It gives you a little mark on the map exactly where it was. When i did the testing it showed the exact building it was located inn. Initially when i first started using the unit the map was not a google earth style map. It was more like a regular on-board gps map with a little marker. But right before I left they added the google earth option where you could see the surrounding area. I diddnt get to mess with it very much before I left the company. But it worked pretty damn good.

The units i installed had two separate pieces. There was the control module and the gps antenna. the antenna needs a good line of sight. so we would put them in the intrument cluster. the second part we would put under the dash. If i were going to use it for a theft deterrant I would put it somwhere else. The system would use gps and roaming cell phone service to give the location.

My company had an account set up so i diddnt have to pay for the service. However when i would register the units to the cars there was a charge screen and i would just pick one. I think there are a few different options as far a paying. I think you could either have like 5 tracks for $50.00 or unlimited tracks for $100.00. I dont remember if this is a yearly or lifetime price.

I don't feel like retyping all the info again, so please see this thread: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/if-its-easy-who-else-can-get-my-car-571679/#post6019637, especially my posts about GPS and kill switches. They're not all they're cut out to be...

Ironically, if I wanted your car Rich, it would only take me about 45 SECONDS to tow it away. Then I can do w/ it what I want at my leisure, in the privacy of my garage...and even end up selling the Viper ignition kill switch and PFC + Commander on the forum lol. Don't even get too confident; that's when you get sloppy, park it outside in the wrong area, and she disappears :(

~Ramy

I'm not sponsored or anything. But I installed these units inside wood covered cinder block building and it retrieved a signal. take it for what its worth. Unless the theives have a concrete fortress chop shop i say the odds are in your favor to at least get an iidea of where your car is. Assuming you hide the unit good enough and have a small backup battery (in case they are smart enough to pull the battery completly out before you track your car).

So if it shows a tick on the map (Google map or not), does it show a valid address of some sort? Or does it show street names w/ the Google map?

Ah, but Rambo, I have the best defense that is even above and beyond all that other stuff. I drive my FD maybe 2k miles a year, so 99% of the year it's stored in a hidden cave where no one can find it :)

Everyone has their own experience. I'm telling you I've seen first-hand a complete lack of signal from parking underneath a tree (no direct line of sight) or being in a concrete structure. Rule of thumb is, if there's no cellphone signal, there prob isn't a GPS signal either ;)

Rich, I know. My comment wasn't directed to you as much as it was to those who believe a few safety items make their cars unstealable ;)

that is true, security systems' only good for someone that tries, not someone who's actually stealing it. Still lowers the chance to get stolen though... but maybe might raise the chance of the car getting vandalized......

On what kind of system? It really must have been a shitty GPS. So just because you had one bad experience with one car with one particular system you pass the rest off. Not to mention i dont know the last time i diddnt have a cell phone signal (even though the two really have nothing to do with each others signal). If these systems are good enough for finance companys to pay the exra money in order to track down their cars for repos, then they are good enough for me.

Not exactly. It was a $3,000+ Clifford unit. The most advanced unit available at the time. And this happend TWICE (to two different friends of mine).

*Ahem* It has a LOT to do w/ it. Satellite-based signals are easily subject to countless types of interference, be it weather, barriers, etc. That's why systems like Lo-Jack use radio frequencies, which can penetrate through virtually anything. In fact, to quote Lo-Jack:

"GPS systems require line-of-sight access to the orbiting GPS satellite system in order to track a missing vehicle. GPS systems can't penetrate forest cover, parking garages, or other obstructions. By contrast, LoJack uses a special FCC-allocated radio frequency that can penetrate many obstructions. GPS systems also require an external antenna that can be seen and easily broken off by potential thieves."

OR, there's a significant financial gain for companies to sign contracts w/ various GPS systems ;)

That's my $0.02 from what I KNOW. Take it or leave it. I mean hey, it's your car ;)

~Ramy

Thats alot of money for a car alarm. Maybe the most advanced car alarm at the time. I would have liked to see the components expecially the gps antenna. Did you track the car from the computer? alarms typically run in the 40 megahertz frequency where as gps signals run in the mid 1200- 1500 megahertz frequency. So perhaps there are restrictions on the unit because of it being an alarm system.

Having quite a bit of personal experience various types of point to point communiation im very familiar with RF loss. The frequencys used for gps will go through clouds, glass, pastic, and any atmospheric condition. The only problem they have is with solid objects such as concrete, and a large earth mass (like being in a tunnel). I can tell you I drove through near white out conditions over the holidays driving through the Sierras and had zero problems with the gps in my car

This leads me to say what lo-jack has to say about needing an external antenna is bullshit. The antennas i mounted were inside an instrument cluster behind the gauges. It had a thick piece of plastic between it and any line of sight and were completly non-visable. The only line of sight that was needed was the antenna needed to be faced up in the proper manner. I think you must have had a crappy gps system included in your alarm system. Im sure the armed forces wouldnt rely on gps if they couldnt get a signal through minor tree cover.

In what way besided the fact they are able to locate and retrieve the cars when people quit paying.

I had a 93 stolen back in 2002, I don't want to talk about it.

That's pretty funny. And I thought I had just about every mod out there :D

It's cool man, I'm just going to agree to disagree w/ you. Just don't think what you're installing your car is exactly military-grade equipment ;)

~Ramy

I think I would trust civilian GPS more then "military grade" ;)