Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - 04:39 pm, by: Bruce Gordon(Bruiser)
Firstly my apologies if this is too lengthy or in the wrong place. I should also add that I have no relationship with this company and the following is offered only as my experiences and opinion of the product.
This is a NZ product so I have placed this in the NZ thread, hope I haven't broken any rules?
Here goes.
I have had a "Snitch" GPS security system installed on my harley, mainly for security and safety purposes. The Snitch is 100% NZ designed and manufactured, they even developed their own tracking software and all the code (gps and website) is theirs.
The installer here in Auckland (Jacques) also happens to be a real nice guy, who rides an 06" Electraglide Ultra, so I was comfortable with him working on my wideglide.
The snitch is a small box (physically about twice the size of a ciggy packet) installed under the seat, with a separate satellite receiver and in-built gsm cellphone card.
The unit can be set to alert (and be queried by) up to 2 cellphones.
Alert texts are sent when motion is detected to either or both or the two cellphones when an accident occurs, the vehicle exceeds the preset speed or the bike alarm is triggered. It also reports if the built-in rechargeable battery or the bikes' own battery is drops below a pre-set voltage.
The Snitch can be set to send an alert text if the bike is moved or a pre-installed alarm is triggered - great for those overnight trips where the bike is parked outside a motel.
As I said, the Snitch responds to texts from either of our cellphones and will provide the bikes' current position/adress details. And the information it sends back to the cellphone is accurate! I was in Hamilton for the Toy run the day after it was installed and popped into my partner's mums to say hi. She lives in one of 3 units and the Snitch stated the correct address - down to the unit number!
Owners can also log onto their online Snitch account and view full maps and history details of any trip. The maps are about to be updated to 5 levels but the current ones offer two zoom levels - one is down to street level.
The website is where you configure what data is recorded and sent, including the the speed threshold, which mobile/s to text and the frequency of updates. We set ours to 120kph and the position frequency to every 200 metres.
This next feature is probably one that some will not enable, you'll see why.
Last Sunday I left Auckland and cruised down to Cambridge for the Ulysses toy run to Hamilton. My parter was able to watch my journey while sitting in bed from our notebook (via a WiFi-Broadband network I have set up at home) and logged into our online Snitch website account. The site updated the map every few seconds with my current position, direction (if not stopped) and current speed. I even got a text from her telling me to slow down! (This feature can be disabled )
When back home I loaded the day's history maps from the website and used this to create a trip map which I have uploaded to my online album.
Alternatively click here to view the full size map.
One excellent feature is a G-force sensor which triggers a text to our phones alerting of an accident. Imagine being down a bank late at night with no means of attracting attention. Your partner would be sent a text alerting them that the Snitch built-in g-shock alert has been triggered and could then text the Snitch (or log onto the website) and determine exactly where you are - down to the street address or, optionally, gps coordinates - and this information could then be passed to emergency services.
Its' early days but I am having a great deal of fun with this unit. It has some excellent features including providing us means to graphically retrace our steps on rides, down to 200 metre intervals.
More importantly the Snitch will provide my partner and I with that little bit extra peace of mind. If/when some lowlife decides their need for my bike is greater than mine we will be alerted the second it moves and will be able to track it and find its' current position at any time.
I paid $1295 In GST for the unit, plus $100 for installation. There is a monthly Vodafone fee of $15 and their account charges seem very reasonable.
Why install it into the Harley and not the Soarer? Well, one at a time - and the Soarer is insured for full value, whereas I would lose over $30k of my investment in after-market parts and customising if the Harley was stolen.
Thursday, March 15, 2007 - 08:35 pm, by: Mark Donovan(Mark_donovan)
A nice toy, and certainly worth every penny if your pride & joy was stolen and you were able to round up your mates and a few aluminium baseball bats at the drop of a hat. *That* would make for quite an interesting road trip.
i would be interested in a product a quarter the size which could be inserted inside computers, TVs and other such items which are more often stolen.
Bruce- what else do you have planned for your car, asides lowering. Are you intending to do any tuning of the engine?
By the by, Naveen did my tint the day after yours and the little bubbles have almost all gone now. The rear windscreen is now crystal clear, no more wavy lines from the slight bubbling.
Friday, March 16, 2007 - 08:58 pm, by: Bruce Gordon(Bruiser)
Mark Donovan wrote on Thursday, March 15, 2007 - 08:35 pm:
Bruce- what else do you have planned for your car, asides lowering. Are you intending to do any tuning of the engine?
At this stage I'm still waiting for the transmission ECT issue to be sorted but that will happen in the next few days. The dealer already has the quote for a replacement speed sensor and number 2 solenoid and it will likely be done by either his transmission shop or Lexus North Shore.
Next is a BFI which Michael Machin has kindly offered to help me with.
Also I'm having the suspension lowered a couple of inches (using the adjustment on the sensor rods), reset the sensor arms then get Rowes in Avondale to do the wheel balance.
And then I'm going to fit a decent set of headers and some straight-thru exhausts. Marsha commented tonight that it is far to quiet for a V8 and I should have bought a Chevy so at least we could hear it! Grrrrrrrr
I guess that will keep me busy for awhile lol . . .
Friday, March 16, 2007 - 09:01 pm, by: Bruce Gordon(Bruiser)
Mark Donovan wrote on Thursday, March 15, 2007 - 08:35 pm:
By the by, Naveen did my tint the day after yours and the little bubbles have almost all gone now. The rear windscreen is now crystal clear, no more wavy lines from the slight bubbling.
Same here Mark. Bubbles have almost disappeared and it sure changes the look of the car from the inside. Went out tonight for the first time since the tints were done and noticed how it is harder to back into the garage with the tints on. I guess I'll just have to be more careful.
I certainly don't need to hit the dark switch on the lcd rear vision mirror now either! . . .
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