Trackers

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,983
3,359
"An electric bike was taken from a member of the public at around 11pm "

Dark. I'm quite amazed the police took action TBH. That almost happened to my bike at about 12.32am (I think, will check timestamp of camera video). My bike may have been too daft looking and slow to be of sufficient interest, for the car to be utilised instead:

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/bike-chased-late-friday-night-by-loons.45686/




I use this GPS tracker light. It's currently situated on my seatpost, but because I need my long seatpost to thump attackers defend myself with, I'm in the process of attaching it to the pannier rack:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tracker-Anti-Robo-Waterproof-Warning-Trackers/dp/B07XLHWDJF/

Giffgaff PAYG SIM, and no data used in my case - I communicate with this GPS tracker by SMS rather than app. Consequently operating cost is between £10 and £20 a year, plus electricity for recharging. My GPS tracker is more visible than most, might be recognised immediately, on the other hand it could provide useful information for the police.
 
Last edited:

AndyBike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2020
1,666
706
Smart water would also be an idea.

If the cops see such a sticker on a bike in the hands of a scroat they're more likely to check up on it.
Basically 99% of the work is done for them.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,983
3,359
Smart water would also be an idea.

If the cops see such a sticker on a bike in the hands of a scroat they're more likely to check up on it.
Basically 99% of the work is done for them.
Surely it'd be easier for cops to check an online database? What advantage does Smart Water have over registering the bike's frame number on Bikeregister etc?
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,983
3,359
Hijacking ebikers and taking the bikes by armed yobs is a growth industry in my town.
Is the cost of living crisis driving a national trend?
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,983
3,359
Most frame tubes are metal are they not.

A tracker in a metal boxes does not work very well.
Good point. Maybe a small hole, for a "miniature" antenna to be positioned on the outside? This one doesn't seem all that small - the GPS CF module with phased array antenna on my Dell Axim Windows CE PDA (remember those? Brilliant little device for the time, even had a CF phone module) is smaller, works brilliantly in very remote areas, with no A-GPS needed. The GPS antenna in my 8" Sony VAIO P laptop is even smaller than that.


 
Last edited:

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,983
3,359
If you can get a wire outside the tube, then a simple bit of wire is good enough for a GPS, see these comparisons of simple wires versus the common ceramic patch antennas;

https://stuartsprojects.github.io/2020/09/10/GPS-antennas-effectiveness-and-weight.html
Very interesting - maybe I can stuff the circuitboard of my GPS tracker light into the handlebar after all? Could be small enough. I could route wires in for charging, because I wouldn't want it continuously draining the ebike battery. I don't actually need a rear red light, I fear there's far too much already from the monstrous 1800LM flasher.
 
Last edited:

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
21,414
8,750
61
West Sx RH
Stolen bikes one supsects like a lot of crime is very low on plods agenda.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,983
3,359
Stolen bikes one supsects like a lot of crime is very low on plods agenda.
Quite amazed Swindon plod did anything other than tick a box somewhere. After establishing my stolen bike's location, I suspect I'd have to burst in and go beserk with a baseball bat resort to distributing leaftets to encourage vigilantes, and writing to my MP.
 
Last edited:

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,983
3,359

" A teenager accused of killing a man for the sake of his electric bicycle has appeared at the Old Bailey.

Police were called at 9.20pm on Sunday, June 25 "