[PalaceXType]

Amatrac AM-T22
I wanted to fit a tracker to the car for a bit of security but was a bit wary and didn't want monthly charges and any other large ongoing cost.
In the end I found the Amatrac AM-T22 and fitted it a month ago.

My experience so far:
1. You can buy this for a one off cost of £49.99 - there is no monthly charge (apart from the SIM mentioned below)
2. Auto Express awarded it 5 starts in a review
3. You need to fit a 2G sim card to it - I fitted a GIFFGAFF 2G PAYG SIM which is of course free. It must be a 2G SIM and not anything more modern.
4. The tracker fits in the OBDII reader (by your right calf) and does not therefore need batteries and will not run out of power (or need to be hooked to a power source as some do)
5. It was relatively somple to set up - I didn't have any issues and the only problems seem to be when people get a 3G SIM or later.
6. The tracker sends a location report every 10 seconds when the ignition is on
7. You get access to a web site whereby you can see your car journeys played back over a selected timeframe - I think they store data for 30 days. Whilst this is very amusing on the one hand, it would be great to see where your car has been as well as where it currently is if it goes missing.
8. There is also a phone app which shows you where your car currently is.
9. After one month of lockdown usage - every day but short distances - I have used 17 pence worth of GIFFGAFF data. That works out at about £2 a year!

I think it is brilliant and am very pleased with it.

 

[rob1966]

Amatrac AM-T22
I wanted to fit a tracker to the car for a bit of security but was a bit wary and didn't want monthly charges and any other large ongoing cost.
In the end I found the Amatrac AM-T22 and fitted it a month ago.

My experience so far:
1. You can buy this for a one off cost of £49.99 - there is no monthly charge (apart from the SIM mentioned below)
2. Auto Express awarded it 5 starts in a review
3. You need to fit a 2G sim card to it - I fitted a GIFFGAFF 2G PAYG SIM which is of course free. It must be a 2G SIM and not anything more modern.
4. The tracker fits in the OBDII reader (by your right calf) and does not therefore need batteries and will not run out of power (or need to be hooked to a power source as some do)
5. It was relatively somple to set up - I didn't have any issues and the only problems seem to be when people get a 3G SIM or later.
6. The tracker sends a location report every 10 seconds when the ignition is on
7. You get access to a web site whereby you can see your car journeys played back over a selected timeframe - I think they store data for 30 days. Whilst this is very amusing on the one hand, it would be great to see where your car has been as well as where it currently is if it goes missing.
8. There is also a phone app which shows you where your car currently is.
9. After one month of lockdown usage - every day but short distances - I have used 17 pence worth of GIFFGAFF data. That works out at about £2 a year!

I think it is brilliant and am very pleased with it.

I'll be looking at getting one of those. I had a tracker fitted to my bike, but it needed charging all the time, so something like this for the car interests me.

 

[x-files]

it would be great to see where your car has been as well as where it currently is if it goes missing.

.. Or where it was when the tea-leaf pulled it out of the socket and chucked it out of the window!

 

[PalaceXType]

You have a point x-files but it is not visible at all in the OBDII slot. You would not know it was there unless you specifically went and looked for it. On that basis you could remove a tracker from wherever you fitted it if you went looking for it.

 

[rob1966]

You have a point x-files but it is not visible at all in the OBDII slot. You would not know it was there unless you specifically went and looked for it. On that basis you could remove a tracker from wherever you fitted it if you went looking for it.

Car thieves have a method anyway for trackers, they park the car up somewhere and leave it for a couple of days to see what happens

 

[Scruffy Puppy]

Where do you think car thieves get the info from to help them steal cars, where to look for Trackers and not get caught?
Answer = Online ie Car Forums so the more you detail how your Tracker works the more info they get, some details are best kept to yourself.

 

[Guest]

You have a point x-files but it is not visible at all in the OBDII slot. You would not know it was there unless you specifically went and looked for it. On that basis you could remove a tracker from wherever you fitted it if you went looking for it.

On some cars it is totally hidden although that may be factory fitted. However, I believe there is a special locating device the theives use to find it!

 

[PalaceXType]

Where do you think car thieves get the info from to help them steal cars, where to look for Trackers and not get caught?
Answer = Online ie Car Forums so the more you detail how your Tracker works the more info they get, some details are best kept to yourself.

Mmmmmmmmm. So instead of looking at car trackers details and how they work - it took me about 30 mins online - they trawl the forums to find out how they work!

So I've let the cat out of the bag with my 30 mins research.

please feel free to delete the thread if it reveals too much 😳

 

[PalaceXType]

Car thieves have a method anyway for trackers, they park the car up somewhere and leave it for a couple of days to see what happens

Great - that gives you 2 days to go and get it. Perfect.

 

[JagSe]

I've one of these fitted, hard wired in engine bay. Vodafone sim PAYG; needs to be used at least once every 6 months to keep alive. You just send it a text message code, and it replies back soon after with Google Maps reference, and a map showing location.
Aldi offer 14 2 21

 

[Guest]

I've one of these fitted, hard wired in engine bay. Vodafone sim PAYG; needs to be used at least once every 6 months to keep alive. You just send it a text message code, and it replies back soon after with Google Maps reference, and a map showing location.
Aldi offer 14 2 21

Will it help me locate my car when I can't find it when parked up at Gatwick Airport?

 

[PalaceXType]

Will it help me locate my car when I can't find it when parked up at Gatwick Airport?

Never thought of that but it would do. The location is accurate to a few feet.

 

[Guest]

Never thought of that but it would do. The location is accurate to a few feet.

About 10 years ago I forgot where I'd parked in Gatwick and went round in circles trying to find my car! I can laugh now but it cost me more to get out due to the length of time I was in there..........

 

[PalaceXType]

About 10 years ago I forgot where I'd parked in Gatwick and went round in circles trying to find my car! I can laugh now but it cost me more to get out due to the length of time I was in there..........

I lost mine in a car park in Portsmouth many years ago. It took me half an hour before I realised it had been stolen!

 

[jimbo20]

I've one of these fitted, hard wired in engine bay. Vodafone sim PAYG; needs to be used at least once every 6 months to keep alive. You just send it a text message code, and it replies back soon after with Google Maps reference, and a map showing location.
Aldi offer 14 2 21

Will it help me locate my car when I can't find it when parked up at Gatwick Airport?

No - you would need one of your own, JagSe's would only help find his car!

 

[rob1966]

Great - that gives you 2 days to go and get it. Perfect.

Exactly. It also means, from their POV, that if the car hasn't moved, then its not got a tracker and they can go move it/strip it.

That's how they got my bosses 530e back. Robbed off the drive and located on the tracker, parked up on waste land and recovered within 2 hours.

I've one of these fitted, hard wired in engine bay. Vodafone sim PAYG; needs to be used at least once every 6 months to keep alive. You just send it a text message code, and it replies back soon after with Google Maps reference, and a map showing location.
Aldi offer 14 2 21

That is what I had on my bike. Thieves also use them to nick your bike/car. They just stick one inside the fairing on a bike/under the car and then find where you live.

 

[280E]

Trackers might be worthwhile for expensive vehicles, but I doubt many tea-leaves will be interested in my 13 year-old X-Type 🙃

Many years ago I spent ages on a Monday morning looking for the keys to my elderly Rover SD1, only to discover that they were still dangling in the ignition! They had been there from when I parked up down a side street the previous Friday after getting home from work. I suspect the same would happen to the X

 

[Scruffy Puppy]

Same here, what thief would nick a car that is worth f...all and more than likely go in to Limp Mode if the Old Bill started chasing them?

 

[rob1966]

Same here, what thief would nick a car that is worth f...all and more than likely go in to Limp Mode if the Old Bill started chasing them?

Its free money that's why. Strip it, throw the parts on ebay or Gumtree or such.

 

[x-files]

Yeah , I heard there was a spate of CAT thefts, but I don't think they meant us..