maps or OpenStreetMaps.
for this purpose, beds smartphones automatically set GPS coordinates when taking photos, but only a few compact cameras, system cameras or SLR cameras (DSLRs) have GPS on board. Then a GPS logger helps. The battery-operated mini-receiver is simply taken along on the photo tour and records the distance traveled penibly.
The GPS positions are later embedded in the EXIF metadata of the photos using the software provided or available on the Internet. The date and time stamp are used to merge the logged data and photos. The tracker software simply assigns the photos to the nearest GPS position. This makes it possible to determine the correct position even if, for example, no GPS signal has been received in indoor locations.
What was GPS and how does it work?
Trackers for GPS tracking and GPS data loggers determine the current location using GPS satellite data. At an altitude of around 25,000 km, a large number of GPS satellites circle the earth and transmit their identification, the exact position in orbit and the exact time of day continuously by radio. When receiving the signals from at least four GPS satellites, the GPS tracker or GPS logger can determine the exact position including height from the data and the time differences of the respective satellite signals. The more satellites are received, the more accurate the location results are.
There are also sources of error with GPS that can lead to a more inaccurate result. This happens, for example, when satellite signals are only received from one direction in a gorge or when GPS signals are received with multiple reflections. A direct line of sight to the satellites gives the most accurate results, as the frequency ranges used by the satellites spread in a straight line as visible light.
GPS trackers also use the mobile network for locating
GPS trackers are not dependant on satellite data alone: The device can also determine its position via GSM positioning via the GSM module built into the tracker. If the tracker is temporarily unable to receive a GPS signal, it uses the position data from the last cell in which the GPS tracker has dialed in.
The location of the cell location data on the mobile network is inaccurate than GPS signals, but this can still be used to determine the approximate location. In addition, some GPS trackers can also use location-based services (LBS) such as geofencing by combining both systems (GPS and GSM).
If no GPS or GSM signals are available at the current location, Tracker displays the last available location.