Luvitloud, if you hover your mouse cusor on BB, it will tell you what it stand for, check for dotted line, for example; BLB.

While Gps will give you more accuracy, it's considerably less urban friendly (concrete blocks the signal pretty well, as do bridges, multistoreys, etc) than GSM, and you've got the same battery issues. Also, how's about using Google Latitude for tracking? Was wondering about this the other day too...

I like this whole virtual cage idea. Perhaps a few sting bikes should be set up with electromagnetically secures forks. Once the bike gets out of broadcast range of a mobile phone the magnets cut out and the tea leaf better be able to ride a unicycle.

hi thanks for the feed back, there is two types of product that we have, the first is the chips that like you say the bike needs to be found first and the other is the one we are working on at the moment.
this is a small gps tracker that like you say could be put into a light and or charged up by some kind of dynamo system . this is what we have on field test as we speak.

Just thought you all might like an update on The-PAT.net from PawTrax. We now have a smaller unit, unfortunately still too large to put inside frame :-( - 60mm x 44mm x 18mm) - uses GSM/GPRS and GPS.

It now also has the facilty to be able to plug in an external battery pack, solar recharger or dynamo charging device.

I've said it before (not on this thread but others) - AFAIK these things don't work inside metal tubes - they'll need an external antenna.

An SMS activated bike lock has been trialled coupled with CCTV cameras that start recording if bike is moved in Portsmouth

Text a security guard to monitor your bike (sort of)

WASP cycle security system

i've had this thought forever: A bike lock that texts your phone when tampered with. no one seemed to like the idea, but it makes sense to me. You could set a threshold and duration of what is considered "tampering" and such. Might lead to a few scuffles, i suppose.

My car has a pager connected to the alarm, works up to about 500 yards.

I'd have thought a tilt sensor inside the frame, connected to some kind of pager wouldn't be too tricky?

Have a look at http://www.peartrack.com this could be an option

Some interesting ideas in here. Any updates on the prototypes mentioned?

surely if the tracker device only emitted a signal every 2 minutes it would conserve energy much better than if it was say a constant or signal every 30 seconds or so?

Possible even every 5 minutes you could do it, as i think it highly unlikely that the bike is going to go anywhere fast within 5 mintues.

Have a look at http://www.peartrack.com this could be an option

haha im pretty sure you couldnt fit that down a bike stem.

PawTrax.co.uk have a new version of their pet tracker - half the size of previous - might be suitable for hiding under saddle or inside light fitting

The "PawTrax.co.uk" GPS tracking product still not small enough. "GPS data logger" someimes comes in a long thin shape, but for some reason "GPS tracker" come in a recangular box, which isn't the best used of it seat tube space (not making full use of the length of it tube) even though GPS receiver chip can easily fit into diameter of it seat tube. www.sheldonbrown.com/seatpost-sizes.html

Product Requirement Summary:

• Got to fit inside the seat post (around 26mm diameter x 360mm or so long)

• built in GPS receiver and send it updated coordinate back to the owner every 1 min or so via SMS text (this info. where "only" available upon owner request by texting to turn the device from "standby mode" to "active mode" and vice versa to save battery life).

And the reason I've chosen "1 min" interval, because thieving riders noramlly try to ride as fast as they can away from the scene of the crime (let say a modest 15mph), meaning you will see your bike on your phone moving 1/4 of a mile in every min (or 400 meters per minute). Personally, the interval update time should be adjustable by the user remotely via texting! Because some bikes worth more if stripped and I'm sure those guys want do to it as soon as possible, but some bike maybe stolen from a rural area too.

• Hack proof: the whole device is enclosed and inaccessible such as the sim card (using PAYG and pay it remotely like via ATM) including the battery (but using induction wireless charging technology so that the device no longer need to be removed from the frame "forever").

• IP68 (Standard for waterproof)

• Low battery warning

  "Personally, bike crime are so common and almost impossible to retrieve in one piece where the bike manufacturers should fit tracking device inside the top tube upon customer request to make it completely inaccessible".

After all, most medium range bike cost about the same as a second hand car (eventhough there are resources fighting car crime), while certain groups of people talked about oil go up and encuroage us to use bikes (not even bus or mopeds), yet all the technologies mentioned above are already here, but no one (not even those groups) take it seriously for fighting bike crime eventhough there are more bikes stolen than cars (percentage wise) as it is easily to do so and get away with.

To track 'live' you need a GPS chip and a GSM chip (modem) The GSM chips available are larger than the GPS.

GPS signals cannot get through a frame or seat post - an external aerial is required, and would somehow need to be connected to the 'hidden' device.

Also unlikely induction charging would work through the frame.

If they could only get the dimensions of this down to fit into a seat-tube;

http://www.securehomedirect.co.uk/product-Portable-GPS-GSM-tracker--tracks-objects-worldwide-via-SMS_4.aspx

This still will not work inside the tube because of the GPS signal.

The PawTrax device is smaller

"Works on all available GSM/GPRS mobile networks."

Battery life isn't published... but I wonder whether you could power it from a dynamo hub.

Not sure, but at least it texts you when the battery is low.

yes it works worldwide on all networks (PAYG and Contract) - but you have to have a GSM and GPS signal

Battery life is dependant on useage and configuration.

You can download a userguide from the website www.pawtrax.co.uk and in there you will find a 'battery life' table

First GSM module is getting smaller http://www.calibryze.com/xunchi138_specs.html

Second the GPS chip "could" go smaller too (wait few years)
http://www.navigadget.com/index.php/2008/11/19/gps-receiver-in-every-sim-card

Third, "external aerial". It true GPS and GSM signal aren't very stronge compared to eLORAN, but it "should" be sufficient to pass through the wall thickness of the seat post, but EMC issues really have to be tested because wall thickness, material properties and power output plays a fundametal part if the module would work in an enclosed environment or whether you simily drill a small hole on saddle tube would be a mystry until EMC test (because I was told that RF signals are hard to simulate)

Forth, "wireless recharge" there is already proven reserach for wirelessly passing power through "AIR" at 20Watt http://vodpod.com/watch/1945832-bbc-news-technology-wireless-power-system-shown-off or http://www.witricity.com/ where as GPS & GSM module (let say PawTrax) it consumes at milliwatts range (or worst 1-2 watts equivalent to 1-2 AA battery). If worst comes to the worst remove the seat for "direct line of sight" recharching, but the whole point is not to remove the GPS/GSM module or the thief would of removed it for you. Consider the bike has a long seat tube where there are no reason to add a couple more battery for longer life and less repeated recharge.

Personally, I would use all type of security on my precious bike: thick chains + U-lock + Xena Alarm , UV making (+ police register sticker), but really those are for show, because security devices is all about "layers", given even "time" locks can be broken, safe can be open, ID (e.g. UV pen marking) can be removed or painted on top and also the standards for locks testing is a joke for Sold Secure & Thatcham.

Gone in less than 60 second:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3hFr8p2ck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WeEq_SxNRc

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/28260/Kryptonite-questions-methods-used-in-lock-break-TV-show (Kryptonite, should be ashamed as I could get a 42" cutter on a popular online auction for fraction of the cost of what suggested by them and their ethos about their product was "Unbreakable Bonds", cmon this is a joke for a security comapny)

Police were fitting little trackers to bikes down on Cally road a couple of weeks ago for free.
Small shim like device that was placed in the seat tube and pushed down by the seatpost into the bike.
Register the chip online for free, and write down any details though necessary.

Anyone know where I can view that ITV docu or d/l it?

That shit is SCARY.

http://tinyurl.com/35yuqmj

Looks like they're getting smaller...