Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions?

[shopsmithy]

I recently received this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KBM ... UTF8&psc=1
I ordered that tracker for about $25, and know that I now need to get a sim card, and (I assume?) a contract with a provider for service. Do I have that right?

May I ask for your suggestions on what/where to get a Sim card for my tracker, and what I need to do to set up service for it?

Love my P2V, but would like to know where it goes, should it decide to head for Kansas

Thanks! (sorry if this has been asked and answered, I didn't find a thread on these specific concerns)

hal

 

[J Dot]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

It is basically a cell phone with text only!
It takes any micro SD CARD, and any service provider
Can help with the sim! I used AT&T, they were most helpful,
only $5 a month! Not sure where you live, or what providers are avail
For you, I found verizon won't help you, since it's not a " VERIZON " device,
Bunch of idiots over there, but AT&T was like " NO PROBLEM " fast an easy.
Sim was $15
Memory car $6
Service $5 per month ( unlimited )

Hope this helps!
Take care, Fly safe!

Edited to add:
I have a global tracker TK-102b, slightly different,
But still the same ball game!

 

[Happyflyer]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

.....but AT&T was like " NO PROBLEM " fast an easy.
Sim was $15
Memory car $6
Service $5 per month ( unlimited )

Interesting. Goes to show that different offices have different ideas. My card was $25.00 and I had to go to WallyWorld and purchase a minute card. That was all AT&T would offer.

 

[shopsmithy]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

I just talked to ATT, and they have a $10/month plan. I am assuming I would not need much in the way of data each month, as the device will be used sparingly. Do you think it makes sense to go with a pre-paid plan and a sim card? Or is a regular ATT better at $10/month?

 

[J Dot]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

I live in Sarasota, Fl. ( not sure if that matters or not )
When I went in,( AT&T wireless ) they never even seen my tracker before, so
The guy went online, and called his supervisor, supervisor told him
A regular phone SIM card would work, that it was basically a cell phone
With TEXT ONLY! So guy came out, said sim was going to cost me $15, I said cool
Then we hit a snag, it was a micro SIM card, with adaptor, well he tried to put the
card in for like 8 minutes, the 2 pieces kept falling apart, so I said " do you have a card that
Fits without an adaptor " he said yes! ( I only add this, because my memory card is UNDER my
SIM card, and there is NO WAY IN HELL, I would go through that again!
So finally had a card that fit, and he activated it ( he gave me a few options )
A monthly plan, a daily plan, and a prepaid plan )
Monthly plan was like $25 unlimited texts, daily plan was $2 for 24 hours ( unlimited texts )
Prepaid was like $15-20 for x amount of minutes? Can't remember exactly?
So I originally went with daily $2 for 24 hours of service, well I gave him $25, 15 sim, and 10 on account, gives me 5 24 hour periods!
Well I flew A BUNCH, then realized, is this even working anymore? ( lost track of how
Many days ( 24 hour periods ) I had flown? )

So I called, AT&T wireless, guy on phone said, why pay $2 a day when you can prepay ( unlimited TEXT ONLY )
A month for $5 a month, if you buy 5 months I'll give you one month free!
So another $25 spent and am enjoying my 6 month window of freedom!

That is exactly how it went ( shortened a bit of corse ) so either , different branches
Don't view the same training videos, or they just don't know all the options!

Please feel free to take my story to them, it is TRUE!
And ask why they did not offer you the stuff I was offered, by the same company AT&T mobile.

I was actually shocked it was only 5 a month! After spending $2 each day!
Then I was a bit mad, this was not offered in the beginning?
So it is there, they just need to wake up! Like I said maybe it is a location thing?
I'm in SW FLORIDA! But it is nationwide service? But who knows, I'm a pool builder,
Not a phone dealer!

EDITTED TO ADD: I bought my memory card at office max, a while before all the AT&T buisness!
So just to clear it up, did not get memory card at AT&T, I only got the SIM CARD there!

Hope this helps!

Take care, Fly safe!

 

[Joeg1937]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

I got mine from T Mobile for 10.00 a quarter unlimited text for those three months, forty dollars a year is very reasonable

 

[imprimatur]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

Guys, are the 3G signals (or whatever technology is used) safe for the phantom? Since you arent supposed to use the gopro's wifi or get close to phone towers.... what do you think? :idea: :?:

 

[Happyflyer]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

Sunday I went out to a farmers field, flew the P2V out about 900 feet, let it hover and switched the phone over so I could send text code to my locater. Waited about 45 seconds and got a text back. Went to Google maps and location was very close. switched phone back to FPV and played with quad for a while. Nothing went bad while the quad was hovering out in the field. So mine did not make it (quad) have a fit or anything. Guess mine is OK.

 

[shopsmithy]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

I checked with T-Mobile and ATT. T-Mobile wanted $10 for the sim card, and $10 for 100 texts per month.

ATT gave me a sim card for free, and $5/month for 200 texts. So, I went with ATT.

Now, I'm trying to make it work. I've sent a text to the number, which I thought was supposed to send a text back with location. So far, no return text. I also downloaded the location app, but it appears I have to have an account first, and I don't know how to get one.

Any suggestions? Is there initial set up I have to do with the tracker? So far, a tad frustrating. But, ATT deal was great.

 

[J Dot]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

Cudos on the AT&T score! A+

As for the tracker, mines a different one, but my first SMS was " Begin "
Texted back " OK "
2nd was a phone call to it, it texted back ( latitude and longitude ) coordinance!

I did have to turn OFF all sleep modes, for some reason, I lifted off, with it ON,
But upon landing, it would be OFF?

Works fine now! Another funny item, I thought worth mentioning:
One evening around 9:00pm, the tracker texted me telling me it's battery was low!
I was pleasantly surprised! Lol!

Take care, fly safe!

 

[shopsmithy]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

well, mine (GEEKDIGG Mini Multi-Functional GSM Tracker ) seems to talk to me, but when it gives me a location, it's in this link format, which my computer won't open for some reason:
http://www.gps588.com/lbs/?mcc=310&mnc= ... llid=25692

and, I guess I pressed the SOS button, as it is now calling me every two minutes with an SOS. I only have text service, so I'm worried about what it is doing.

sheesh...

 

[Joeg1937]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

Why pay $5.00 a month when you can get it at T Mobile for $10.00 a quarter, and don't be fooled by the 200 or free texting .....how many times do you think you will lose the phantom? Your not texting each time you fly...

Think about it.

 

[imprimatur]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

I don't want to sound like an ***#~½! (lol) but here in my country (Costa Rica) a prepaid is just $1 and i only need to "recharge" it at least once every 4 months to keep it active and I can do it with as little as $0.20. Each SMS is like 1 cent.

I guess its so cheap because the main phone company is state-owned and has very low fees (and they have around 90% of users) and so the private phone operators have to live with it if they want to stay around.

:lol:

 

[Happyflyer]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

Shopsmithy,
Did you ever get that little tracker working?

 

[shopsmithy]

Re: Have tracker, now need sim card and service, suggestions

I did not. It was very difficult to work with and came with terrible instructions. I even contacted the seller, who contacted the manufacturer, but still lousy product. On the recommendation of another poster here, I bought the TK 102b, for $25, and it arrived three weeks before the promised date, and it works wonderfully, with very easy instructions, two batteries, charger, mini disk with information and manual, and it has many, many more capabilities. Delighted with it.