The Best GPS Tracking Device for Your Needs

It is legal to track your own property, including any vehicles that you own, whether they are driven by you or a member of your family. When it comes to tracking other people in the vehicles that they own, many states have laws which regulate the use of electronic tracking as part of anti-stalking laws. It’s a good idea to protect yourself by checking on the legality of your GPS tracking applications. You can learn more about this in our learning library of GPS tracking laws.

It can be difficult to identify a hidden GPS tracker, especially if it’s been professionally installed and is well-hidden. Do an exterior and interior sweep on your own or seek professional help if you’re not able to locate a device. For more details, check out our learning article about finding a GPS tracker on your vehicle. Once the device has been located, you can also follow a few simple steps to disable the GPS device.

If you need to use a GPS tracker to monitor the movements of a vehicle, there are a number of options available. We invite you to explore our GPS tracking device guide to learn about the different tracking options and which would be most appropriate for your needs. You can also read our article about GPS tracker placement to determine the best location for the tracker to be mounted in the vehicle in order to ensure you get the most accurate results.

GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System, operates using a series of satellites that orbit the Earth transmitting radio signals. Once the location of the GPS tracker is pinpointed, the device then uses a cellular connection to transmit the identified location to a web server so that it can be marked on a map and recorded. If you’re looking for a deep dive into the science of GPS tracking, you can learn all about it in our learning article about how GPS works.

The SIM card is the source of the cellular signal in the GPS tracker. While satellites are responsible for locating the device, the cellular signal is required to send this information to the user via the tracking platform. This information may appear in the form of a moving dot on a map or an alert that provides location coordinates.

The most accurate GPS tracking takes place outdoors where the tracking device is positioned in the direct line of sight of at least three global positioning satellites. In some cases, a GPS tracker can also use local cellular towers or nearby WiFi to help pinpoint locations if the device is not accessible to the appropriate number of satellites, but the most accurate location tracking will take place outdoors.

A GPS server receives and stores all of the location information that has been captured and conveyed by the GPS tracker. This information is accessible by the user via the tracking platform and can be seen as a location on a map or by generating an historical report.

The monthly costs required for GPS tracking covers two things: 1) access to the GPS server which stores your GPS tracker’s location history and 2) the cellular connection used to send the location information to the server so that the user can access the information remotely. Both of these features are required in order for the GPS tracker to function properly and provide the information to the user.

GPS tracking devices can only be as small as the battery used to power them and the antennasused to transmit the location information. While a GPS chip and electronic components can besmall enough to fit into a matchbox, in order to ensure that the antennas are positioned correctlyand the battery is of sufficient size to hold a charge, a good quality GPS tracking device needsto be at least 2 inches across in size.
When using a battery-powered GPS tracker, it’s important to remember that the battery is powering the GPS as well as the cellular signal. A GPS tracker that is actively tracking will drain the battery faster than one that is sitting inactive. Our smallest, most powerful battery-powered GPS tracker is the Spark Nano which can function for a minimum of two weeks on a single charge.

OBD ports, or On-Board Diagnostics ports, are available on all vehicles and are used to accessthe computer system for reading emissions tests and diagnosing vehicle problems. This portcan also be used for installing additional vehicle components like OBD GPS trackers. An OBDGPS tracker requires only a simple plug-and-play installation and the OBD port provides powerdirectly to the device from the vehicle, eliminating the concern of a dead device battery.

There are four types of GPS trackers: battery-operated, hardwired, plug-in, and satellite-operated. We’ve created a GPS tracker buying guide to help you determine the best tracker type for your needs. We also recommend contacting our team directly so you can discuss your needs with a GPS expert and be paired with the right tool.

A tracking interval is how frequently the device sends an updated location to the user, usually in the form of a dot on the map. The faster the tracking interval, the more often updates will be sent. This will typically take place anywhere from every 10 seconds to every few minutes and usually can be adjusted by the user, depending on needs. Learn more in our learning library about how to understand the balance between tracking intervals and battery life.

Many GPS trackers are motion-activated to conserve battery life and save on cellular transmission costs. As long as the GPS tracker is not moving, it will only occasionally send updated location information to the user. When a tracker begins to move, the GPS device activates and an update is sent. This is particularly useful for monitoring vehicles that are parked or in storage so the user knows exactly when motion begins. It’s also helpful for conserving battery life while the vehicle is not in motion for a long period of time.

Geofences are digital boundaries a user draws on a map in the GPS server. These can be used to demarcate important areas like home, a warehouse, a customer’s business, etc. Alerts are triggered when the GPS tracking device crosses the imaginary boundary line to enter or exit the zone, enabling users to track when the zone was entered or left and for how long. Explore our learning article about geofences to learn about their functions and best uses.

GPS trackers may be powered in one of four different ways: battery, hard-wiring, plug-in, or satellite-powered. Which type of device you choose will depend upon your needs and the location where you intend to track. If you will have reasonable access to the device in order to recharge it when appropriate, a battery-powered tracker might be right for you. If the device will be located inside of a vehicle without needing to be moved, a hard-wired device will likely be the best choice. If you plan to use the device in different vehicles on an as-needed basis, the OBD plug-in tracker will provide you with this ease of use. If you are tracking something in the wilderness or at sea where cellular service is unavailable, you may need to go the route of selecting a satellite tracker which is designed for this application. Learn more by exploring our GPS device guide!

GPS trackers use latitude and longitude coordinates to determine locations, but this information is not very user-friendly and needs to be converted--via reverse geocoding--into a street address. This process requires the system to pinpoint the nearest known points on the map, which are usually intersections of streets, to determine the nearest approximation to a street address. Because this process is an approximation, the location of the physical dot on the map may be more accurate than the actual street address that the system identifies.