GPS track & trace for classics

GPS track and trace

In recent months it has been raining reports about stolen classics from Limburg. There on our three-country pit, the stolen vehicles are over the border and road in no time. For the time being, they usually go to the richer enthusiasts in the former Eastern Bloc. Or they are dismantled because the parts often earn more money than the complete car.

And you have no idea where your former pride went. Or is it?

Everything via satellites

In the car world we regularly hear the term GPS track and trace system. Exclusive cars in particular often have or will have such a system installed. Also think of companies that rent out exclusive cars and would like to know where their property is located. But such a T&T set can also be interesting for classic enthusiasts. Placing a track and trace module can be done within seconds.

For example, there are transmitters that can simply be clicked onto a bent place with a magnet. There are also modules that can be fixed and concealed. There are many brands and types of track and trace systems for sale. From cheap DIY stuff to systems that can be concluded for a service contract. Consider, for example, trip registration and storage of the number of kilometers driven or that you can request the location of the car directly. However, options for alarms such as theft report, speed report or sabotage report are also possible. You will receive these notifications via SMS or whatsapp message.

How does a track and trace system work?

How does a GPS track & trace system work? We know the abbreviation GPS from navigation systems, and stands for Global Positioning System. In order to trace the exact location of a vehicle, we also need GPS for track and trace. The GPS tracker consists of a module that can send information via satellites. The information of the location is sent automatically. The transmitted data can be picked up by a receiver elsewhere on the satellite.

At least four parameters are needed to determine the correct position. These four consist of the length, latitude, height and time. The precise position of a satellite is sent repeatedly to all nearby receivers. This location data is sent and converted to, for example, a computer or smartphone. For playback, the appropriate software must be installed on this. But then you can see exactly where the car is driving or standing.

Stolen. And then?

We know from our own circle of two classics that were rented out and were not returned on time. The cars were equipped with a track & trace system. And they turned out to move like two closely spaced dots on the monitor. Towards Poland.

The prospective owner did not change his mind and immediately contacted the most muscular members of the gym where he worked on his condition. They boarded two fast cars, meanwhile called the police and insurance company and localized the cars in a shed on an old industrial site in Poland. The watchdog was turned off. That was pathetic. The guard too. That was effective. Whether boxing brackets and baseball bats are just gym tools? We do not know that. We do not visit gyms.

The liberated classics were started with the spare keys and went back home.

The rescuers were having a party. A happy ending? Anyway. But a happy ending with a few comments. Of course, the police in the Netherlands had been informed about the theft. But the police couldn't do anything with that. The approach of resolving the matter itself with eight strong men is more common in Poland than here.

Just as it is quite common in Poland that every criminal from the shoplifting level carries a firearm, and is inclined to do more with it than to wave it threateningly.

The purchase of a track & trace system is therefore definitely worth considering. But it is always better to have a classic than to lose your life.