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Product test: GPS alarm systems for motorcycles Satellite-controlled vehicle monitoring
Ampire Electronics
EBI-Tec
Garmin
GE-Tectronic
GSM-One
M + S
Simvally
Final scoring

Herder

accesories

Product test: GPS alarm systems for motorcycles

Product test: GPS alarm systems for motorcycles
Satellite-controlled vehicle monitoring

Shrill alarm systems? Doesn’t bother any pig. U-lock? Has the thief opened it faster without than the owner with a key The latest highlight: satellite-controlled vehicle monitoring.

Jorg Lohse

11/24/2011

Do you remember the movie “Sneakers – The Silent”? As Martin Bishop, Robert Redford and his team (including Dan Akroyd and River Phoenix) uncover weaknesses in security systems and break into banks and large companies. The quintessence of the story: Even the most sophisticated security system can be knocked out with a bit of brainpower and plenty of electronic equipment. There does not seem to be any perfect protection. But: Is the whole thing just script-intended fiction or really angry reality?

Let’s roll up the field from the very bottom. Motorized two-wheelers are a popular object of desire, if you can believe the official statistics. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) reports more than 41,000 theft attacks for 2010. But most of them take place in the small motorized area. In other words: Ganove Gustav G. strikes at the moped in the backyard, turns a round through the quarter and then sinks the load in the first bushes. In such cases, the specialist does not speak of real theft, but of “unauthorized use”. Sounds harmless at first, but – hand on heart – you don’t want to find your own bike like that. The real theft of motorcycles over 125 cm³ is not recorded separately in the “police crime statistics” of the BKA, insiders estimate the cases per year measured by the value from the statistics to be less than ten percent.

Motorcycles are not only easy to steal because of their size; because with a solid theft protection, normal Otto drivers are also very lax. As a rule, he relies on the protection ex works (steering lock or immobilizer), a maximum of one brake disc lock is used. That could be praiseworthy, but is put into perspective when you ask the industry what exactly is being sold on the counter. The main thing is that locks up to a maximum of 20 euros are intended to effectively protect the bike. The last MOTORRAD test (edition 7/2010) showed how quickly such a cheap home can crack even with an inexperienced hand.

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So is it best to trust good regulation from your own insurance company? Well, here too there could be trouble in the form of high premiums. Especially when it comes to comprehensive coverage for a particularly opulent and expensive bike, because some insurers calculate hefty surcharges for partially comprehensive premiums from a vehicle value of 20,000 euros. So it’s good if you can refer to a solid theft alarm when signing the contract, with which the partially comprehensive tariff can be reduced again.

At first glance, the so-called GPS trackers can be exactly the right solution for the motorcycle. The basic principle of operation: A prepaid mobile phone card is inserted into the device, which is set to satellite positioning, and programmed to your own mobile number. In the event of an alarm, an SMS is sent from the device to the mobile phone, the owner receives the position data and other information (e.g. disconnection of the power supply, vehicle movement with speed information).

Thanks to their compact dimensions, the GPS trackers should be able to be stowed inconspicuously on the motorcycle, and with appropriate sensors they sound the alarm inconspicuously – which may initially lull the thief into security and facilitate quick access. It gets stupid, however, when colleagues stick with their fingers like the Redford team & Co. Use high-tech support (see the “Bruzzler” in the box below) – and thus specifically prevent a warning message from being sent.

Our practical test once again showed that there cannot be enough extra protection and additional traps. For example, some providers (Garmin, Simvalley) only rely on the alarm when leaving protection zones defined by coordinates – so-called geofence areas (fence = English for fence). However, if the motorcycle is transported directly from its original location in a closed van or trailer from which no GPS signal can be received, no warning is issued. So it’s good if the pitfall snaps shut beforehand in the form of a vibration or gravity sensor. With some suppliers, a sensor (including Ebi-Tec, GE-Tectronic, GSM-One) is already permanently installed in the device, others (M + S) offer extra sensors for upgrading depending on the area of application.

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Alarm via mobile phone – life is made difficult for thieves.

But not all sensors are the same: while the extremely sensitive M + S sensor reacts to a minimal change in position (e.g. relieving the load from the side stand position) and sends a warning SMS to the cell phone, the “Tracy Rider” switches from GSM -One only armed in the event of a movement, but does not warn the owner via SMS. If the thief only specializes in supplying parts, he can now eviscerate the bike in peace. A shortcoming that could be remedied by appropriately programming the otherwise convincing device.

There is no reason to criticize the sensitivity of the vibration sensor from GE-Tectronic. However, the GPS tracker only sends a single warning message and this also sends out no coordinates. The owner must actively inquire about the location in good time using SMS commands. In the hope that the extremely flat box is hidden in the motorcycle and that he can still reach his device.

Other helpful sensors (at Ebi-Tec and GSM-One) monitor e.g. B. the on-board network and also send an alarm SMS if the power supply is cut – the thief disconnects the battery. The crowning glory of satellite-supported vehicle monitoring are the options for influencing vehicle control via SMS to the tracker, e.g. B. to “turn off the fuel tap” via the control unit of the motorcycle. But with these interventions in the engine management you are moving yourself in a not entirely legal gray area.

In addition to the warning method via SMS, some manufacturers (Ebi-Tec, GSM-One, Garmin) offer so-called portal solutions. In these cases, the location can be localized via the Internet. If the corresponding SIM cards with a data flat rate are in use, entire movement profiles can be created for the vehicle and accessed via the Internet. However, one should consider at this point how much sensitive customer data has suddenly fluttered unprotected through the Internet in the last few months alone. For the hackers of the Redford troops, an attack on such portals with the convenient location of desired bikes would be a hit. In the end, there remains the configuration of the optimal device: compact, waterproof housing with connection option to the on-board network and integrated emergency power supply. In addition to the motion sensor with ignition detection, a second vibration or gravity sensor should be alert. Arming or disarming should be kept as simple as possible – ideally with a transponder on a key ring. And another secret extra on top. After all, the enemy is reading along.

Ampire Electronics

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Ampire Electronics alarm system.

manufacturer	Ampire Electronics	model	Loc 200
Contact / reference information	Ampire Electronics Tel. 0 21 81/81 95 50, www.ampire.de
price	299 euros
Dimensions (L / W / H)	6.0 / 6.8 / 1.9 cm
Weight (including cable)	132 grams
Equipment / function
Installation	Switching on and off as well as activation via ignition, Call or SMS
Alarm triggering	in the case of vehicle movements, optionally with or without ignition detection, Connection for external sensors
Alert notification	Text SMS with position data, adjustable interval
On-board network monitoring	no
External switching output	Yes
Power supply	On-board network / fixed installation, emergency battery connection available
GPS antenna	external
GSM antenna	Tri-band (worldwide)
SOS button	optional
plus	armed easily and quickly, practical brief instructions in credit card format
minus	no splash protection, complex initial configuration, Alarm messages partly delayed
Conclusion	The compact device is convincing through versatile alarm functions, which are easily activated. When it comes to responsiveness somewhat imprecise and flawed.

EBI-Tec

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EBI-Tec alarm system.

manufacturer	EBI-TEC	model	GPS Alarm Professional II
Contact / reference information	Ebi-Tec, Tel. 0 71 95/58 32 79, www.ebi-tec.de
price	399 euros
Dimensions (L / W / H)	8.5 / 5.6 / 2.6 cm
Weight (including cable)	184 grams
Equipment / function
Installation	Continuous operation when connected to the on-board network
Alarm triggering	when the vehicle is moving without ignition, Disconnect the battery and press the alarm button
Alert notification	SMS with position data and hyperlink, optional portal monitoring
On-board network monitoring	Yes
External switching output	no
Power supply	On-board power supply / fixed installation, integrated emergency power battery (500 mA)
GPS antenna	integrated
GSM antenna	Tri-band (worldwide)
SOS button	Yes
plus	Configured in the factory, easy to use, fast and reliable alerting
minus	Changes only possible through the manufacturer, Motion sensor slightly sluggish, no splash protection
Conclusion	Insert SIM Card, connect and forget. Despite one thing, the device reacts somewhat in the practical test sluggish motion sensor reliably detects attempted theft.

Garmin

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Garmin alarm system.

manufacturer	Garmin	model	GTU 10
Contact / reference information	Garmin Germany, Tel. 0 89/8 58 36 40, www.garmin.com
price	199 euros (without additional services)
Dimensions (L / W / H)	8.0 / 3.4 / 2.0 cm
Weight (including cable)	134 grams
Equipment / function
Installation	Switching on and off via button on the device, Activate via the Internet
Alarm triggering	when leaving self-defined geofence areas (Extra costs from the second year after purchase)
Alert notification	by SMS or email, Position query via portal or smartphone app
On-board network monitoring	no
External switching output	no
Power supply	Integrated battery (capacity n / a), USB charging cable
GPS antenna	integrated
GSM antenna	own radio network for 19 europ. countries
SOS button	no
plus	convenient setup on the PC, exact position determination, waterproof
minus	The alarm function can only be configured via the Internet, high follow-up costs (49.95 euros p.a. from the 2nd year after purchase)
Conclusion	Small and waterproof. Actually best Requirements for motorcycle use. In practice, however, the cumbersome handling via the Internet is annoying.

GE-Tectronic

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GE-Tectronic alarm system.

manufacturer	GE-Tectronic	model	GPS car tracker
Contact / reference information	AMS Auto GmbH, Tel. 0 23 31/4 08 83, www.ams-hagen.de
price	259 euros
Dimensions (L / W / H)	8.1 / 5.1 / 0.8 cm
Weight (including cable)	128 grams
Equipment / function
Installation	Switching on and off via button on the device, Activate via SMS
Alarm triggering	reacts to vehicle movements with activated shock sensor
Alert notification	SMS with position data and hyperlink, Position query possible
On-board network monitoring	no
External switching output	no
Power supply	On-board network / fixed installation, Integrated emergency power battery (300 mA), charging cable
GPS antenna	integrated
GSM antenna	Tri-band (worldwide)
SOS button	no
plus	compact housing in credit card format, very sensitive sensor, reliable alarm
minus	The device only sends an alarm SMS, Vehicle movements must then be actively queried
Conclusion	Easy to install thanks to its slim shape, but needs a moisture protection. Precise sensor, but further alarm functions (on-board network monitoring) are missing.

GSM-One

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GSM-One alarm system.

manufacturer	GSM-One	model	Tracy Rider
Contact / reference information	GSM-One, Tel. 0 24 52/90 92 90, www.gsm-one.de
price	189 euros
Dimensions (L / W / H)	9.6 / 5.5 / 2.2 cm
Weight (including cable)	132 grams
Equipment / function
Installation	automatic switch-on via sensor, Switch off via SMS
Alarm triggering	Vibration sensor with and without ignition, On-board network monitoring, leaving geofence zones
Alert notification	SMS with position, hyperlink for smartphone app, Portal monitoring
On-board network monitoring	Yes
External switching output	Yes
Power supply	On-board network / fixed installation, integrated emergency battery (700 mA)
GPS antenna	integrated
GSM antenna	Dual band (Europe)
SOS button	optional
plus	set up quickly, precise alerting in geofence mode and in the event of a power failure
minus	high power consumption in standby mode, no alarm in the event of vehicle vibrations
Conclusion	Waterproof, versatile monitoring functions and connection options for further theft protection. Small drawback: no warning on first access.

M + S

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Alarm system from M + S.

manufacturer	M + S	model	GPS finder
Contact / reference information	M + S Solution, Tel. 0 91 29/9 09 92 30, www.m-u-s.com
price	199.95 euros
Dimensions (L / W / H)	9.0 / 6.3 / 3.3 cm
Weight (including cable)	260 grams
Equipment / function
Installation	Switching on and off as well as activation via ignition, Call or SMS
Alarm triggering	for vehicle movements with / without ignition detection, optional gravity sensor (39.95 euros)
Alert notification	Text SMS with position data, time interval adjustable
On-board network monitoring	no
External switching output	Yes
Power supply	On-board network / fixed installation, Emergency battery optional (1200 mA, 14.95 euros)
GPS antenna	external
GSM antenna	Tri-band (worldwide)
SOS button	no
plus	extremely sensitive gravity sensor with reliable alarm, splash protection
minus	complex initial configuration, needed with extra components (Sensor, emergency battery) a lot of space
Conclusion	Above all, scores with its optional gravity sensor, which precisely detects even minimal vehicle movement. Many expansion options.

Simvally

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Simvally alarm system.

manufacturer	Simvalley	model	Mobile GPS Tracker GT 170
Contact / reference information	Pearl Agency, Tel. 0 76 31/36 00, www.pearl.de
price	49.90 euros
Dimensions (L / W / H)	6.4 / 5.5 / 2.2 cm
Weight (including cable)	58 grams
Equipment / function
Installation	Switching on and off via button on the device, Activate via SMS
Alarm triggering	when leaving self-defined geofence areas, optional permanent position transmission
Alert notification	Text SMS with position information and hyperlink, Position query possible
On-board network monitoring	no
External switching output	no
Power supply	integrated battery (700 mA), USB charging cable, 220 V power supply
GPS antenna	integrated
GSM antenna	Quad band (worldwide)
SOS button	no
plus	waterproof, compact housing, can be used as a mobile solution in various vehicles
minus	complicated setup mode, can only be activated with satellite reception
Conclusion	Low budget solution in compact, weatherproof packaging. Cumbersome activation mode, but then reliably triggers an alarm. Long runtime thanks to stand-by.

Product test: GPS alarm systems for motorcycles

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Product test: GPS alarm systems for motorcycles