GPS TRACKERS

[BorninPalatka]

Gas anyone installed a GPS tracker in the event of theft of the Oliver?

[topgun2]

Lou Anne & Bobby - At least three owners that I know of have some sort of GPS device "hidden" in the Oliver.  Two of the three have the "Spot" version.  I can tell you that it works, but, since the one Oliver that I'm familiar with has never been stolen (thank goodness), I can't tell you much more.

 

Bill

[Overland]

We have a Spot - it's the only option I know of that has satellite based communication rather than cellular, so if your trailer is ever stolen you'd have a better chance of locating it.  The drawback is that the software isn't great and so if you're using it to give a link to friends and family to follow you along, we've found that they'll have a hard time actually following your path anywhere.

 

I asked Oliver to install it under the AC cover but of course they forgot and mounted it out in the open where anyone can see it.  So moving it and plugging the hole they drilled is just another of the many things on my list to redo.

 

I also added a cheapy bluetooth GPS module to our Victron system as a backup.  It's cellular based so it would have to be in range to track, but it's less likely for anyone to find and it's free (minus the admission fee).  I just tucked the receiver behind the insulation and taped it to the inside of the hull and it seems to get a signal just fine.

[Try2Relax]

I have the SPOT trace, it's plugged in to rear USB power and kept inside rear hull, it sends me a ping (text message) every night at 6pm, to let me know it's working and it's GPS coordinates. Last time I took it to Chicago it alerted my phone, of movement, before I was out of the driveway. Then little place markers all the way there. I've never tried to send the tracking to anyone else so I don't know how that worked.

 

Looks like they are 50% off right now. LINK

[Commanche]

Will you get a break on your insurance premiums? Seems like you should.

 

Stan

[Rumline]

I also added a cheapy bluetooth GPS module to our Victron system as a backup. It’s cellular based so it would have to be in range to track, but it’s less likely for anyone to find and it’s free (minus the admission fee). 

 

Are you sending that out to the internet via your CradlePoint router?  Or how does the Victron system communicate out?

[Overland]

Overland wrote:

I also added a cheapy bluetooth GPS module to our Victron system as a backup. It’s cellular based so it would have to be in range to track, but it’s less likely for anyone to find and it’s free (minus the admission fee).

Are you sending that out to the internet via your CradlePoint router? Or how does the Victron system communicate out?

Yes, that's right.  The Victron control panel is tied to the Cradlepoint via ethernet and connects automatically to Victron's server to upload data, including it's GPS coordinates.  The location is then shown on a google map inset at the bottom of the Victron VRM dashboard.

[BorninPalatka]

Ok you have lost me. What and where are the Victron Control panel and the Cradlepoint router ?

 

And can we buy install the SPOT GPS without returning to the plant ?

[SeaDawg]

You can install a spot yourself. No need to go to the plant

I followed a friend on a 3600 mile solo trip on his spot link, on my phone. Very easy. I could see his travel path 24/7. No issues with the download.

His trailer is a 2008, like ours, spot buried between the hulls.

For you new builds, the reflectix insulation/aluminum hat might cause problems

I know that on our boat, the transponder requires a clear sky shot to work accurately. Above deck install is recommended. Mounted on the compass binnacle works well...

Overlands idea of mounting inside the a/c shroud should work well. Or, inside a hatch cover. The GPS transponder needs a fairly clean sky shot.

All my friends who have spot have done their own installs. Spot is on my Santa list. We will install ourselves

Sherry

[Try2Relax]

And can we buy install the SPOT GPS without returning to the plant ?

 

Yes, it's about the size of a deck of cards. I keep mine in the rear Oliver light and plugged into USB, all accessible in the rear overhead, so no need to worry about battery changing

[topgun2]

Relative to Sherry's post above and what I think was a post from Randy on this subject, just find a spot to your liking preferably up high and between the two hulls.  Cut out a section of the reflextix insulation that is about the same size as the Spot.  Using double sided tape or Velcro stick it on.  Run a USB cord from the Spot to a place you can plug it in (again note Randy's recommendation about the electric connections that are located in the "attic" that are usually used for satellite TV and the like).  Run a test to make sure things are working OK.  Then if the place you chose to mount it can be seen when opening a cabinet door, I'd replace the section of reflextix over it and hold that in place with "foil" tape in order to better hide the Spot.

 

Bill

[Overland]

Ok you have lost me. What and where are the Victron Control panel and the Cradlepoint router ? And can we buy install the SPOT GPS without returning to the plant ?

Sorry to confuse.  Both the Victron and the Cradlepoint are separate modifications that I added after taking delivery and that a few others here are already familiar with - neither are required in order to use the Spot.  As others have posted, adding the Spot is an easy modification that you can do yourself.  In fact, if you're O.K. with just running it off of batteries, then you don't even have to wire it up.  You can just tuck it under the insulation in the rear overhead cabinet and tape it to the hull.  You could use a strong mounting tape like 3M VHB - the Spot Trace, which is the model you'd want, is only a few inches square and comes with a mounting clip that makes it easy to remove later to change the batteries.

 

Even if you do hard wire it to the trailer's 12 volt system, you'll want to add batteries as a backup, in case your thief is clever enough to cut the power before taking off.  You can even set the Spot to text a warning when it switches to its internal battery.

[BorninPalatka]

First of all we want to thank everyone for the very helpful advice.

 

Second when you say tuck it to the hull under the insulation in the top rear cabinet do you mean under the mat like material at the bottom of the cabinet?  Will it be able to get a clear satellite signal from there?

 

Are the ideas to attach it on the outside roof to the vents / antennae/ Air conditioner as difficult as they sound?

[BorninPalatka]

Randy can we access the Oliver rear lighted sign from the attic? You then run the power line to the outlet in the attic?

[JuniorBirdMan]

I followed a friend on a 3600 mile solo trip on his spot link, on my phone. Very easy. I could see his travel path 24/7. No issues with the download. His trailer is a 2008, like ours, spot buried between the hulls.

 

That might be me that Sherry is talking about. I've had the SPOT mounted up high in the closet for a few years now and I love it. Friends and family know where I am at all times and if the trailer moves just a few feet I have it set up to send me an email AND a text message. My Ollie is stored in a metal building so it has no satellite contact but I get a message as soon as I pull it out of there.

 

I've been running it on batteries all this time simply because getting power to that location looked like it would be a PITA. I have been pleasantly surprised that the batteries seem to last forever (several months under daily movement; longer when parked) and I get a message when they need replacement.

 

Mounting it in a hidden place is optimum since thieves know what these devices look like, although really smart thieves will have an RF detector that will find it no matter where you put it. I guess nothing is foolproof, but this little baby is close.

[Mainiac]

I have a real concern about mounting the unit on a compass binacle. Not for how it would effect the unit, but the possible effect on the compass? Have you noticed any deviation? I know we basically rely on the plotter now but old habits die hard. We still take mental notes when running and any deviation would effect the return?

 

I like the idea and price of the Spot at 50% off. But for the annual price of the tracking software one could buy a really good tongue lock. Are the Oliver's a real target and should we all be concerned? It is just that I have not heard of any of them being "borrowed".

[SeaDawg]

Aubrey/ jrbirdman yes, that was you. Your spot gave me a lot of comfort, being able to see where you were each time I looked throughout the day.

Canoe12, on our last trip, 600 nautical miles, we did not notice any variance. The transponder, not a spot, and the plot charter and portable gps seemed to be in very close sync.

However, our compass binnacle has a very high added arch. That may have made a difference. Others in the race mounted theirs elsewhere, like hanging from a Bimini arch.

The main thought is, keep your spot somewhere with a pretty clear skyshot. Away from metallic interfere. We tried our transponder on the boat below decks,and it still worked. But, we have no metal in between decks. The new Olivers have the reflectix, or some kind of foil, between the hulls, that I suspect could cause interference.

Even when we install our spot on the Oliver, I can't help you much. Our insulation is different in our 2008 hulls. I could probably put mine anywhere in a 2008. In newer hulls, you'll have to avoid the aluminum hat. But, easy to check on your phone with the app, before a permanent install.

Sherry

 

[SeaDawg]

And, canoe12, I think most of us buy spots or transponders, more for the comfort of our family and friends, who worry about us when we are traveling. I have several locks on the trailer. No one has bothered any of them in ten years.

Our daughter would like to be able to log in and see where we are. And, the new spot upgrade has an emergency call system. I like that.

 

Personally, I think I might still rather pay up and get a portable sat phone, with an interruptible plan. That would work on the boat and trailer, wherever we go. However,the relatively inexpensive spot is a good start, and will give our daughter a way to track us.

[John E Davies]

I have a comment on Tracking with a SPOT. I have used one since they first came out many years ago, originally while motorcycling. It is very nice to have a "bread crumb" trail for would-be rescuers to follow if you disappear, for example, ride your bike off into a ravine and become incapacitated. The SPOT device requires a clear shot at the sky, and any terrain or trees that are in the way will result in missed track points, sometimes for up to 30 minutes (using a ten minute setting). If your cry for help does not get received, the bread crumb trail may be the only way rescuers would know where to look.

 

So if you routinely camp in the wilds of the Idaho forests, with steep canyons and constant tree cover, do not expect much out of a SPOT. If you are in wide open terrain, it works very well indeed. For tracking a stolen trailer, it will work up to the time the thief parks it inside a barn, but maybe that bread crumb trail will get the cops close. And its continuous signals will be received again when the trailer is removed from cover. UNTIL THE BATTERIES DIE. Thus I recommend that you power the device from the trailer wiring, and not rely solely on batteries.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[Overland]

First of all we want to thank everyone for the very helpful advice. Second when you say tuck it to the hull under the insulation in the top rear cabinet do you mean under the mat like material at the bottom of the cabinet?

 

The silver faced insulation at the top - you should be able to pull it down easily.  From that point, if you choose to hardwire it, you can either use the 12v outlet in the cabinet using a cigarette lighter adapter, or you can tie directly into the 12v using one of the electrical sub panel circuits on the street side of the cabinet.  Undo the two bolts at the bottom of the side panel there and it will fall down to reveal the biggest mess of unlabelled wiring you've ever seen in your life.  Also access to the breakers and a negative bus bar which you can use for power.

[BorninPalatka]

Getting closer now. How do I ‘tie the Spot into the 12v inside the side panel after opening it?

 

Also the idea of placing it inside the Oliver sign in the rear seems like a good idea. Is there access to this sign from inside the attic?

[Try2Relax]

Randy can we access the Oliver rear lighted sign from the attic? You then run the power line to the outlet in the attic?

 

Sorry about the delay.

 

 

 

I don't know if the newer trailers are still the same, the white plastic cover is plyable enough when warm, but can be pretty tough when cold.

[SeaDawg]

Wow. That is nice.

Hull #12, we can see see/touch the back of the rear light.

Sherry

[John E Davies]

Be sure to place the SPOT flat on its back, the antenna is under the logo and should face straight up for best performance, with no metal obstructions. In any location, test operation before closing things up.

 

I have a bunch of pics of the area at the sign, from my backup camera install. They can be found on that thread or I can repost them here ...

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA