Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in the South American Island of Curacao

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
Albert Jr.
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Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in the South American Island of Curacao

Postby Albert Jr. » Thu Apr 06, 2017 1:57 pm

[I am] planning on restoring a Boston Whaler 13-footer for a client, and he's asked me about a tracking device. [On a 13-foot Boston Whaler] what is the best [tracking device] to use [in the South American island nation of Curacao]?

[The device must be] something that is hard to find [on the boat].

I was thinking of glassing [the tracking device] into the foam and wiring it to the battery.

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Don McIntyre - MI
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Re: Tracking device

Postby Don McIntyre - MI » Thu Apr 06, 2017 2:27 pm

I wouldn't consider glassing in place. Might need to be removed for service or firmware updates, etc. I would consider installing it inside the engine cover, if there's enough room. Another possible location would be in a larger battery box. And the battery box will all but eliminate wiring problems. Maybe create some sort of false shell inside the cover. I think under the battery would not work; poor signal reception and concern of battery leakage. Under the small console area might work, but might need an external antenna.

You'll have to test any potential locations for a reliable GPS signal. I know from personal experience that 3/8-inch of fiberglass will still allow for a good signal.

With any device, there will be either a monthly or yearly billed plan. One other item to consider is what service offers the best service, as that's how the owner receives location information.

Regards - Don

jimh
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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-foot Boat

Postby jimh » Thu Apr 06, 2017 2:53 pm

On a Boston Whaler 13-foot boat there are not many places for concealment. What model 13-foot Boston Whaler boat are we talking about? The places of concealment will vary with the boat model. Some models have some consoles and lockers, while others have almost no place to conceal any sort of device.

Albert Jr.
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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-foot Boat

Postby Albert Jr. » Thu Apr 06, 2017 4:14 pm

Goodday all, I'm referring to the first and second gen. Whaler. I forgot to mention that I don't live in the US. I don't know how the phone and internet services on Curacao will provide me with this but I'll have to ask them.

I'd prefer it to be somewhere on the boat itself since if something happens, they'll be able to yank off the console and engine. I can tighten the engine using bolts but even then I've seen pics of transoms being chopped where the engine was positioned.

Albert Jr.
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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-foot Boat

Postby Albert Jr. » Thu Apr 06, 2017 4:20 pm

I don't mind installing a flushed boat hatch where the unit will be installed but it has to blend in.

Also referring to Don his reply, I know there are many tracking devices and setups (too many to mention)
But I honestly have no idea which tracking device to look for. Looking for and installing a tracking device is a completely new territory for me.

jimh
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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-foot Boat

Postby jimh » Sat Apr 08, 2017 7:22 am

The focus on the discussion seems to me to be how to conceal the transponder device for tracking on a 13-foot open boat like a Boston Whaler.

The "best" tracker for use in Curacao will likely have to be one that works will the mobile telephone providers there.

jimh
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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in Curacao

Postby jimh » Sat Apr 08, 2017 7:27 am

I am still not clear on what model of 13-foot Boston Whaler boat is being considered for concealment of a tracking device. Can you please tell us the model name of the boat? Some 13-foot Boston Whaler boats are just completely open skiffs and have no interior structure other than thwart seats. Other models have some consoles and lockers. Please help us understand the nature of the boat on which you plan to have a concealment.

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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in Curacao

Postby Jefecinco » Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:06 am

I believe that Panbo may be useful useful for help with selecting a device for tracking such as a Spot, etc. Panbo also seems to attract a following with long range voyagers who may also have some ideas on the subject. I'm unsure that devices such as the Spot are dependent upon local cellular service but admittedly am not well read on the subject. It was certainly not my intention to side track or end the discussion.

Selection of a location for placing a hidden tracking device will, as suggested, be dependent upon the size, power requirements, and sky view requirements of the device as well as the model of the boat. I believe for a 130 Sport a place beneath the console and some heavy duty Velcro could suffice whereas for a classic 13 the location and mounting would present more of a problem. A classic Super Sport would provide more alternatives.
Butch

Albert Jr.
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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in Curacao

Postby Albert Jr. » Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:52 pm

Hi Jim, the boats will be sport and standard models. However i'd like the device be hidden/concealed in the hull itself instead of the engine or console since those can be taken off of the hull.

Albert Jr.
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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in Curacao

Postby Albert Jr. » Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:54 pm

The focus of this thread is both which tracker to buy and how to conceal it. If I can conceal the tracker inside the hull by glassing it in or making a small chamber and closing it with a hatch cover, that would be great. As long as it's part of the hull itself instead of the motor or console. I apologize if my point was not clear.

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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in Curacao

Postby jimh » Mon Apr 10, 2017 10:28 pm

The functions of a "tracker" are:

--figure out where the tracker device is presently located on Earth

--send a message informing the recipient where the tracker is located

To accomplish the first function, a tracker typically uses a GNSS receiver. A GNSS receiver needs a clear view of the sky and cannot be obstructed or buried under any sort of material that absorbs radio waves. The antenna for a GNSS receiver can be rather small, often just a flat plate of dimensions about one-inch on a side.

To accomplish the second function, the tracker typically uses a cellular data modem, a radio that operates in mobile telephone bands. This radio needs an antenna, which might be a short whip antenna, perhaps a few inches long. Some devices might have internal antennas, and those would be better for concealment.

The tracker device also needs power. Even if it has a battery, the battery cannot provide very long operation and would need to be recharged periodically. If the device has been embedded in a hull, it will be difficult to access the battery for recharging.

I don't see concealment of the tracker and the power wiring is going to be easily accomplished in a Boston Whaler SPORT 13. Even if the device itself could be hidden just under the surface of foredeck, there would have to be some wiring going to it. That wiring would be hard to conceal.

For this particular application the cellular data modem needs to be able to work in the foreign country of Curacao. The data modem would have to be compatible with the mobile services available in Curacao.

A typical arrangement when buying devices that use mobile cellular data modems is the supplier of the service provides the cellular data plan and account, and the owner of the device pays a subscription fee which provides the access. The provider probably has thousands of accounts and gets a very low monthly cost for each one, as these devices use almost no air time. They just send occasional SMS text messages to the provider, who in turn creates an email to the subscriber. The catch is the provider has to have a device that will work in Curacao. Some popular devices use 1xRTT CDMA SMS text. CDMA is mostly a USA service, and might not be available in Curacao.

Cellular mobile devices have to be near a cell tower to work. If the boat is taken offshore, you won't be able to track it once it gets out of range of the shore cellular network. With a small device, and a concealed antenna, the range might not be very far.

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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in Curacao

Postby Jefecinco » Tue Apr 11, 2017 9:49 am

Fully concealing a tracking device or embedding one in the hull seems not to be a viable solution based on the previous information provided. An alternative may be to disguise a device by putting it inside something else frequently found aboard a small boat. Perhaps a VHF marine band radio housing could be used. In that way an antenna and power connection would appear normal and having the radio installed on the boat would not arouse suspicion that it is equipped with a "tracker".

Because boats are often stolen to be stripped of saleable parts the tracker could be stripped from the boat rendering it useless. Since the boat would probably be located somewhere convenient for the thieves to strip it it's possible the boat could be found at the final location shown by the tracker.
Butch

jimh
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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in Curacao

Postby jimh » Tue Apr 11, 2017 12:19 pm

By the way, a brief survey of GPS tracker providers shows that they tend to charge a minimum monthly fee of about $30. The tracker device itself is not very expensive, perhaps as little as $200. I think they plan to make most of their profit on the monthly fees.

As a point of comparison, I have purchased a cellular mobile radio data modem and retained a service provider for it to monitor the operation of some remote electrical equipment I own. I pay a service fee of $100 per year, roughly $8 per month. I get an email from the device whenever any electrical parameter in the equipment being monitored changes from its normal range of values. The device also sends me emails if the equipment being monitored needs any specific or routine maintenance. I think $8 per month is a good value. The data modem purchase cost was about $250. I mention this because the $8 per month cost is probably a reasonable price for a device that is part of a large fleet of mobile devices which generate very little traffic on the mobile network. I suspect the provider has a contract with his mobile network company for hundreds or thousands of these devices, and gets a good deal on the monthly fee.

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Re: Best Tracking Device for 13-footer in Curacao

Postby jimh » Tue Apr 11, 2017 12:25 pm

Another problem for the tracking of a stolen boat: if the boat is hidden under the metal roof of a building, the GNSS receiver will not be able to get a position fix.

The better tracker devices will use Assisted GPS (AGPS) to permit faster position fix solutions from GPS signal, also use cellular tower signal strength to estimate their location relative to cellular towers, and also use any WiFi signals present as location clues. However, I would not make any sort of presumption that in Curacao the cellular telephone providers offer Assisted GPS function. Assisted GPS is available in the USA and was developed in the USA primary as a response to a federal law mandate that cellular telephone calls to emergency providers be able to include some sort of position information about the location of the mobile device. Providing Assisted GPS takes a great deal of cooperation among cellular providers and cellular device makers. I don't know that you can automatically expect that every foreign nation in the world supports Assisted GPS or provides the necessary infrastructure to permit it to work

Again, to know exactly what device and what vendor will provide the best service in the foreign island nation of Curacao is a bit of a problem that will be left to the OP to figure out. The last time I was in the Caribbean with a CDMA mobile device there was no service at all.