Tracking by Mobile Phone

[Mike777]

Hi all

Great forum............

I wondered if anyone could help on this issue.

I often go off road or my route takes me off the beaten track from my intended route.......

I do get a bit concerned about having an accident and ending up in a ditch unconscious !

Has anyone tried a tracking service via a mobile phone so is this was to happen I could be located.

Many thanks for your time and kind regards

Mike

 

[dodgy]

Try 'google latitude' or Instamapper (google is your friend).

 

[Mike777]

Try 'google latitude' or Instamapper (google is your friend).

Thanks for this problem is I have a very basic phone a Nokia 2760

Regards

Mike

 

[vernon]

Thanks for this problem is I have a very basic phone a Nokia 2760

Regards

Mike

There are services out there that will track mobiles and declare their locations but:

The service only works if the phone is switched on

and...

The phone is contact with three masts.



If there's no signal or the battery is flat then you are scuppered.

 

[Mike777]

There are services out there that will track mobiles and declare their locations but:

The service only works if the phone is switched on

and...

The phone is contact with three masts.



If there's no signal or the battery is flat then you are scuppered.

Any ideas on which services these are..............?

Many thanks

Mike

 

[mcr]

And don't forget there are still plenty of places 'off the beaten track' and even on it that don't have any mobile reception at all. Clun in Shropshire springs to mind (admittedly 3 or 4 years ago) - only place I could pick up a Virgin/T-Mobile signal was from the top of the castle mound.

 

[numbnuts]

if you are really worried one of these helps
http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php?xProd=1865

 

[robgul]

Two comments :

1 The "continuous monitor" thing like Instamapper is clever (and will feed a dynamic map on a website) BUT beats the hell out of the battery on the GPS enabled phone.

2 Provided you have a signal and are able to dial 999 - then most of the networks are linked to the 999 service and they can pinpoint the "cell" you are in - which, provided you haven't fallen down a big hole, is probably OK to find you.

Rob

 

[nigelnorris]

Ignore this, silly me.

 

[RedBike]

Thanks for this problem is I have a very basic phone a Nokia 2760

As far as i'm aware this phone doesn't have the ability to run the software needed for this sort of thing.

The software will probably need to obtain a location by a built in GPS device. This can be either built in the phone (there isn't one in your nokia) or a via a external blue tooth linked device.

Once your location is known most of the software packages available transmit your co-ordinates via the internet to a website. (You need an unlimited data connection tarrif / access to the internet. ) Obviously your phone can only update the web if it has a signal Which IMO is the major disadvantage of these systems.

In most of the remote regions you're likely to find yourself MTBing there isn't a phone signal / access to the net and these phone systems wont track your location.

 

[robgul]

Taking this a step further ... I believe that ANY phone if switched on can be "called" by the network (signal strength permitting again) and the cell identified. That of course is not quite what you asked in the OP ... BUT if you were worried about it all and had some pre-determined check-in times with someone back in civilisation ... and a "he hasn't checked in" time limit ... it could do.

However - from recent experience in the wilds of the NE/Borders area where there was minimal signal, the phone when on was hunting for a signal all the time and knocked the battery out in less than 24 hours. (I actulaly had 2 phones - both the same battery issue - one was a Motorola RAZR the other a Palm Treo Pro Smartphone) [In one place where we stayed I had to use a BT phone box ... I needed to read the instructions to use it!!]


Personally, I'd just get on with enjoying the bike ride and not worry about the technology - but perhaps brushing up on my Ray Mears skills just in case!

Rob

 

[srmex]

Does anyone know of one of these that works everywhere? I want one for southern and west africa and that's outside its coverage. Sorry to hijack the thread a bit

if you are really worried one of these helps
http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php?xProd=1865

 

[andym]

I bought one of these:

http://www.findmespot.eu/en/

as a way to raise the alarm if I ever got injured and needed to call for help in a remote place with no mobile coverage. (I think there's another similar product but can't remember what it's called).