Winners: WorldTracker GPRS & Amber Alert GPS
According to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC), 836,131 persons were reported missing in 2006. About 80% of those were juveniles (persons under 18 years of age), the overwhelming majority of which were girls. While most missing persons return home safely, that statistic shows that 2,290 times per day, parents or primary care givers felt the disappearance was serious enough to warrant calling law enforcement. Even more troubling, the number of missing persons reported to law enforcement has increased almost 500% in the past 20 years.
What if, instead of sitting at home in a terrified panic that harm has come to your child, you could instantly locate him or her on a map, pinpointing their exact whereabouts? That's the promise behind a new wave of GPS and RF (Radio Frequency) tracking devices aimed at helping parents keep electronic tabs on their children. I've spent the last few months testing a number of these products at length, sorting out the good from the bad.
The bottom line? Hollywood-style GPS tracking still eludes us, but there are some good products available that will indeed help parents keep track of AWOL kids. There's also some duds out there that either underperformed or simply don't work at all. Read on for the full review, including which products I recommend, and which ones you should avoid.
Continue reading "The Ultimate GPS Child Tracking Buyer's Guide" »
Hi Fletch
Great website. Great content as always.
Question for you: I'm no tech guru but I find it amazing that a gps chip isn't around that can fit a standard child's watch. All these tracking devices you review, while a step in the right direction, are bulky and don't seem to last long on a single charge. Am I way off on this? With all the tech advances, it just seems a simple chip that might run off a watch battery or something is not possible to track our chilren.
You're right Rob - you'd think by now a GPS could fit on the head of a pin and run for days on a single charge. Unfortunately, that level of technology still appears to elude us.
What I found during my testing is that battery life and GPS signal performance are inversely related. Devices that last for days at a time aren't powerful enough to get GPS signals indoors, seriously limiting the usefulness of the tracker (especially for kids).
Some devices, like Zoombak for example, use SiRF's StarIII receiver, but have the power turned down so low that signal performance is compromised.
Hopefully the day isn't too far away that GPS tracking devices will be small enough, sensitive enough, and have battery life long enough to take GPS tracking from a niche market to the masses.
I'd expect to see more and more cell phones with GPS tracking features, too.
"I'm no tech guru but I find it amazing that a gps chip isn't around that can fit a standard child's watch. All these tracking devices you review, while a step in the right direction, are bulky and don't seem to last long on a single charge. Am I way off on this? With all the tech advances, it just seems a simple chip that might run off a watch battery or something is not possible to track our chilren. "
The problem is NOT the GPS receiver guys, is the GPRS or WiFi transceiver that cause the needed space.
Look at Dash PND, it's huge, look at the new Magellan Maestro 4350 = GPRS it's huge. The reciever can last 12-24 hours or longer depending on the pings (location notification) you are requesting.
You can already track with cell phones that are GPS enable and this power consumption would not be a big issue in the near future.
There was a company that sold child tracking watch named Wherify, but it did not take off as it could have due to poor marketing stadigy.
http://www.wherify.com/wherifone/safety.html
So is not the GPS receiver as much as the transceiver.
Look at the new Garmin GPS watch forerunner 401 but it can not track you and let your location be known to others.
http://www.autonav2000.com/mall/anProdDetail.asp?ProdID=758
hi fletch
My main concern is if my children get abducted. The first thing someone may look for is a phone or tracking device that looks like a phone. We need something that doesn't look like a tracking device.
Hello, I would like to know if any of these have world wide coverage. We travel quite a bit and I really need a device for my youngest. I especially need coverage for a trip to Syria in the next six months.
Thank you.
Erin - yes, I believe the WorldTracker GPRS has worldwide coverage. It's available from BrickHouseSecurity, among others.
I live in a foreign country, is there any effective tracking or GPS device that does not require having to pay a monthly service fee. This device should be a able to work both indoors and outdoors. Probably a device that works off a cell phone or blue tooth technology. Thanks for your help.
Do you know if the Loc8tor plus is the same thing as the Brickhouse Child Locator Device (http://www.brickhouse-childsafety.com/locator.html). It looks visually the same, but the Brickhouse device claims visual as well as audio direction.
Thanks.
Dan - yes, Brickhouse Security's Child Locater Device is the same device as the Loc8tor.
Dear Sir
We live in Denmark Scandinavia. Do you know if any of the devices which you recommend work here? This device should be a able to work both indoors and outdoors. Probably a device that works off a cell phone or blue tooth technology. Thank you in advance