Wanna gps our cars?

[aliencurv]

After that spam thread it got me thinking how easy it'd be too add gps location tracking without paying for a service.

Can pay as you go phones be any unlocked phone that accepts a SIM card? Cause if so then all we need is to get a few oldschool flip phones (samsung or motorola are great) cause they have rs232 built in. And they're not even usb, so it's even easier to connect to one of my microcontrollers and throw a $30 gps module with embedded antenna onto it.

I'm gonna do it to my cars. Anyone else interested? Shouldn't cost anymore than $100.. Then a pay-as-you go card for SMS text messages

[aliencurv]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

k i just bought this for $5 off ebay. it works with a pile of LG phones. so far it looks like these LG phones are like $30....

Compatible with LG VX-1,VX10,VX2000,VX1,VX10,VX10,4NE1,SP-110,DM-110, V-111,DB-230,DM-510,SP-510,TM-510,DB-520,DB-525,1010,TP-1100,TP-2110,TP-5200,TP-5200,TP-5250

[aliencurv]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

looks like most of these LG's use the same connector. so once i disect that connector from the adapter, i can replicate it. then the phones look to be about $10 + $6 shipping on ebay for the LG NTLG300GB (which looks like the same connector)


http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?rt=nc&LH...=p3286.c0.m301

[BaggedGLI]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

Do it dj!

Replicate it using your wizardry, group buy on phones.

[aliencurv]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

okay i just ordered a bunch of these...



they are TTL datalevel gps modules that operate off +5 . the ttl is 4800 bps and it comes with a 1.3M cable, so the antenna can be located away from the microcontroller and phone.

i'm gonna throw a few of these on some of my robots too.

[CGDoig]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

this would be for tracking a car if stolen your thinking?

[BaggedGLI]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

I think it would be cool to track your car for a year, then put it into like google maps, make a collage of the years.

And if your car got stolen too it would be easy to take care of it.

[aliencurv]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

this would be for tracking a car if stolen your thinking?

Yah. And to remember where u parked. Also it'd be cool to map where Uve been.

Also I have another idea to film a video of my car driving me to red deer with touching the brake or gas or wheel. But that's something for the summer I came up with the idea not too Long ago inspired by another project. But itll happen in a month or so when I am unemployed again

[RONDAL]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

Yah. And to remember where u parked. Also it'd be cool to map where Uve been.

Also I have another idea to film a video of my car driving me to red deer with touching the brake or gas or wheel. But that's something for the summer I came up with the idea not too Long ago inspired by another project. But itll happen in a month or so when I am unemployed again

remind me and everyone else not to be on the highway when you try this.

[Red90]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

I might be interested. Any possibility of being able to text back and turn something on?

[aliencurv]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

I might be interested. Any possibility of being able to text back and turn something on?

what do u have in mind. like trigger a relay to stop the car? ooh! or a siren mounted under the rear bumper? oh now we have some good ideas!

oh oh or how about it texts you everytime the car starts?

[CGDoig]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

Dude those are some good ideas. I'd really like to see some of this stuff work.

[cam_wmh]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

This sounds brilliant.
What are you doing for the a GUI? Software?
You mention finding your car? So a mobile app? iPhone?

I'll be your first client.

[aliencurv]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

This sounds brilliant.
What are you doing for the a GUI? Software?
You mention finding your car? So a mobile app? iPhone?

I'll be your first client.

since it wil be text message based, the gui would be used over a website. when you request your car location, a sms text message with the cordinates and a url will be returned. all newer phones will make that url clickable to load a webpage. i'll simply host a website with a google map and the overlay. because you will have a unique guid, i can also keep a db of the past locations too.

i already have a service i host on one of my servers that i did for a client using a similar method. i host their pumping locations on one of my high effeciency flow measuring rigs. oh and also i host a google map overlay tool for a windows mobile application i created a few years ago, i forgot about that. so this will be along the same lines.

so this is what i am thinking.... there will be a few switching transistors connected to the microcontroller that you can connect to relays. you can use thos relays to enable,disable power to the car, active a siren, etc.

i have enough parts to build 10 prototypes... following that, we'll see what kind of response i get and we'll throw this into a package and keep it cheap for the auto community .. i have a manufacturing company i use for some other stuff, so i'll employ them on this project if it is received well. a cheaper solution is necessary, considering the ones i see online are $$$$$$$$ too much money

uuuuuhm what else... oh the parts will be here in about 2 weeks but i won't be able to really start on it until my current contracts are over. i'm guessing near the end of april, sometime in may. is when i start taking my summer off for fun stuff like this

[Ur0Drivr]

Re: Wanna gps our cars?

This sounds awesome DJ. Could be fun on the trip down to Vegas. I'd be in.
Who needs OnStar when we got this .