As the 2021 riding season started, I planned a solo two-week-long road trip to Yellowstone National Park. One of the major concerns I had for the trip was safety. Specifically, I was worried about my bike getting stolen while I stopped overnight.
The solution was twofold; prevention of theft by a bike lock or an alarm and retrieval of the motorcycle with a tracking device in case it is stolen. I already have a heavy-duty bike lock, but I needed a GPS tracker that works even in remote areas.
Invoxia is a French company that offers GPS tracking devices for vehicles and pets and currently operates in Europe and the United States. Their Cellular GPS Tracker, which uses 4G LTE-M and works anywhere in the US, seemed to be a good choice for the task.
Out of the Box
The GPS tracker came in a neat little box. The device weighs only 1.05 oz and measures 4 inches X 1inch X .4 inch with a sturdy leather strap. A slight indentation on the backside is actually a reboot button. Its overall simple and sleek design is aesthetically pleasing.
It came with a short instruction to download the companion app to start the device. My first impression was, “That’s it?” There were no other documents that explain functions or a user manual as par for the course with newer tech devices. (The online user manual is under construction at the time of writing.)
Instead, most of the information is available through the FAQ page of their website. I am not that tech-savvy, so I always feel apprehensive about not having manuals in print or online. That being said, the initial setup was straightforward.
It took about an hour and a half to charge the battery first. After that, I just downloaded the app and followed the simple prompts. This process took about 10 minutes, and the tracker was good to go.
Where Should I Put It Though?
An important feature (or lack of) regarding this specific tracker is that it is not waterproof.
While it has an IP33 rating, this poses a significant issue because no area on the motorcycle remains completely dry when it rains. Invoxia offers GPS trackers that are waterproof, and I do not understand why they didn’t make this one waterproof also.
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My first ride with a GPS tracker was on a sunny day, so I simply placed it in the storage area under the tail cowl. It fitted nicely, but during the ride, the vibration moved the device a lot. I found the tracker’s leather strap hanging out from the small gap between the cowl and the tail body when I stopped.
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On the second ride, the local weather forecast was showing a slight chance of rain. So I put the tracker in the vinyl bag in which the bike’s owner’s manual is kept. My Honda VFR has a slot for the manual in the tail storage area, and the device didn’t move much during the ride this time.
However, I am not sure if the bag is waterproof and also seriously doubt that the tail storage remains sufficiently dry for the tracker on a rainy day. It is not water-tight, and it accumulates a lot of condensation.
I expect to encounter some rain on my road trip, so I purchased a small waterproof vinyl bag used outdoors to store the tracker. Hopefully, this is enough to keep the device dry enough to function properly.
GPS Tracking and Location Updates
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Low (left) and Standard (right) location update frequencies
There are three settings for location update frequency; High (every 5 to 7mins), Standard (every 10 to 12mins), and Low (every 30 to 32 mins). If the bike is stationary, it only updates the position every 24 hours to save the battery.
On my first test ride, I set the frequency to Low and headed out to the desert, where I usually lose cellular signal. The screenshot on the left is the locations reported; it was too infrequent, but my bike’s locations were tracked.
The screenshot on the right shows practically the same route in Standard setting, which becomes more detailed. The screenshot below is on the High setting on a different ride.
Because I live in an area with freeways and fast roads with almost no traffic lights, my preferred setting is High report frequency. In case my bike is stolen, it will be more precise in locating the last reported position.
However, if you live or ride mainly in the city with more stop-and-go traffic, the Standard setting may suffice. It depends on personal preference and how often you would like to charge the device, which I will talk about next.
Battery Life
Invoxia Cellular GPS tracker has a long battery life compared to other GPS trackers. According to Invoxia’s website, depending on the location report frequency setting, it lasts 15 days to 7 weeks with a single charge. So far, I only had to charge it twice after the initial charge, and it charged within two hours.
This is great because I don’t have to wait too long to charge the tracker fully, and I can keep the device on the bike almost all the time. What’s the point if the anti-theft device needs to be charged overnight, right?
Proximity Radar
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I admit that I often forget where I parked my car in a mall or concert venue. But I can attest that it has never happened with my motorcycle. Nonetheless, I tested this proximity radar feature in a large parking lot. Proximity radar uses Bluetooth.
You start by going to the place you think your bike is, and as soon as the phone detects the tracker’s Bluetooth, it gives you the prompt to stop. This distance varied from 45 feet to 20 feet. Then the screen gives you the graphic which indicates you are moving closer or further from the device.
Turning on the ringer on the tracker was helpful, but the sound was not loud enough to detect if the environment was somewhat noisy, especially since the tracker was in a plastic bag and stored under the cowl.
Having said that, I expect to use this radar more often than not. I’ll definitely bring the tracker the next time I need to park my car in a huge parking lot.
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Notification
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Photo Credit: Invoxia
There are three notifications: Zone alert, Movement/Tilt alert, and Significant Journey alert.
The Zone alert is a geofencing alert that your device is leaving or arriving at the predefined area you set on the companion app. The zone radius can be as small as 328.1ft to as large as 0.6 miles.
When the device detects movement after it remains stationary for more than 5 mins, it sends a Movement or Tilt alert. It works for suspicious movement/ tilt and also when someone hits your parked bike.
The Significant journey alert is triggered when the new location of the bike is detected after it remains stationary for 5 mins.
In addition to the tracker’s push notification, you can also sign up for a free IFTTT service to receive a text message or email. I set up the applet to send me an email when the motion is detected. This setting has been working well to give me peace of mind when I’m away from my phone but on my laptop.
I like that both push notifications and IFTTT notifications seem to arrive quickly within a minute of the device detecting movements or crossing the predefined zone. The only time I hated these notifications was when I rode out without setting the device to stand by on the app. I received all kinds of alerts and location updates during my ride, and it drove me crazy. If you would like to enjoy your ride, do not forget this process.
Value
Invoxia Cellular GPS Tracker is $129 with a one-year subscription (after one year, $39.90 per year), and there are no other fees. This is an exceptional value compared to other GPS trackers.
Comparable Devices
There are many options for GPS tracking devices. One popular choice is the Tracki Mini Real Time 4G GPS tracker. It offers unlimited tracking worldwide. Battery life can be short as few days if you use real-time tracking updates. The device is relatively inexpensive at $26.12. However, it requires a subscription that is $19.95 / month.
Another popular tracker is Spytec GPS GL300. Battery life is relatively short, up to 2.5 weeks. It also requires a subscription that costs a minimum of $19.95 / month.
From what I could find, other comparable trackers can be as low as $26, but all of them require a tracking service subscription, which adds up to more than $200 yearly.
Updates and Customer Service
Even while I was testing the device for about a month, they had few updates to address the minor bug issues and improving the compatibility on android. Their customer service team seems to be very responsive to users’ opinions which is a good sign.
The tracker comes with a one-year warranty. I appreciate a company that listens to customers to improve their products and provides a good warranty. Kudos to Invoxia.
Invoxia GPS Tracker Specifications
Per Invoxia’s website, here are some of the key product specifications.
Key Features
- Outdoor positioning via low power GPS
- Indoor and outdoor positioning via WPS
- Proximity positioning via the application (Bluetooth)
- User-adjustable point generation frequency
- Possibility to create safe areas with line-crossing alerts
- Search for the nearby Tracker using the radar function and the Tracker’s buzzer function
- Service life of the rechargeable battery: 2 weeks to 4 months according to modes
- Specific algorithms to save battery according to location changes.
It is compatible with iOS 12.0 or higher, compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher. As previously mentioned, it is also IP33 rated.
For a full list of features and other information such as compatibility, check out Invoxia’s product page, which contains their technical datasheet.
Final Verdict
The Invoxia GPS Tracker is on my bike all the time now.
I was slightly apprehensive about not having a user manual at first, but I realized that it is user-friendly and doesn’t need a manual as I tested the tracker.
I like the fast-charging battery that lasts a long time which is a necessary characteristic for anti-theft tracking devices.
The tracker works anywhere in the US, and you receive notification within a minute of movement or crossing the line of the predetermined area. It works with the IFTTT service, which adds more to my peace of mind with different notifications like texts and emails.
My complaint about the tracker is that it is not waterproof. For now, I will keep the tracker in the waterproof bag, but I hope Invoxia releases the waterproof version of this cellular tracker.
Pros
- Notifications come to the phone quickly
- Fast Charging / Long Battery life
- $129 with a one-year subscription is an excellent value
- Works anywhere in the US
- Works with IFTTT service
Cons
- Not waterproof
- Ringer is not loud enough