I just purchased this inexpensive, tiny GPS Tracker. It has a self-contained battery that requires recharging. The frequency of recharge depends on the time interval of location reporting. I'm hopeful that I can recharge it no more often than weekly if I set it to report it's location every 15 mins (need to test).

Also, it requires a monthly subscription fee for cellular service ($10 - $20 depending on length of term). I will try it out for one month before deciding if I will keep it with a longer subscription term.

Any suggestions on where to mount it so it's hidden (or at least not obvious) and the signal is not blocked?

 

big brother is always watching…

 

Behind a plastic trim panel in the trunk would be the place if you didn't have to remove it that often.

Hide it somewhere under the spare tire cover?

There's a small cover behind the rear console for access to the parking brake mechanism, maybe in there? Obviously make sure it won't interfere with the park brake.

Cell signal should be fine as long as it's not deep behind a metal body panel.

 

Cell signal is not the issue, visibility to GPS satellites will be. You can't put it under anything metal if you want it to work. In my Smart car it's an easy call since the outside is all plastic panels, but on the LR2 it is a different animal. I would think somewhere under the plastic between the front windshield and the hood would be a good place.

 

Update: I placed the tracking device on the rear cargo area shelf next to the side window, using velcro tape to hold it in place. This gives it a good signal path through the window, but it cannot easily be seen through the tinted window or from the inside passenger area. And it's easy to reach around to change the battery.

I determined that a 2-minute tracking interval is optimal to define the path and location of the vehicle and optimize battery life. I purchased the extended battery which requires a recharge every two weeks with daily driving. Actually, I purchased a second battery and just swap them when the installed battery is low, so it's always in service.

It uses GPS as the primary location method, and will use nearby Wifi signals as a secondary location method if a GPS signal does not exist. It transmits location and other data to the Tracki cloud server via cellular which in turn provides reporting to my phone app or PC desktop dashboard. The business model is based on the shaving razor model, where the device is essentially sold at cost and the cellular subscripton is where you pay up.

It's pretty slick. The maps showing location history are impressive. If someone steals my wheels, I'll have a fighting chance to get it back.