craigside
Member Since: 10 Mar 2011
Location: Bolton
Posts: 44
  
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| Using Air Tags as Tracking Device |
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An idea I've been trying for a few months is Apple Air Tags. Low cost bluetooth tracking device (£85 for 4, no subscription required, 1 year battery life), you need an Apple account and an iPhone.
These work well - in both mine and my Mrs's car.
If an Air Tag is separated from it's iphone for 72Hrs it starts to make a sound, also it can display a message on nearest iphone.
So, if the Thief has an iphone it could alert them. However, if you have been in your car a few hours earlier the AirTag shouldn't think it is separated from you for at least a day or 2.
I've removed the speaker from each Air Tag to make them silent - quite easy to do, and I've placed 2 in my car. 1 in the centre console easy to find - 2nd one hidden behind the plastic front grill (on the outside of the steel body to give the best range). If a Thief gets in my car, and happens to be notified (when the AirTag detects movement) - they can locate and throw out the easy to find Airtag...
In reality, AirTags send your location to 'find my phone' every few minutes via the Apple network - any iPhone or iPad that passes within range will silently trigger a current location update. Eg. If the thief has an iPhone it will secretly transmit the location every few minutes, even in underground parking.
If you use your car daily then the Air Tag will be updated. If someone drives your car away, you will see an update of current location every 10 minutes. If the area is rural, then the population and hence the iPhone user density is lighter so location updates will likely be less regular. However, it only needs one iPhone to pass within range briefly (eg. sat at the traffic lights, etc) and the location is silently updated.
Later iPhones (11 onwards) have precise tracking to within 30cm (scary but true).
Air Tags are not promoted or intended for tracking a vehicle, but in reality I think they can have a valid use if you know the limitations and how they work.
Hope this is helpful. Rob
'65 Reliant Regal, '69 Imp, Fiat Amigo 600cc Camper, Triumph GT6 Mk1, MG Midget, Escort Van, Triumph Spitfire 1.5 Mk3, Escort Mk3, Bluebird 2.0, Bluebird 1.8 Turbo, Supra 3L Turbo, Previa (kids arrived!), CLK 320, CLK 500, A4 3.0 Cab.
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 25th Feb 2022 4:07 pm |
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