Why doesn't garmin have a stolen GPS locator option?

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Since GPS units came out, all I've heard about is these things getting ripped off. Why don't these makers have a stolen GPS locator implementation on their devices. It's assnine not too, and would be a BIG FUCKING sales point for these assholes.

Am I just not informed?

 

[IronWing]

Potty mouth

 

[Born2bwire]

They're receivers. Not transmitters.

 

[IronWing]

They would have to add a transmitter, battery support for a transmitter, and a system for tracking the transmissions. The cost/size/weight would go up. Then you have to convince the police to respond.

 

[Jeeebus]

why would Garmin spend the money implementing that technology when every stolen GPS is just resulting in people like you (or your insurance) going out and buying a brand new GPS?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

ah crap, that sucks... so i've learned from this that you can steel a gps and not get caught by the maker, nice to know the asshole who stole mine won't get caught

 

[gorcorps]

They don't get data like it would need to work the way you're thinking. You'd have to be able to tell it to send its location to you in some way, which means you have to add a cell radio which won't work everywhere. At that point you might as well just use a phone with better GPS in it.

So yes, you're fucked... sorry

 

[Imp]

Who the hell steals these things anymore?

Unless they're the nicer, supernice models, you can buy them for about $100.

...If you had an Oregon or 37xx or 34xx though, ya, I'm breaking into your car.

 

[IronWing]

Glue a Spot Tracker onto the back of your next GPS unit. Rig it so that if the unit is removed from the cradle, the Spot Tracker is activated.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Imp. I agree. That's what I thought. And even further-more under the circumstances it was stolen is even more outrageous. I was working out in Aurora, Garretsville, Mantua, Ravenna, and the only time I got nervous about it being stolen is when our trucks ended up in a new "lot" to park at. I get transferred up to Cleveland/Euclid with 9 other workers 6 or 7 of them who I am familiar with and the others I've knew of but not really known. My truck was parked relatively far away from the other trucks.. i get to work around 10 till 7am.. load up my truck with my gear i brought home over the weekend, 7am i walk over to where 90% of the other trucks and crew guys are.. not even 4-5 minutes goes by and one of my co-workers steels my unit from my truck. Not ONCE did i ever think about it being stolen from the other group of guys whom I transferred from. and it was an older pos small gps.. really? cmon

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Glue a Spot Tracker onto the back of your next GPS unit. Rig it so that if the unit is removed from the cradle, the Spot Tracker is activated.

Where do i get one of those?

 

[IronWing]

http://www.findmespot.com/en/

 

[wiredspider]

Where do i get one of those?

One of those things would cost more than a GPS, plus the monthly fee to keep it activated. You may as well just get a smart phone and use the GPS off of that...

 

[hanoverphist]

ah crap, that sucks... so i've learned from this that you can steel a gps and not get caught by the maker, nice to know the asshole who stole mine won't get caught

if you have the serial number, watch CL and ebay for them, and see if you can find it. my dad had some rare rifle magazines stolen out of his house (he had the rifles hidden better than the parts), went to a few pawn shops and found them. identified them by his markings he made on them and got them back. with a little persuasion.

 

[LTC8K6]

Did you enable the lock? And register it with Garmin?

It would then be useless to the thief, and if they send it to Garmin to get unlocked, you can get it back.

 

[Zeze]

They're receivers. Not transmitters.

Wouldn't they have to transmit their coordinates? If they're not communicating both ways, how does the GPS know where it is?

 

[waggy]

Wouldn't they have to transmit their coordinates? If they're not communicating both ways, how does the GPS know where it is?

nope. they receive the signal from the satalites and the software goes from there.

no sending is needed.

 

[Born2bwire]

Wouldn't they have to transmit their coordinates? If they're not communicating both ways, how does the GPS know where it is?

A GPS receiver doesn't need to transmit anything. Everything is transmitted by the GPS satellites. A very basic idea of how it works is that each satellite transmits the time that the signal was sent. The GPS receiver then compares, using its internal clock, the amount of time that it took for each signal to arrive to triangulate the receiver's position based upon the distance it is from each satellite. Obviously this is dependent upon the accuracy of the receiver's clock (which the manufacturers don't want to spend money on) but this can be supplimented by information from extra GPS satellites. You only need three to find your position but extra satellites provide information that can be used to continually correct the receiver's clock.

 

[alfa147x]

can you claim them against car insurance?

 

[llee]

It's like the Stride commercials. If you don't steal 'em there's no reason for people to keep buying more.

 

[IEC]

Think on the bright side, at least it wasn't GI GPS gear. That's quite a bit more expensive.