Among the various car protection systems, the alarm is currently the most demanded. And together with mechanical devices designed to prevent theft, it creates the guaranteed minimum that is usually used by motorists. However, today, as practice shows, this is not enough. Therefore, the traditional protection of vehicles is increasingly resorting to the use of GPS trackers, which allow you to effectively track their geographic coordinates.
Typically, a tracker consists of a receiving and transmitting modules. The signal is received from the translator (second segment) via cellular or GPRS channels. And the receiving module performs the function of determining the geographical coordinates of its position. Thus, to correctly identify and decode the received signal, you need to have the appropriate software. Therefore, when choosing a GPS tracker, it is important to consider how the notification about the vehicle's location will be made.
The most acceptable option can be considered the one when the coordinates are received by the tracker from both the GLONASS satellite and the GPS system. In addition to the transmitter and receiver, the device also includes antennas, which, depending on the model, can be internal or external. The tracker can be powered by an on-board system or a battery.
Instrument parameters
A potential user of a vehicle tracker should primarily focus on communication channels and satellite systems used in them. Since at the present time, after all, GPS navigation is considered the most reliable and accurate coordinate fixer, then it is she who should be given preference. It is important to take into account the list of communication standards in the used frequency range, as well as the accuracy and sensitivity of tracking. The last parameter directly affects the quality of communication between the satellites and the receiver of the gps tracker, which affects the quality of navigation coverage of the vehicle location area.
In addition to the above parameters of a GPS tracker for a car, its operational characteristics should also be taken into account. Often, car owners need to record the current geographic coordinates, which directly implies that the tracker has a memory card. Not the last condition is the climatic zone where this device is directly planned to be used. So, most of the tracker models are designed for a temperature range from -10 to +60 ° C.
In addition, the models of car GPS trackers are subdivided according to the type of their power supply. In this context, for example, security and monitoring samples are focused on the use of the on-board network, which, in turn, implies their installation under a panel board, where access to the power supply is of the highest priority. However, the range of locations for trackers is significantly increased for those models that operate on batteries.
In this case, the installation of the GPS tracker will no longer be tied to the vehicle's on-board network, and therefore its installation can be done using a creative approach. Since the body of this device is reliably protected from moisture and dust, its installation is not associated with any specific technical requirements. However, it is important to consider that the location of the GPS tracker must be accessible for regular and unimpeded maintenance related to battery charging and, if necessary, adjusting the sensor settings.
Functioning of the GPS tracker
The standard industrial version of a GPS tracker is focused on determining the exact geographic coordinates, time and speed of the vehicle. However, the range of functions of this device can be significantly expanded if it is linked to security systems.
So, connecting the necessary components can provide the user with data transmission, for example, about fuel consumption, temperature inside the car, voltage in the on-board network, etc. The range of additional information about the condition of the vehicle can be very wide, but here the price of the issue is already of great importance. Therefore, it is the tracker setting to record key information that finds the greatest application among motorists. In this case, the device will perform the function of a tracking sensor that can operate in an autonomous power supply mode using a battery.
Manufacturers and cost
Currently, the consumer market for car trackers is replete with low-quality Chinese fake models, which are almost indistinguishable in appearance from the original products of the world leaders. Therefore, in this matter, it is the reputation of the retail network where the acquisition of the tracker is planned to be of paramount importance.
And the best thematic products on the domestic consumer market should be considered the models of the brands Starline, Proma Sat, Navixy, as well as AvtoFon and Global Sat. Of course, Western European companies are considered the leaders of the segment, but only if original products are available. Despite the surprising similarity of Chinese-made devices with their Western counterparts, even in terms of internal design, significant violations in the indications associated with unsatisfactory operation of the device will be found already in the first days of operation.
The cost of a GPS tracker largely depends on the brand, technical and practical capabilities. Thus, the trademarks "Starline" and "Navixy" are mainly in the price range from 7,000 rubles to 10,000 rubles. A car tracker with the ability to operate autonomously without connecting to the on-board power supply network from other manufacturers will also cost around 10 thousand rubles. These models do not differ in wide functional capabilities, however, they reliably cope with the main task of tracking the position of the vehicle.
An important segment of the consumer market is domestic budget models such as "AvtoFon", which are presented in the price range from 4,000 rubles to 6,000 rubles. Moreover, in this case, it is important to understand that these trackers are slightly inferior in their technical and functional parameters to more eminent counterparts from European manufacturers. According to the reviews of experienced motorists, Russian samples confidently catch the signal under any external conditions, and the accuracy of determining the coordinates and other characteristics in their performance also deserve full approval.
Conclusion
The quality of security systems in many spheres of human life today largely depends on the implementation of satellite positioning complexes. It is significant that in the automotive industry, navigation devices are widely used mainly due to their functional characteristics and economic availability. And this factor has a positive effect on the positive development dynamics of the entire market segment.
Despite the fact that many people still perceive the satellite tracker as an advertising derivative of traditional multimedia systems, their unique ability to notify the owner of the equipment about the condition of the vehicle from a distance should be considered extremely important. Indeed, to obtain such relevant information, the car owner only needs to be in the cellular signal reception area, through the channels of which data is received from the tracker's transmitting antenna. In addition, the user of the GPS tracker has the ability to receive almost any up-to-date information about the condition of his car.
