GPS Tracking a Safe

[itisagoodname]

Has anyone done it? I dont have a place to bolt a safe down. Ill be putting it in the most painful, time consuming place but it could still be removed by someone motivated enough.

Dedicated gps trackers are quite expensive and have a monthly service but could a cell phone with gps be tracked inside a safe? Run the powercord through one of the bolt-down holes and if its ever taken then the phone could be tracked online using an app.

Just a thought.

[TAK]

What is the difference between paying for a monthly service for a gps tracker and paying for a cell phone with data plan?

[itisagoodname]

Around $150 a year cheaper for a no contract data plan.

[MrExel17]

Not a bad thought, just to many variables. By the time you locate the safe it will be too late. Or even trying to catch it on time, you said it yourself "someone motivated enough" they will get take it regardless of system, GPS, or security. Just my .2

[Wicked Pete]

What about a tracking chip in the gun itself? Or is that too much "big brother" stuff?

[itisagoodname]

Not a bad thought, just to many variables. By the time you locate the safe it will be too late. Or even trying to catch it on time, you said it yourself "someone motivated enough" they will get take it regardless of system, GPS, or security. Just my .2

Agreed, but the camera that would be focused on the safe sends me alerts to my e-mail if there is any motion, records video and would give me a chance to call the police and track the safe.

More than likely they'd just take it to break it somewhere else and you'd have the GPS coordinates for their entire route. This is all assuming the GPS even gets a lock in a safe which is the real question.

[welldriller]

Cellphones dont work through metal

Cell phone is not going to work inside the safe.
Tape it to the outside and hope they take it too?

[TAK]

So you invest in a safe, cameras to watch the safe, the guns/valuable in the safe but $150 differnce makes sense to switch from a dedicated tracking device to a phone with an app that tracks the phones location? Seems a little far fetched. If you're going to protect your investment do it the right way. Cell phones run of towers which loose service/go out/lots of other factors. GPS runs off satellites normally which have a wider range and are more accurate. If you're going to do something do it the right way just get the gps tracker or just trust the safe and your security system. A phone can't be hidden too well without sacrificing signal and unless both are in a hidden place they can be taken out as soon as they open the safe and put into something a like a city bus or cab that will just take you on a wild goose chase.

[Yemff]

put your cell phone in and see if you can even track it

[darkgrue]

GPS tracking requires two things: the ability for the GPS reciever (which would be in or attached to the safe - the GPS reciever is what calculates the position, the sats are just basically very accurate talking clocks) to recieve and process the satellite signals in order to determine the location of the safe. And some way to send that location information out (probably a cell connection to send that out as a periodic call, text message, or internet connection).

The GPS reciever on the safe would need a pretty good view of the sky in order to get the required signal locks on multiple satellites (minimum of four or so, IIRC), which means at least the GPS antenna has to be outside of the safe.

You need power, both for the GPS reciever and the cell transmitter, as well as whatever you're using to get the position information from the GPS to wherever (computer, cellphone app, Arduino, etc.).

And you need another external antenna for the transmitter.

So someone nabs your safe, somehow overlooks the antenntas sticking out of it (instead of just shearing them off), transports and/or stores the safe in a place with suffcient signal (both from GPS and the cell network) such that it can be located before it runs out of power. Plausible, yes. Barely. A good investment, no.

Works OK for cars and trucks, as they're frequently not under cover such that signals are blocked all the time. Add the requirement for basically putting the most vulnerable elements of the tracking system obviously outside of the safe, and the need for portable power, and it just doesn't work in your favor.

You're better off getting a proper safe, rather than what locksmiths call a Residential Security Container (RSC), and just make sure it's too heavy, and too well bolted-down to get out of the house. In any case, RSC, safe, whatever, all it does is buy you time. Once they have something physically under their control, your chances of prevailing roll off sharply.

What about a tracking chip in the gun itself? Or is that too much "big brother" stuff?

Too much Hollywood stuff. A "tracking chip" isn't a thing per-se. There's lots of things that can be called "tracking chips", but few can be located at a distance, and all are going to be limited by power and all the normal rules of radio. RF locating is certainly possible, it's just not as easy and a lot more constrained than TV and movies would lead you to believe.

EDIT:

If you're still determined, you may want to check out this Kickstarter project. It won't solve any of the RF-related issues I mention as being primary barriers above (and alas, the GPS antenna is integrated on the board), but it does get you in the game in terms of all the necessary signal processing and data communication components for not much cash. Kinda neat, in that respect. Kickstarter though, so YMMV, caveat emptor, etc.