Security tracker

Audio, Navigation, Electronic Issues and Fixes
Lancastrian
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:42 pm

Post by Lancastrian »

I am taking delivery of an almost new Macan S D next week - I would like to keep it! Has anyone experience of security tracking devices - if it is stolen I may then know where it is. They seem to range from 25 quid to 300, some need subscriptions, others are purchase and you are on your own. Once a week I have to leave a vehicle overnight at a station car park which slightly un-nerves me. I suppose an alert text if the vehicle is moved and a geofence alert and location app are all I need. I am not interested in one that criticises my driving style! I have a spouse for that! I welcome any thoughts

Night blue
SD
Silvery wheels
Dealer assures me I'm getting a bargain!

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Paul
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Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:19 pm
Location: Bristol
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Post by Paul »

You’ll have a standard factory fit vodaphone tracker already in the vehicle (needs a subscription)
Varied opinions as to the efficiency of vodaphone / Porsche ......

Search for a thread by “Bazza” who is in this particular field and did an excellent write-up a while back.....


...here...


viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4116&hilit=Tracker
1st Sapphire SD
2nd Sapphire GTS
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4296
Current 992 S Cab
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=9845&p=196465#p196465
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andreas
Posts: 1861
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Location: Essex

Post by andreas »

I bought the Vodafone service for the factory-fit tracker. On one occasion, I took the car back to the dealership and they test drove it without asking me for the tracker fob. Got almost immediate texts from Vodafone on both my mobile and my wife's mobile. The system seems to work.
Macan S collected 4 Dec 2017 - Jet Black, 20" SportDesign, Agate/Pebble, 18-way, Pano roof, Bi-Xenons with PDLS, Surround View, PASM, PS+, spare wheel, towbar.
2021 Audi TT Roadster Black Edition (hers)
2011 Freelander 2 (workhorse)
jesim1
Posts: 361
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 10:26 pm
Location: Nr Wigan

Post by jesim1 »

Yes, the Porsche system which is already fitted is good, but when it came to renewal for mine they wanted about £275 for the next years subscription - or there abouts?? I didn't do it!

The one I had in my Jag cost be about £300 to fit including a years subscription, then it was only about £100 a year after that, so far cheaper to run if Porsche are still wanting this kind of money for it's service - get an up to date quote from a couple of companies, Porsche and also "Tracker", I'm sure that is who I was with for the Jag? Then go for the best solution - but be warned, it did not save me a penny on my insurance for the Porsche, so I didn't bother keeping it up as I thought "why should I"? there was no incentive and it's costing me money.

James.
DAN@ADRIAN FLUX
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed May 30, 2018 2:25 pm

Post by DAN@ADRIAN FLUX »

Hi,
If it's of any help we recommend these. They might be able to offer you some advice.
http://gapsecuritydirect.co.uk/
Regards,
Dan.
mark-yorkshire
Posts: 3253
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:34 pm

Post by mark-yorkshire »

I do wonder if trackers are a waste of time nowadays. Had Police knocking on my door this morning as my neighbours X5 was stolen last night. Burglars broke into his house and stole keys in middle of night. Police said that most professional car thieves use a tracker jamming device that they plug into cigarette lighter before driving away.
2021. Macan 2.0 Gentian. 12/21
2019. 718 Boxster T Carrara white.
2018. Macan SD Volcano.
2005. 987.1 Boxster S. Black.
2015 . Macan SD . Agate grey.
2014. Macan SD . Jet black.
2012. 981 Boxster PDK . Agate.
2010. 987.2 Cayman PDK. Aqua.
Deleted User 2325

Post by Deleted User 2325 »

I have anew high specced MACAN GTS 3/2018.

I was not happy to read that if nicked Vodaphone will take over and will not let me know the cars location for fear I might go and collect it. I am supposed to leave theft recovery to the Plod - they will be unlikely to bother as they might be attending wolf whistle sexual assaults ... well possibly...

So I bought my own back up tracker system from GPS Tracker shop and it informs me if my car has left the designated zone and also tracks it. This little box magnetically attaches to the underside of the car and works perfectly - as of March up to today it has not given any problem. .... It tells me when the batteries need recharging and where the car is o a map.

Belt and braces.

I figure any thief will want to resell in good nick and so park it up in a location where they can monitor to see if it has been tracked. I'll simply nip around and collect it!

I also keep my keys in Faraday cage bags when parked up. I am unsure how susceptible Porches cars are to electronic spoofing but don't want to find out the hard way.

I also use a Krooklock... These things add complexity to the theft and although an expert can defeat them in 5-10 minutes they provide further disincentive to the car thief who my well move on and steal yours instead...

Paranoid?

No. Three high value cars nicked from within five hundred yards of my house in 6 months using the electronic spoofing device on sale through Amazon.

I would rather avoid loss than claim on insurance.

I also have CCTV but they don't seem to mind that!

I am thinking about an OBD port blocker - any views on that?
Deleted User 2325

Post by Deleted User 2325 »

An alarming incident ..on Sunday morning - luckily the thieves were not successful: An incident like this that has happened, should be reported to 101 - or online. ( https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/ocr ... t-a-crime/) If it is actually happening - then call 999 immediately.


Just to let you know that last night (Sunday morning) at 00:50 two men tried to steal our car from our driveway.
They managed to the open the door without forcing it (I guess using an electronic device because they alarm didn’t go on)
One of them went in the car while the other one was waving the device around the door and windows trying to catch the keys’ signal to start the engine.
I got a message from the Mercedes’ app at that time saying that the car was unlocked, I only saw that notification this morning; knowing that I had locked the car yesterday, I checked the cameras and found the two men trying to steal the car. The stayed for about 3 minutes trying to start the engine and then left.
Please find attached a few photos, the last one of one of the men entering the car.


(Addendum: Apparently they were able to clone my key before that night when I was opening or closing the car. On the night, they managed to open the door with a device that acted as my key, but, as the actual key inside of my house wasn’t in a range they could capture the signal, they didn’t manage to start the engine.
In case it can help anyone else, I found out that for Mercedes vehicles, you can turn off the key from emitting radio signals by clicking the lock button twice. I have also bought a faraday bag from amazon, it works well to block the signal.
alxgb
Posts: 389
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by alxgb »

Macadam wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:49 pm I have anew high specced MACAN GTS 3/2018.

I was not happy to read that if nicked Vodaphone will take over and will not let me know the cars location for fear I might go and collect it. I am supposed to leave theft recovery to the Plod - they will be unlikely to bother as they might be attending wolf whistle sexual assaults ... well possibly...

So I bought my own back up tracker system from GPS Tracker shop and it informs me if my car has left the designated zone and also tracks it. This little box magnetically attaches to the underside of the car and works perfectly - as of March up to today it has not given any problem. .... It tells me when the batteries need recharging and where the car is o a map.

Belt and braces.

I figure any thief will want to resell in good nick and so park it up in a location where they can monitor to see if it has been tracked. I'll simply nip around and collect it!

I also keep my keys in Faraday cage bags when parked up. I am unsure how susceptible Porches cars are to electronic spoofing but don't want to find out the hard way.

I also use a Krooklock... These things add complexity to the theft and although an expert can defeat them in 5-10 minutes they provide further disincentive to the car thief who my well move on and steal yours instead...

Paranoid?

No. Three high value cars nicked from within five hundred yards of my house in 6 months using the electronic spoofing device on sale through Amazon.

I would rather avoid loss than claim on insurance.

I also have CCTV but they don't seem to mind that!

I am thinking about an OBD port blocker - any views on that?
You're not paranoid but I think these days, if the thieves are sufficiently motivated, they may just take the car by force and at the end of the day, there are more important things than suffering life changing injuries for the sake of securing an insurance premium.

I have had numerous problems with Vodafone - I drove off in June/July time and it took them 24 hours to call me to tell me that my car had been 'stolen'. I said, I'm glad you called, the car was stolen yesterday but why didn't you call me when it happened? Well, we had a system issue. My car now in a crate somewhere in Africa or Eastern Europe in 24hours. I told the operator that I was making a point and after a month of protracted and increasingly threatening emails, I got my next year's subscription free and an apology.

I test them every month by leaving the fob just to check.

The other problem with the magnetic trackers that you have is that car thieves can go to a car show, slap one on your car as it's not suspicious to have someone close to your car looking at it and then they follow you home.
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cheekyMacan
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Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2018 7:03 pm

Post by cheekyMacan »

How does the Porsche Vodafone system stack up against the likes of TRACKER?

Is it worth paying the Vodafone subscription or having a TRACKER system fitted that I had on my RR.

The TRACKER alerts were excellent and the app/ on-line system very effective and the journey report invaluable when I received a parking summons for a motorway services car park I never used it entered.

What are people’s experiences?

Chris
http://www.porsche-code.com/PKSGFNH9
Loving my 2L Turbo Macan with Sports Chrono, 18-way Seats, Wonderful Display Screen, 20" Turbo Alloys, PASM, PS+, Sports Exhaust, Pano-Roof, LED Headlights. Ignore the haters, this is a SUPERB car :D :D :D
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