Separation anxiety

[Grashopper]

So I've been thinking about getting one of these nifty little things: https://www.thetrackr.com

I know my bike is not the newest and flashiest, but it is mine, and if this thing increased my chances of finding my bike if it got stolen or just gave me a peace of mind when I stay somewhere else over night, it would be a great investment (not too mention fun to try it out).

In case you don't want to click on the link, in a nutshell: It's a bluetooth/'GPS' based tracking device, small enough to be hidden somewhere on the bike, with no on-going costs, and can be located via app and CrowdGPS (if another user is within the range (100 feet) of your chip you will get a GPS update of where your bike/dog/keys/whatever is)

Thoughts?

[OddDuck]

I have a cell-network enabled locator. There are ongoing costs but provided that it's got cellular coverage and some sort of GPS signal, I'm reasonably confident that I can locate the bike. It works from inside a locked, concrete-walled, tin-roofed garage, for example.

This "within 100 feet of another user" business makes me uneasy... if your bike is swiped, what's the chance that it's going to a semi-rural area, somewhere nice and quiet?

[awa355]

Could a thief with a similar app or CrowdGPS thingy turn his receiver on and scan any potential target to see if the bike had one of these fitted?.

Regardless, anything to assist in recovering a stolen bike has to be worth trying.

[Grashopper]

Could a thief with a similar app or CrowdGPS thingy turn his receiver on and scan any potential target to see if the bike had one of these fitted?.


The question is, if they did that and found the bike had a TrackR chip, would they leave the bike and go for something without a chip? I guess there are some good hiding places on the bike, so it might not be easy to find the chip. Unless that would restrict the bluetooth connection too much...

I like the idea of an alarm if it leaves your vicinity...