What is GPS Tracking?

[GPSGuy]

Not to be confused with a GPS navigation device, a GPS tracking device uses satellites to determine the precise positioning, speed, direction, longitude and latitude.

There are primarily two types of tracking systems: passive and real time.

1. Passive Tracking Device (aka data logger). A passive tracking device simply logs the position of the device at regular intervals in its internal memory. The passive device will have either a memory card slot, or internal flash memory and a USB port. Some act as a USB flash drive. The tracking data (travel history) is downloaded from the USB port to a computer.

2. Real Time Tracking Device (aka live tracker). A real time tracking device can be remotely programmed to track at regular intervals. The tracking data can be transmitted to a central location data base using a cellular (GPRS or SMS), radio, or a satellite modem embedded in the unit. This allows the user to veiw the tracking data in near real time from a computer with an internet connection.

[sail4evr]

I have a boat and tender. I'm concerned about theft. The boats are in the Caribbean. I want to be able to know where they are at any time or at the time they last transmitted gps coordinates. The gps tracker must be hard wired to the boat's battery. It must transmit data through a cellular link. From a practical point of view, if it transmitted its position every 15 min that would probably be more than enough. I would like to be able to look up its position on Google Earth. I want this to be as inexpensive as possible.
thanks