A Guide to GPS Car Tracking Systems for Businesses

GPS can be named as one of the most astounding inventions of mankind. This satellite controlled radio navigation system makes use of its 24 satellite and numerous ground station to get information about location related activities of everything dead or living on the earth.

The constellation of satellites always transmits signals for free which can be put to use by anyone who has the technical expertise. This free signal has been accessed by many since a long time. However, the evolution of it s applications has been absolutely amazing. Now we are in an era where GPS is not just meant for location based information.

What is a GPS Car Tracking System and How Does it Work?

A GPS car tracking system allows business owners to track the real time location of their assets and also collect valuable information which can help run their business efficiently.

Car tracking systems have a small device which can be hid anywhere inside your car. It has an antenna which is tuned to capture the high-frequency signals of the satellites circling above us. With the help of complex mathematical calculation and inputs from the satellite, GPS devices are able to track the location of your car.

The GPS satellites circling Earth are arranged in such a way that 3 or 4 will be always on the same plane of rotation and they will be always on top of each and every person on earth. They continuously emit signals to the earth. The device that has been installed inside your car will catch this signal and can exactly compute your speed, the distance you have covered, your destination distance as well as the map.

The computing is done inside your tracking device with the help of mathematical principle, trilateration. In order for this calculation to take place, the device need get certain inputs. As mentioned earlier, three or sometimes four satellites are continuously circling around us and are sending signals. The device needs the distance from you, the satellites and distance between those satellites when it aligned on top of you. By using these as inputs for the trilateration mathematical calculation, the device will be able to provide you the exact location details of your vehicle.

What are the Types of GPS trackers that are Available in the Market Now?

First of all, you need to have an idea about the types of GPS system available in the market now.

1. Hardwired GPS tracking devices: Commonly installed in installed in vehicles, This type of devices use power from the car battery to work. Mostly hidden under the hood of the car these devices sometimes has antennas for accuracy.

2. GPS Loggers: Loggers are usually attached to shipment or a vehicle to record the activities so that later on data can be retrieved manually later.

3. Personal GPS trackers: As the name suggests these type of devices are meant for personal use. They are of very small in size and can be attached either to your body or the bag that you carry. They are mostly used for protection.

4. Real Time GPS Trackers: These type of trackers continuously send data to the receiver so that the location of the vehicle attached to it can be tracked real time. They are the most sophisticated among the types of trackers that are available now.

How Do You Install a GPS Tracking Device in Your Car?

There are indeed plenty of GPS tracking devices available for your car. However, installing them and the criteria that has to be followed are mostly the same.

They are,

1. Location: Purpose of a GPS tracker has to be kept in mind before choosing the location. Since it is meant for the safety of your car, It has to be installed somewhere where it won’t be spotted in a glance. Here are some of the places where often GPS trackers are often installed,

i. Beneath the carpet of the boot or even inside the wall of the boot where it’s sealed of with carpet.

ii. Between the vehicle radiator and the grill.

iii. Under the seat

iv. Concealed under the glove box

v. Under the vehicle

vi. Behind the plastic of panel of the door.

2. Secure the Tracker: GPS tracker inside your car need to have a power source and most of the variant that are available now draws power from your car battery to work.

So it has to be kept in mind that the access between your battery and the device should be of primary concern while fixing the device firmly and also make sure that the tracking device is well secured so that it won’t fall off when the vehicle is on the move.

3. Connecting the tracker to the power source: As mentioned before, there are two types of trackers that are installed in the car. One which is hard wired that draws power from the car battery and another one which has a power source of its own.

i. GPS tracker which has dedicated battery: The biggest issue with these type of tracker is that they can’t be concealed much since the battery which the device uses has to be recharged. However, the biggest advantage of these trackers are that their installation is simple.

ii. Hardwired tracker: It is indeed true that they are a bit hard to install. But the security and the options they offer are in plenty. There are even certain trackers which acts upon the breach of certain criteria.

For instance, If a parent is worried about their child’s safety they can set a speed limit inside the device so that whenever the child exceeds the speed, an alert will be send to the receiver which is in the possession of parents. (Mostly an app in your phone or may be via an SMS).

The procedure for connecting a Hardwired tracker is like this,

1. Tracker transceiver needs a 12V DC wired power source

2. After finding the wire from the power source remove an inch of insulation from it

3. Poke a hole in the wire to create a loop

4. Remove insulation about an inch deep from the red wire that you will find in your tracking device.

5. Put the end of the red wire inside the loop that you created in the power source wire of the car. Squeeze the loop shut and secure it by wrapping it with an insulation tape.

6. There is another white wire in the device. Connect it to the ignition wire of the car.

7. Last but not least ground wire of the vehicle and tracking device should be connected.

4. Software Installation: The data that the tracker send can be accessed via an app or even an SMS. Advanced software which can show you multiple data are now available in the market. With the use of software you can know where your vehicle is at, even in real time.

Benefits of a GPS Car Tracking Device

1. The most important benefit is the security it has to offer. Since vehicle theft is common nowadays installing a GPS tracker is indeed the only viable solution at disposal now.

2. The fuel efficiency of your car can be tracked down with a GPS tracker so that necessary repair or even adjustments can be done.

3. You will be able to access the data of your car even when you are not using it

4. Alerts from the GPS can be accessed via an app and immediate steps can be taken to avoid any danger.

Most Common Queries Regarding Car GPS trackers

1. Can anyone Jam or even tamper with a GPS device?

Since GPS tracking device in your care is mostly concealed. There is only a rare chance that one might spot it. However, it is tamper-able with proper tech knowledge. Fortunately there are variants available which will inform the owner real time if its being tampered.

2. Is it possible for a car GPS tracker device to work without internet?

GPS device use satellite signal for calculating the location as well as the speed of a car. It does not need internet for that. Unfortunately, to send the calculated data to your device they need either internet or even SMS service.

3. What’s SVRS?

Stolen Vehicle Recover System (SVRS) uses both RF(radio frequency) as well as GPS. Due to various reasons, satellite signals won’t reach a GPS device when the car is concealed heavily. In situations like this, RF comes to help.

That is, if your vehicle is taken to a place where satellite signal strength is low, the device will immediately alert you when the signal gets feeble. At that time, RF unit of the device  will be activated so that police can track the device with the signal.

4. How much does it cost to buy a GPS car tracking unit?

Considering the use of the device the price is affordable and worth every penny. Different kinds of products are available in the market now with various price. Before you buy a GPS tracker offline compare the price with similar ones online.

5. What should you do when you find out that your car is stolen?

First of all, make sure that your car is stolen. There is a chance that it might be towed away by traffic officers for violation of law. If it is actually stolen go to the next police station and give away the complete access to your GPS tracking software that you have installed on your phone. Do not panic. It is easy to find the car with a GPS tracking device installed inside it.

6. How can I find my car using VIN number?

If the GPS tracker inside your car for some unknown reason has stopped working VIN number is the last resort. VIN (Vehicle Identification Code) is a 17 characteristic code which can be handed over to the police so that they can track your vehicle when an illegal registration of your vehicle happens.