There are two types of GPS tracking devices, passive or live.
Passive GPS Tracker
A passive GPS tracker is a small device that records your vehicle’s activity and must be retrieved and then connected to a computer to see where your vehicle was. A live GPS tracker sends a live signal reporting your vehicle location 24 hours a day, every day!
One of the main reasons people use is a passive GPS tracker is that there is no activation fee or monthly service fees as those associated with live GPS trackers. While this does offer significant financial savings, the negative is that the installer will not be able to locate where you are live, they will have to wait until they retrieve the passive tracker from your vehicle to see were you have been.
Anyone can buy a passive GPS tracker on the Internet for as little as $75. The device is usually much smaller than a live GPS tracker and is most often placed either hidden inside the vehicle or attached to the undercarriage of the vehicle inside a small waterproof magnetic case.
If you are the only one with keys to your car, or your car has an active alarm system, there’s a good chance that someone would have to attach the GPS tracker under your vehicle using a small waterproof magnetic case. While the tracker itself can be very small, the waterproof magnetic case usually makes it much easier to be found…if you know what you are looking for.
If a spouse of co-worker may have had access to your keys, then a passive GPS tracker could have been installed or placed anywhere inside your car. This requires a comprehensive physical search along with a very expensive and sophisticated electronic equipment to find the hidden tracker.
The amount of time someone would have had possession of your vehicle will also determine to what extent the culprit could have undertaken to install the tracker. However, a passive tracker needs to be placed in a location that the culprit can easily remove and replace the tracker for continued operation and monitoring. You would likely never be able to determine if a GPS tracker had been installed in your car without specialized GPS detection equipment and a trained TSCM technician to locate it.
The battery life of a live GPS tracker depends on the make/model and the number of hours your drive. The most common passive GPS trackers have an internal battery life of approximately of 3-5 weeks. The device actually goes to sleep when it is not moving.
Our experienced and trained TSCM technicians utilize the latest technology in live GPS tracker detection. We use several very expensive detection devices to find a passive GPS tracker that is either on or off because the internal battery may have gone dead.
We use a non-linear junction detector to help locate a passive GPS tracker that can be hidden anywhere outside the car. We also use a video borescope to look in the air vents for hidden audio bugs that could have been installed.
Take a moment and call us now to speak with a TSCM specialist who can answer your questions and provide you with a quote.
Remember, unless you retain the services of a professional TSCM specialist, you will never know if there is a passive GPS tracker installed in your vehicle.