Test: Invoxia GPS Tracker
A lot of motorcycles are stolen every year in Europe, including a large share of off-road machines. Installing an anti-theft system (with alarm) can be a choice, but this intervention is not feasible for a dirt bike or enduro. The French company Invoxia looks at this slightly differently and has designed a GPS tracker to trace your stolen motorcycle.
The great thing about this tracker is that you don't need any power source. The installation is very simple and you basically just have to activate the small device and put it away in your motorcycle. The fact is that motorcycles with little security options, such as enduros and dirt bikes, are highly sought after by thieves.
Dirt bikes do have a chassis and engine number, but these are not registered anywhere (except for the sales invoice). Enduro motorcycles may be registered, but hardly have anything on board that resembles theft protection. There is usually a headset lock, but that means almost nothing as a first level of security.
What is it?
The Invoxia GPS Tracker is a small device (105 x 27 x 9,5 mm) that can be charged via a USB port. After activation, you put the device somewhere in your motorcycle. Depending on the settings used and usage, the internal battery lasts up to four months. When purchasing, you will receive a free three-year subscription to the use of the internal SIM card. After that you pay 24,95 euros per year.
How does it work?
To determine its location, the GPS Tracker uses Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Positioning System and GPS. It then transmits its position to Invoxia's servers via dedicated 4G LTE-M mobile networks. What is LTE-M? This is a network that connects battery-powered devices directly to the 4G network, without gateways, to enable a wide range of so-called “Internet of Things or IoT” applications.
The Invoxia GPS Tracker works with an app (from iOS12 and Android 5.0+ Lollipop) that warns of movement or a fallen motorcycle. You can also enter a safe zone (for example your home environment) where the tracker will send a signal via the app as soon as that zone is left. If your motorcycle has disappeared, you can track your stolen machine via the app. Depending on the setting, the tracker provides location updates every 2, 5, 10 or 30 minutes via the LTE-M or LoRa network.
You can track the movements of your GPS Tracker at a glance with the Invoxia GPS app. It displays the routes traveled over a period of your choice, whether you want an overview or are looking for a specific trip. The 'proximity radar' helps you locate your vehicle or valuables over the last few meters with a hot/cold radar. Because this feature uses your phone's Bluetooth connection, you must be within Bluetooth range of your tracker to use it.
To optimize battery life, the Invoxia GPS Tracker adapts to its environment. And when stationary, the tracker only provides its position every 4 hours to save the battery.
Initially it will use your smartphone's Bluetooth connection to determine its location. If there is no phone nearby, the tracker will scan the surrounding Wi-Fi networks to determine its location, and if no networks are available, it will use GPS to calculate its exact position.
testing
We tested the Invoxia GPS Tracker with an electric bicycle and an enduro motorbike. After registering and connecting to the app (which was very simple) we put the trinket away in the bicycle bag and in the filter box of the enduro. We repeatedly asked a trusted friend to steal our two-wheelers and keep the location a secret. We had set up a safe zone at home and every time the bicycle or motorcycle left this zone we received a message via the app. So that already works fine.
When our bicycle “disappeared” we quickly spotted the alleged thief. While our thief was on his way, we already received updates at locations where the tracker managed to make a connection. We eventually found the bicycle, a few villages further, against the facade of a café.
With the enduro we had raised the bar a bit. We had agreed with our “good” thief to park the motorcycle somewhere in an area where there are no houses. Once again we received a warning when the motorcycle disappeared from the safe zone and updates were on their way. And then it became quiet for a moment. After a few minutes we received another signal via the app and we could start searching. This time we drove 28 km to get close to the motorcycle. We stood at the edge of a bush and were able to locate the machine with the app's proximity radar. Once again the operation of this device was perfect. This radar works from approximately 20 meters.
Are there any disadvantages?
The device is not really waterproof, so it is best to order a waterproof case if you think that water can reach the device. In the app you do not always see how much the internal battery is charged. You probably have to be close to the device to read this. The Invoxia does not work in every country. This has to do with the fact that not every country has yet developed a 4G LTE-M network. However, they do exist in most Western European countries. On the map you see the countries in blue, these are the ones for which a network is available. The purple countries are those with a network under construction and the gray countries have no network available.
In motorcycles used for competition, hiding a tracker seems pointless because such engines can be disassembled with few tools. That is why the function that detects movement and falling over is so important.
What's in the box?
- The GPS tracker
- A USB A to micro USB B charging cable
- A quick start guide
Where to buy?
You can buy the Invoxia GPS tracker via their website invoxia.com or simply via an internet shop such as bol.com.
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