Subscriber Discussion

GPS Tracker For Power Tools?

UE
Undisclosed End User #1
Feb 22, 2017

I am looking for an industrial quality cellular real time GPS tracker, something can hide in my power tools. Any thoughts?

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Brian Karas
Feb 22, 2017
IPVM

If you want true GPS (as opposed to a Bluetooth tracker tag that needs to be relatively close to your phone) it is going to be hard to find something that fits in a power tool.

I've used this unit: TK103A GPS Tracker in a few places. You can communicate with it via SMS/MMS, and do things like set a virtual fence where you get an alert if the unit leaves a defined radius. It is small for a cellular/GPS tracker, but I don't see how you could fit this, and the antennas, on a power tool.

I have also found with these units and the small antennas they can lose either the cell or GPS signal easier than something with a larger antenna. I could see this being a problem for tools that might be placed in a metal toolbox, inside a vehicle.

 

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Michael Silva
Feb 22, 2017
Silva Consultants

One big player in GPS tracking for security purposes is 3SI Security Systems.

If you are trying to track lots of individual tools, I think one of your challenges will be finding GPS devices that don't cost more than the tools themselves. Standard practice would be to place a tracking device in one tool that would serve as "bait". When the thief stole a bunch of tools, he would hopefully also take your bait tool, allowing him to be tracked and apprehended.

I recently wrote a short article on the subject Using GPS Tracking Devices for Security Purposes

 

 

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Ari Erenthal
Feb 22, 2017

Look at the Bosch One-Key. They make a few power tools with a Bluetooth connection, as well as a Bluetooth puck that you can mount to equipment like ladders or generators. It syncs to your smartphone, so you can see on the app or on your desktop the last place the tool was seen, and alerts your phone when you get within 100 feet of the tool. If you report it stolen, it'll send you an alert whenever anybody with the app gets within 100 feet of it, together with the location. 

 

Real time GPS trackers (as opposed to passive loggers) tend to be big and bulky, mostly due to the battery. If you have a gangbox that you keep your stuff in on the jobsite, you might want to get one of those. For example, Mul-T-Lock makes a smart padlock with a real-time GPS tracker built in. The lock is ~$400 unless you find it on sale somewhere. Just be advised that real time GPS tracking requires a monthly subscription fee. 

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UE
Undisclosed End User #1
Feb 22, 2017

Thank you all.

I am looking to set some for bait more than anything else, at least at this point. We will have a layered approach (signage, CCTV, intrusion alarms) however it is a remote site and even with following best practices, as you know, things can and will happen. I thought at least with the bait, should the need arise, we would at least have something to follow up on.

This is not a one time application and would likely be a bit of a travelling road show as our sites are constantly being reconstructed.      

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