In a world where we expect instant answers, whether it is breaking news or checking in on loved ones, waiting for information is no longer an option. That information can make a difference between knowing everything is okay or not, allowing us to act instantly and make a difference. On-demand GPS tracking has changed the way we interact with the world around us. I am old enough to remember needing to stop in at a gas station to purchase a map because the one I had wasn't up to date. This is no longer the case, as personal and vehicle trackers are available to everyone. It's no surprise that GPS tracking devices have become essential tools for peace of mind.
Whether you’re concerned about a new teen driver, an elderly family member behind the wheel, or protecting valuable equipment, knowing where something is in the current moment can be critical. But not all GPS trackers are created equally. What many companies won’t tell you could end up costing you time, money, or worse: answers when you need them most.
Let’s break down the fundamental dos and don’ts of GPS tracking, explore the different types of trackers, and share some behind-the-scenes insight from years in the industry.
First, Know Your Tracker: The 4 Basic Types
There are four main types of GPS trackers on the market, but numerous sub-variations exist, which can cause some confusion. Understanding their general strengths and limitations is the first step to choosing the right one for you.
1. Real-Time GPS Trackers
What they do: They provide live location updates that you can view from an app or website without needing the device in your physical possession. These trackers offer the most control and information. Some can be hardwired into a vehicle, while others run on battery power.
Features often include:
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Live Data
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Route History
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Stop Durations
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Geofence Alerts
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Fast Updating GPS Intervals
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Required Service Plan
Best for: Live tracking of vehicles or assets that require consistent data. Ideal for family safety, fleet management, or anti-theft monitoring.
2. Asset GPS Trackers
What they do: They provide less frequent updates (often a few times a day) but last much longer on a single charge. Information can be accessed through a website or an App. They can be battery-operated or hardwired, and are ideal for equipment that doesn't move often.
Features often include:
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Live Last Known Location Data
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Movement Alerts
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Stop Durations
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Geofence Alerts
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GPS Intervals Multiple Times Daily
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Required Service Plan
Best for: Monitoring items that don’t move frequently, such as trailers, storage containers, or equipment.
3. Passive GPS Trackers
What they do: They provide almost identical recorded information to that of a real-time device. However, they don't provide live information; instead, they store location data internally, which must be retrieved to download the information.
Features often include:
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Route History
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Stop Durations
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Fast Updating GPS Intervals
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No Required Service Plan
Best for: Not as commonly available as they once were, but great for short-term uses where live tracking isn’t required.
4. Bluetooth Trackers
What they do: The most common tracker available, since Apple sells the most popular model. Instead of using its own service, it will piggyback on nearby smartphones via Bluetooth or wideband technology to identify its location.
Features often include:
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Live Last Known Location Data
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Route History
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Stop Durations
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Geofence Alerts
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GPS Intervals Multiple Times Daily Within Bluetooth Distance of Smartphone
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No Required Service Plan (Usually)
Best for: Tracking personal items, such as luggage, keys, or bags, in populated areas.
What Most Companies Don’t Tell You
Bluetooth Trackers are solely reliant on a nearby smartphone to work. This is great if you need to locate luggage at an airport, but it can be almost useless if used in rural or scarcely populated areas. But, since it is relatively rare for someone not to have a smartphone in today’s world, their coverage is quite broad. Keep in mind that these are not a great covert option since they utilize nearby smartphones for service, which will alert that phone that the tracker is nearby.
Passive Trackers can be helpful, though they do not provide real-time information. Although their most significant advantage is the lack of service fees, these devices almost always require a unique map program to import the data. They will also need a computer to work, so keep that in mind if these are the ones you are considering.
Asset Trackers can work, but it depends on what information you are looking for. These types of devices work great for keeping tabs on equipment left in an open area that could easily get stolen. The drawback to Asset Trackers in this context deals with how often the device communicates its information. Suppose the Asset device is on a vehicle that is stolen and subsequently abandoned in an underground parking garage, for example. In that case, you may find yourself in a situation where the vehicle is hours away from the last GPS ping.
That's why we offer Real-Time GPS Tracking devices at SpyCentre. They function independently (unlike Bluetooth trackers), provide live information (unlike passive trackers), and update consistently (unlike asset trackers). However, one drawback to real-time GPS tracking is the service cost. Bluetooth devices use nearby smartphones to communicate, and passive devices store information internally; therefore, in both cases, there is little to no fee for continuous usage. Asset trackers seldom update, so there is usually a lower fee compared to real-time devices, as the data usage is significantly smaller. There are, of course, many other things that make a difference, and this is only scratching the surface. But for now, let's move on.
Battery vs. Hardwired: What’s Best?
Both have their place, but the decision often comes down to accessibility and duration. Real-time devices are either battery-powered or hardwired to the vehicle's electrical system. When a device is wired into a vehicle, it will consistently draw power, making recharging unnecessary. For a long time, recharging a GPS device could take quite a bit of time. If the situation only provides a small window for accessibility, then having a more permanent solution would eliminate this concern.
Nevertheless, battery technology has undergone significant improvements over the last decade. In the past, for a battery-operated device to last longer than a couple of days, it had to be quite bulky. Nowadays, battery technology is significantly more advanced; not only has the recharge time been drastically reduced, but the power draw has also been dramatically decreased, thereby improving the overall usage time between charges.
Take the Waterproof Miniature GPS Tracker. This device can operate for an average of 22 days on a single charge, recharge in about 3 hours, and is under 4 inches in length, while still providing updates every 30 seconds when in motion. That's impressive considering the size, and I've had clients capable of going several months on a single charge.
The Extended Life Waterproof GPS Tracker can go even longer. Updating every two minutes, this version still offers the same compact weatherized design, but can function for up to six months before needing to be recharged.
You will eventually need to charge both of them, and although getting to the device every few months is not that bad, in some cases, this is simply not possible. Therefore, the best option would be to hardwire the device and avoid the hassle.
The Waterproof Hardwired GPS Tracker offers all the same benefits as the Miniature, but without the need for recharging. Installation is effortless, and because it's connected directly to the vehicle, other information about the car can also be available.
Battery-Powered Trackers
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Portable, Discreet, and Easy to Install
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Magnet Included
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Ideal When You Need Flexibility
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Some models (like our Waterproof Miniature GPS Tracker) can last 22+ days per charge.
Hardwired Trackers
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No Recharging Needed
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Great For Long-Term Tracking
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Often More Consistent In Performance
Pro Tip: If you can't easily access the tracker for charging every few weeks or months, go hardwired.
Covert Tracking: What Works and What Doesn’t
I've seen some unique setups in my time, and yes, there are definitely more covert options available with a portable, battery-operated device than with something wired in permanently. According to the manufacturer's recommendation, a hardwired device is typically positioned in an easily accessible location. This makes tech support much easier, and the data doesn't run into transmission issues. But we will cover that in a different section. However, you would be shocked at some of the more creative solutions I've encountered for concealing a hardwired unit. Some of the more creative installations I've come across include the device being placed in the roof liner, behind the dash, and even within a taillight fixture. Do I recommend this? Of course not, but it worked for what the customer wanted, and ultimately, they were aware of the limitations and risks.
The only thing I recommend when installing a hardwired tracker (outside of the manufacturer's recommended location) is to ensure that the device receives a consistent power draw and to verify that you are using the correct fuse size for the lead. If those parameters are met, then it is only a question of signal penetration for the device to function consistently at the covert location.
Battery-operated devices also have a manufacturer's recommended location for installation, and nine times out of ten, it's on the dashboard, facing up. It’s not exactly a hidden location, but you get the point. The signal penetration issue remains a consideration when opting for a more covert deployment. Some locations I've observed that are particularly problematic are those where the signal is trapped, such as between the inner and outer body panels of a vehicle.
One of the most convenient things in modern cars is the ability for your smartphone to connect to the radio via Bluetooth. I bring this up because it is an easy test you can perform to see if the hidden location you've chosen inside the car is a good spot or not. Simply connect your phone to the car's Bluetooth and make a phone call to a friend, and go for a drive. At this point, move the phone to different places and see if the connection starts to suffer. If you take the phone and place it underneath the seat, for instance, is the call still clear? Do you experience any issues with the call's consistency? What happens if you put the phone in a glove box? Or, what about the trunk?
This trick does not guarantee that you won't encounter another issue, but it will inform you right away if the location you're considering is likely to fail or not. As long as you take the time to perform this test, you should get a sense of a real-world expectation.
Another factor to consider is the antenna's position on the GPS tracker. Similar to your smartphone, the antenna is internal. On most GPS Tracking devices, the antenna is located on the face. If the face of the device is directly pointed at metal, the signal must penetrate the metal to communicate. This is the most common issue I've encountered, and in some cases, it can be resolved simply by reorienting the device in a different direction.
When the device is mounted on the outside of a car, this issue can also occur. Still, it may have a secondary effect since trackers mounted on the outside are typically secured with a magnet, which can cause the signal to pass through the magnet, resulting in a significant deviation from the intended location pin. But this is also easily resolvable.
Even if you do everything right, other issues may arise that are almost unavoidable; one of those issues being signal infrastructure. You see, GPS trackers work on a variety of networks and fall backs to these networks to ensure that even in areas with poor coverage, the signal can still find a path online. This is always the case, and regardless of what a manufacturer or seller tells you, sometimes the issue is unavoidable; at other times, there are solutions. There are many different manufacturers of GPS devices, and the cost can vary from under $100 to several thousand dollars. From a consumer standpoint, it's challenging to grasp the differences and why they matter. I've seen trackers being sold for less than the price of a cup of coffee, and I've had numerous interactions with clients who want to know what the differences are. The response to that could be an article in itself, but for simplicity's sake, it usually boils down to coverage and fallbacks. Companies offering service for almost no charge know this and figure you'd be more concerned with total cost than with effectiveness.
There is a middle ground between the two. The best way to determine this is to know the area you are in. If you're in an area with low coverage or frequently experience connection issues, opting for a lower-cost option will almost certainly result in problems. If you're not entirely sure about the area where the vehicle will be, it's a wise decision to ask questions beforehand to ensure it will work.
Being in Texas, we have some clients who are at or near the border with Mexico, and one of the most common issues I've heard from them is that the tracker they were using beforehand would stop working the closer they get to the border.
Lower-priced devices have restrictions that block information once it reaches another country's towers, and as a result, the devices will go offline and need to be manually reset. That's why our devices don't have these restrictions and offer various communication options that minimize these issues as much as possible. On that same note, you would be shocked to know how many different devices are entirely reliant on legacy networks for connectivity, and once those legacy networks go offline, so does your device.
Signal Strength Tips:
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Avoid putting the tracker in a position where it points directly at metal.
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Avoid areas where the metal is steel
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Ensure the GPS antenna faces outward (not toward the vehicle's body).
GPS Limitations You Should Know
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Even the best GPS trackers have occasional accuracy issues.
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GPS relies on line-of-sight to satellites. The more disruptions in between, the more it has to push through.
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Elevation, buildings, or underground locations (like parking garages) can interfere.
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Trackers conserve battery by sending less frequent pings when idle. This can cause slight deviations when the device is stationary.
Customers often ask why the tracker shows a car “a block away.” The answer is usually related to the environment or signal penetration timing, not a broken device.
Signal Infrastructure: The Hidden Dealbreaker
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Some low-cost GPS trackers rely on outdated cellular networks or limit service to certain countries. Once those networks go offline or if your vehicle crosses a border, the tracker may stop working altogether.
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Limited fallback networks
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Not using Google Maps as a primary source for location information.
Final Thoughts
I will follow up with part two, so this doesn't go on for too long. However, the last thing I want to cover today involves the most common complaint that even the devices we offer receive, and that is location accuracy.
To start, we've already covered placement and environmental factors; however, even with these factors addressed, this issue can still occur. In the past, maps were still struggling to be completely accurate, and longitude and latitude information would not always correlate directly with the location. GPS devices rely on that information, and that's how they drop a pin on a map. Even with the more advanced networks of our modern day, the difference between 0.000001 and 0.000002 can be a house or two over, and that's what I get the most questions about.
GPS works by bouncing a signal back and forth, and something as simple as a tall building or even an elevation difference can cause this minor difference to occur. This happens with the GPS on your smartphone, but the reason why it's not noticed is down to the number of pings sent back and forth from your device. To maintain a longer active battery life, a GPS tracker must conserve energy, which is achieved by limiting the frequency of ping information. If a tracker transmitted data every second, like a smartphone does, the battery life would not even last a whole day. However, the trade-off is that it must make calculated guesses when a vehicle is stopped.
While in motion, those calculations are more straightforward to equate, and the accuracy is almost perfect. However, when stopped, the ping time becomes more spread out, and these factors could end up showing the device a block away from where the car actually is.
As much as I would love to say this is easily resolvable, it’s a current technology limitation, with no easy workaround. I've resolved this issue for some of my clients by simply adjusting the ideal ping, but at other times, environmental factors make it more complicated to rectify.
There are solutions, though, and although it may mean moving the device to a different location, this is where having a real tech support team to communicate with matters. Not having that option from other companies is what initially led many of our clients to start working with us. We understand that every situation is unique, and being able to provide our customers with the attention their issue deserves can make all the difference. The GPS tracking world is rife with half-truths, flashy marketing, and devices that appear impressive on paper but fail when it matters. It's challenging to set realistic expectations when another company claims it will work regardless of the circumstances.
We created this guide to give you the real insight you won’t hear elsewhere. Making the correct choice depends on your goals, your environment, and having the right team to support you when things go wrong.
Stay tuned for Part 2