There are many advantages to installing a GPS tracking device on your vehicle. Its foremost benefit is its ability to help an owner recover his car when it has been stolen. Also, it can boost the security of your vehicle by setting it up with advanced safeguards. These two primary benefits make vehicle trackers one of the best security tools in the market, preventing car theft and helping owners take certain preventive measures against it.
Advantages of Vehicle GPS Trackers
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Let’s talk about the advantages of vehicle GPS tracking devices in detail.
- It can help car owners locate their vehicles quickly in case they get stolen. When a vehicle is stolen, time is of the utmost essence in trying to recover them because once it has been taken away out of the owner’s possession, he only has limited time before it gets disassembled for parts or smuggled to another country.
- Vehicle trackers also boast a set of sophisticated features like geofencing, sensors, and real-time tracking. Geofencing and sensors can serve as an early warning system that alerts owners in time, while real-time tracking can pinpoint the exact geographical location of a vehicle.
- GPS trackers can also ensure the safety of your loved ones who drive, particularly in the case of teenagers who may have just gotten their license or elderly members of your family who might be too frail to drive. Features like route history and speed alerts enable you to monitor their driving habits and their overall road safety.
- Trackers can also help business owners to reduce costs since these devices are capable of transmitting data related to vehicle maintenance, fuel consumption, and driver-related issues. These data can then be analyzed to make corresponding adjustments and issue warnings to drivers for better fleet performance. As a result, companies can boost their revenue and lower overall costs.
Essential Vehicle Tracker Features
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When you are acquiring a vehicle tracker either for personal use or for your company, there are important factors you should consider, such as the following:
Real-time tracking capability
Among all the features that a tracker is equipped with, this is the most essential and what makes the tracker the useful and efficient device that it is. It is because of this feature that you can locate a vehicle’s exact position via GPS technology.
Design
You should choose a tracker that is simple and easy enough to operate and understand but durable enough to withstand tough conditions. It should also provide a long battery life and should also be water-resistant.
Monitoring capabilities
A GPS tracker transmits data, which you should then be able to access on your own. Look for one that offers mobile monitoring options such as an app or web tracking. Having such an option makes it easier on your end to access your tracker’s database and monitor and analyze the data gathered by your device.
Technical support
Look for a manufacturer that offers direct customer support and provides a warranty for your device. Because operating a tracker requires at least some basic tech knowledge, it helps if the manufacturer offers start-up support and assistance, especially for first-time users.
Pricing
A good GPS vehicle tracker does not necessarily need to cost you your entire life savings. Among the devices available in the market, Trackimo is one of the few that offer cost-effective monthly subscription plans. Their rates are such a steal, considering that they also have the most compact, most lightweight, and smartest trackers around.
Common Vehicle GPS Tracking Device Problems
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Tracking devices, despite how advanced they are, can also be prone to various technical issues like many similar devices. If you’ve experienced the following scenarios, we can provide you with helpful advice as to what to do:
Your GPS device is not that accurate when providing location data.
Issues with accuracy are usually caused by errors in the positioning of the device. If such is the case, then you will experience errors in location because your device’s antenna is having trouble picking up the satellite signal. What you need to do in this instance is to transfer your device or your antenna to a place where it has an unobstructed view of the sky, such as your car’s trunk.
You are having trouble downloading data.
To access the device’s history data, all you need to do is to log in to their site. In case you are having trouble doing this or you still encounter download errors, then there’s a good chance it might be because of computer or connection issues. One of those issues could be outdated firmware, incompatible programs, or enabled firewalls. Fortunately, all these issues can be fixed immediately by getting in touch with a technical support assistant.
You are experiencing poor visibility.
This happens when a satellite signal has been blocked by an obstructing object or structure or when a GPS receiver is trying to receive signals from a corresponding satellite that is more than eleven thousand miles away. You can suffer a loss in signal due to obstructions such as large buildings, tunnels, and thickly forested areas.
The device lags when there is extreme GPS movement.
There are some devices that might lag or even completely stop working when the vehicle reaches an extremely high speed. This usually happens if you use a handheld device and attempt to use it in your car without mounting it properly. Ultimately, this would depend on the quality of the hardware and design of the tracking unit.
Troubleshooting for Connection Problems
Upon acquiring your device, all you need to do is to connect your tracker to a computer. Usually, getting the two devices to connect is fuss-free, especially if you acquire Trackimo’s trackers, which are ready to use out of the box. However, in case you do experience problems, you can follow these steps so you can finally identify the source of your connection problems:
- Make sure that the cable is firmly plugged into both the computer and the GPS receiver. You also have to ensure that the GPS receiver has been turned on and is fully functioning.
- Check the protocol and the baud rate and make sure they align in both the interface program and the GPS receiver. If you still can’t make a connection, check it again. There is a chance that the baud rates might be too high even though they match, and this can cause errors in communication. If you are feeling a little doubtful, you can opt to tone down the baud rate. You can either take it one notch lower at a time or immediately go to 4,800 or 9,600 baud. Although it will be slow, at that rate, it will not cause errors.
- Check the interface program and make sure that it specifies the right COM port. If you still can’t find a connection, then you can try various COM port numbers until you can get the one that finally works for your device.
- If you can’t get your computer to talk to your GPS receiver and you have a PDA, consider turning off the PDA sync program first. Synchronization software running in background can often interfere with the connection, causing the GPS receiver to have interface problems.
- Check the device’s user manual for information on connecting with a GPS receiver. If you can’t find the information you are looking for on the manual, you can try accessing the device’s online website. You can also try contacting the customer support department of your tracker’s manufacturer.
Some Last-Minute Tips for Taking Care of Your Tracker
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- Keep the tracker away from places where it gets exposed to direct sunlight or places that can get extremely hot or cold. Such extreme temperature will affect the hardware of the device, which can then cause it to malfunction.
- No matter how durable your device is, you still need to handle it with care. Don’t try to shake it too much or too aggressively as do so can affect the connection.
- Trackimo’s tracker are durable and water-resistant, but you still have to do your share in ensuring that it does not get exposed to dust and liquids, including oils and water. It pays to be sure so you’re never sorry in the end.
- Clean the device once in a while. No matter how much you take good care of your tracker, it can still acquire dust and other particles while it is in use. Thus, you must make sure you clean it every so often to get rid of the dirt, dust, and pollutants. Just wipe them off with a tissue or a cloth towel, and it’s good to be used again.
When experiencing troubles with your device and you’ve exhausted all sources but you still haven’t found the cause of the problem, then the next best thing to do is to contact the technical support team of your tracker’s manufacturer. Trackimo offers round-the-clock support when you contact us via our hotline or through email.
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