Trackers and sim card requirements

Quadcopter102 · Aug 19, 2015

Just been checking trackers on eBay.... bucket loads of them as low prices as $18 - they all need a sim card.

Is it possible to use ones own cell / mobile number by getting a duplicate sim and have all charges from the tracker as part of the normal billing?

Another thought was... in Australia - I can get any unlocked phone and buy a $2 sim - register the sim number - then buy a fixed amount vodafone (In my case) re-charge - is that acceptable to Marco Polo and other "big Name" trackers.

bbfpv · Aug 20, 2015

VinnyVG said:
Just been checking trackers on eBay.... bucket loads of them as low prices as $18 - they all need a sim card.

Is it possible to use ones own cell / mobile number by getting a duplicate sim and have all charges from the tracker as part of the normal billing?

Another thought was... in Australia - I can get any unlocked phone and buy a $2 sim - register the sim number - then buy a fixed amount vodafone (In my case) re-charge - is that acceptable to Marco Polo and other "big Name" trackers.

You'd need to add a line to your existing plan in order to get a new card, which is more $ than you need to spend. Most people just go buy a prepaid sim card. The trackers use such little data that prepaid plans last for many months or more. Just make sure whichever sim you buy is for the right kind of network. Most if not all trackers use GSM, but pay attention to whether it is a 2G or 3G chip (I believe trackimo is 2G, Flytrex is 3G).

Quadcopter102 · Aug 20, 2015

Thanks for the info....just reading through another thread...and I fact are doing it have just as you suggest. In Aussie, I can get 12 month $20 load / recharge from Vodafone. obvious,y it runs out as fast or slow as its used in the 12 months. I actually have an old iPhone 3 with an activated sim....so I guess it should do the job.

EDIT: Checking here today and found that G2 from Telstra will be closed down in Aussie by december 2016.
"By December" - could mean - next week!
Web address: http://exchange.telstra.com.au/2014/07/23/its-time-to-say-goodbye-old-friend/

astrostar · Aug 20, 2015

VinnyVG said:
Thanks for the info....just reading through another thread...and I fact are doing it have just as you suggest. In Aussie, I can get 12 month $20 load / recharge from Vodafone. obvious,y it runs out as fast or slow as its used in the 12 months. I actually have an old iPhone 3 with an activated sim....so I guess it should do the job.

The problem with the cheap trackers on ebay is that they use 2G and I believe that 2G will be disconnected in 2017 in the USA. If I'm wrong on this can someone please chip in.

Joao Carlos · Aug 20, 2015

astrostar said:
The problem with the cheap trackers on ebay is that they use 2G and I believe that 2G will be disconnected in 2017 in the USA. If I'm wrong on this can someone please chip in.

Sounds about right. I had 3-4 TK102 and I tried AT&T and h2o. None worked. Not 100% sure if its lack of 2g availability or some other restriction though. Not willing to spend more in sim cards to find out after I got my Marco Polo.

Quadcopter102 · Aug 21, 2015

astrostar said:
The problem with the cheap trackers on ebay is that they use 2G and I believe that 2G will be disconnected in 2017 in the USA. If I'm wrong on this can someone please chip in.

Being a Brit in Australia - I find what the world considers "obsolescent" is not in the same category in Oz - and could go on longer than other countries! I suppose the only plus is--- the cheapo trackers - are just that - cheap to buy and run... so if they become redundant within a year or two - too bad - move on! By then maybe the rush that pushes prices up and stuff like Flytrex...will have levelled and competition will force prices down + maybe DJI will get smart and build in its own tracking device - they use GPS so its not a great leap for the app developer to program a tracker. Or. - as they are all rolling around on a bath full of dollar bills... maybe buy am existing tracker app - and DJi world wide are big enough to go to a mobile phone service company and run a deal for trackers. Just a thought ....

landmannnn · Aug 21, 2015

astrostar said:
The problem with the cheap trackers on ebay is that they use 2G and I believe that 2G will be disconnected in 2017 in the USA. If I'm wrong on this can someone please chip in.

That is what we are told, actually these trackers use 2g to upload their data to a website. If you just want to send a text to the tracker and expect a text back with GPS coordinates then you don't need a data connection at all.