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Survey - Would you use a GPS to protect your gear?


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Craig - the idea of crowdfunding for the bands was from a survey we did 6 months ago. At that time the unit was going to cost us an additional $250 due to the battery (a 200 day battery) a much larger case, and the backend data costs were 4 times what we now have. Now going with a basic unit with 10 day battery, a DC power connector (can be hooked to the vehicle battery), self-installed SIM, and a much smaller case. When we did the survey, the majority of bands said they couldn't afford it (total cost first year including hardware would have been over $600), so we came up with the crowdfunding. IndieGoGo made it very easy for us to setup multiple campaigns for bands, so we're still looking at that (but that adds more cost for IndieGoGo's take) but at this new price ($100 ~ $120), most bands could probably buy it outright.

 

Wes - great info. Yes, the unit has a micro-USB port. Agree that the mapping software should be easy (it's already been done before), but Google Maps is requiring to us to pay. I'll PM you...

 

Nano-SIM adapter - good idea, but we're avoiding that because of the potential of damage to the device using an adapter.

 

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Craig - the idea of crowdfunding for the bands was from a survey we did 6 months ago. At that time the unit was going to cost us an additional $250 due to the battery (a 200 day battery) a much larger case, and the backend data costs were 4 times what we now have. Now going with a basic unit with 10 day battery, a DC power connector (can be hooked to the vehicle battery), self-installed SIM, and a much smaller case. When we did the survey, the majority of bands said they couldn't afford it (total cost first year including hardware would have been over $600),

 

That makes me laugh. Seriously. I'll bet every one of the bands that responded spent more than $50 a *week* on coffee and energy drinks. $600 annually for real security is nothing.

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Hi, guys!

once upon a time (did not yet exist services GPS) I took my old phone, it is fixed on the conventional relay (12V), running wires to the button car door ....

when the door is opened, the relay operates and presses the button on the phone (this button has been fixed number of my current phone) and I did a call from a pay phone watchman .....

on the SIM card phone-watchman was connected service "Locator" (such a service provided by many mobile operators)

Thanks to "Latitude", you can easily find on the map tethered phone location, where there is a phone-guard ....

Here is a self-made security system was in my ........

I sold it along with the old Opel, in which it was ....

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@witesol - we thought about that, and the reality is no thief is going to spend the time to try and hack our backend to find out where trailers with GPS units are. That would only let them know (1) which trailers not to steal because they have GPS protection, or (2) if they hack the system, then decide to get a GPS blocker so they can steal a trailer with a GPS, we have GPS blocking alerts (the unit can still use it's cellular communication.)

 

Most likely a thief is simply going to gather up his tools and head into town looking for something to steal. If he sees a trailer, he's going to first look at the padlock. If it's a shackle padlock, he probably has the tools to cut/pick the lock right then and there (takes about 15 seconds to cut a shackle). If it's a puck style, he'll see how the trailer is attached to the van or truck and how hard it will be to steal the whole thing (puck style padlocks take at least 15 minutes to cut with torch).

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  • 6 months later...
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We have the Beta version of GPSRoadie ready and it is on the Google Play store.

 

There's been a few changes. Mainly, the GPSRoadie app now uses smartphones (more affordable than stand-alone GPS units).

 

The community benefit of the app is that it broadcasts stolen alerts to every musician with the app.

 

If you are interested in testing it out, we need to add your email that you use for Google Play store to the Google Community for Beta testers. It is on Android OS only at this time.

 

To be added to the Beta group, email your info to screamingstone@gmail.com

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Just a thought on potential negative publicity; Something about referring to it as "The Amber Alert of..." doesn't seem right. Amber was a real little girl who was kidnapped and murdered in 1996. Your call, but the denigration of the seriousness of that situation may not be something you want attached to your product. At the end of the day, it's not a kids life, it's just stuff.

 

BUT, along that same thought, an cell phone alert system that your could sign up for that would blast out notifications in your area, not unlike Amber Alerts, should your stuff be stolen and it had GPSRoadie attached to it, would be pretty cool. Imagine having all those musicians keeping an eye out for your trailer, truck or whatever. As was said above, the easier you can make the cops job, the more likely they are to respond. As many people are writing smart phone apps these days, I can't imagine it would be that difficult.

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The GPSRoadie app is now on Google Play store.

 

If you are in a touring band, this is one of the easiest ways to protect your gear.

 

Add contact(s), enable protection and that's it. Put it in an instrument case, tour van, tour trailer... if it changes location, messages are sent to the contacts that it's moving with a map view, and updated every minute.

 

It also broadcasts stolen instrument alerts from Screaming Stone.

 

You're protecting your gear and helping musicians get their stolen gear back.

 

 

 

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