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March 2004 |
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British Motorcycle Federation Rider Magazine -
‘Tracking Bikes and People’:
The BMF Marketing Team was asked to evaluate the mtrack system.
It is a device that enables tracking and recovery of vehicles
and assets anywhere in the country by using a combination
of GSM and RF technology. mtrack makes use of the mobile phone
network to provide a generally accurate location of an asset.
This serves as a starting point for the recovery process.
Recovery teams are equipped with radio frequency detectors,
which enable them to home in on a radio beacon, which the
unit triggers when it is activated. This unique combination
means that mtrack is self-powered with a battery that lasts
for up to four years.
Unlike some tracking devices, mtrack does not need an external
antenna or to be mounted where it can be seen by passing satellites
- as in the case of GPS. In short, mtrack can be installed
covertly into virtually any asset that requires protection.
mtrack staff visited the BMF to set up a system (on one of
our PCs) that track units, along with instructions on how
to use it. The tracking system is a version of the software
installed in the control centre in the Midlands. It can pinpoint
any unit in use, but we were asked only to monitor only the
two made available to us. The software uses the internet to
work with the control room to locate any unit that goes into
the alarm state.
When a unit is triggered and put in alarm state, the monitoring
system in the control room will pick this up and display the
place and time of alarm on a PC map of the UK. Simple. The
control room operator then contacts a team in the vicinity
of the alarm. This team then tracks the unit, narrows the
location and calls the police. Motorcycle found, thieves apprehended.
To evaluate the system, we were given two units. Both were
handed over to members of the marketing team - Tim Walker,
who travels all over the UK, and Rider Editor Andy Dukes,
who also does a lot of travelling. Both were phoned periodically
to inform them of their exact whereabouts. In all cases, they
were surprised how accurate we were; Tim eating sandwiches
on the banks of the Tyne one day and Andy, on the M1 on the
way to visit the BMF in Leicester. In fact, Andy returned
the unit after three days because he felt as if he was the
object of some covert surveillance operation (it could well
play a role in this area).
We also carried out another test: John, a colleague was asked
to “get lost” in north Lincolnshire. We found
him on the PC’s map, travelled to the location then
zeroed in using the RF finder. In all, it took about 30 minutes
to reach him and his motorcycle. Under normal circumstances,
a team contacted by the control centre would undertake the
last action and this is the point where the police would be
called in.
mtrack also keeps the criminal guessing in other ways. The
operation of the unit is remotely configurable and when it
is in sleep mode it is virtually undetectable to RF detectors.
Intelligent motion sensors and geofences mean that the mtrack
can be left dormant and only come to life when the owner wants
to initiate recovery. The company’s national recovery
network claims to be able to reach any location in the UK
within three hours.
Obviously, we cannot show photographs of the unit but we can
say that it is small, simple to hide on a car and (with a
little thought) easily concealed on a motorcycle.
As a system for tracking and locating a bike I would be hard
pressed to come up with a reason not to buy mtrack. The company
has just received Sold Secure Gold level approval for the
unit. All the team members who have been involved in the trial
are impressed with it. As it says on the box, open, fit and
forget - it will call you. Lets hope it never needs to.
h the assistance of 8 officers from Essex
police and a helicopter, our response officer traced a stolen
£20,000 generator to an industrial site in Aveley, Essex.
Aside of the generator; a new Volvo flatbed truck
which was stolen two weeks before, a Komatsu mini-digger,
2000 gallons of diesel and a £5000 portable bowser
were also recovered.
The £100,000 of other equipment that was recovered
at the same time had not previously been found as their
tracking units’ antennas had been cut.
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