Almost every person is intimately familiar with the navigation system. GPS helps to quickly and accurately determine the location of a specific object - a person, car, other modes of transport or animals. The simplest beacon is inexpensive in the store, but a more powerful one takes a bit of a toll on your wallet. But why buy if you can really make it yourself? From what and how will those who wish to learn now.

Self-assembly of a GPS beacon, what to make it from, how to proceed

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Every modern phone, car, and computer has a GPS beacon. The program is convenient, simple, and most importantly productive. The location of any object is determined instantly with its help. A GPS beacon, as an independent device, is popular among motorists and parents who constantly want to know where their child is, but not everyone is in a hurry to shell out their money in the store for this device. For such thrifty people, there are ideas that will help them construct a GPS tracking beacon on their own and with minimum costs. There are several ways to make a tracking beacon with your own hands, and these are the ones we will talk about now.

Owners of cool smartphones will receive a tracking system for free and without effort

Every smartphone that has a built-in GPS module can become a full-fledged beacon that a person can use to obtain the coordinates he needs. The entire technical aspect of creating such a beacon is as follows:

After these steps, the owner of the smartphone will be able to use his device not only for calls, entertainment and access to the Internet, but also to track the location of a specific object. So in a simple way The smartphone turns into a full-fledged GPS beacon.

For the system to work correctly, the Android device must have a version no lower than 3.2, but it is better if it is no lower than 4.1.2. Data about the tracked object will be displayed on the phone in the form of SMS messages or dots on Google maps Maps.

How to mount a GPS beacon using a less sophisticated mobile device

A phone that is slightly inferior to powerful mobile devices on the Android operating system too can become an excellent basis for a GPS beacon. To assemble such a device with your own hands, you will need to buy something else and show your skills in handling technical devices. In addition to the phone, you will need to stock up on an adapter - it may be broken Charger, where the side of the connection with the telephone survived. You will also need to buy a GPS/GPRS module and receiver.

If all the elements of the future lighthouse are at hand, you need to stock up on tools - a knife, a soldering iron. The work must be carried out according to the following principle:

• the wires that form the basis of the cable for connecting to the phone need to be stripped;
• they must be connected to the module or using a soldering iron;
• connect the system to the phone socket, which is intended for charging;
• turn on the receiver and try to configure the necessary parameters from your phone.

Such a GPS beacon will send signals to the phone in the form of regular text messages, and if it is possible to open maps, then it is easier to look at the coordinates on them, because this will make it easier to navigate in space and determine the specific location of the object.

This beacon is easy to use, but at home. The design will be quite inconvenient to carry or install in a car. This is an ideal option for those who are going to keep an eye on their loved ones and children from home.

Is it possible to make a beacon without a phone?

Before answering the question of whether it is possible to make a GPS beacon with your own hands without a phone, you should understand what this device actually is and what features it has. GPS beacon is a device that is mainly used to protect cars. It has a compact size and is powered by charging. The system accurately determines the location of the object, but for it to work correctly, a SIM card must be present inside the device.

The last fact makes it possible to understand that the operation of a beacon without a SIM card is not possible. In this case, there are only two ways out of the situation - buy a ready-made beacon in a store or make it yourself using mobile phone And additional components. If the SIM card is missing, the system will not be able to perform the following actions:

• correct and timely signal transmission;
• registration of a new tracking object and display of statements about it;
• Connect to the Internet - this is necessary for the GPS to work.

If you are using a phone with the latest operating system And powerful processor, all you need to do is download special application, and more simple model requires additional elements to work in GPS beacon mode.

Advantages and disadvantages of a DIY GPS beacon

Even store bought ones technical devices have a number of advantages and disadvantages. If we talk about what was done with my own hands gps machok, then its positive aspects are as follows:

• the ability to quickly, without outside help and large financial investments, make a reliable tracking device;
• even if you have to buy additional little things to construct the lighthouse, it will be much cheaper than in the store;
• In terms of functionality, such a device is in no way inferior to beacons that were bought in a store.

A person will be able to use such a beacon for many years, and if any inaccuracies arise in the work, they can always be corrected.

A beacon for cars created with one’s own hands has a number of disadvantages that make it inferior in popularity to the standard version bought in a store. These negative aspects are especially noticeable for car owners and are as follows:

• due to the design features of the system, it cannot be correctly placed in the car;
• part of such a lighthouse must necessarily be mobile device, and the constant tracking process can create difficulties for mobile communications;
• The beacon consists of several elements connected to each other, and when the car moves, they may become disconnected from each other or the wires may break.

If a person plans to use a beacon for receiving GPS data for his car, then it is better to buy this device in a store. When a tracking system is needed solely for home use– a do-it-yourself lighthouse will become ideal option. The frequent use of such systems for cars prompted the creators to develop a monoblock design of compact dimensions. If you make an analogue of a lighthouse with your own hands only using a smartphone and special program– can be used for placement in a car. If the lighthouse is created from separate elements, it is better to leave it for home use.

A GPS beacon will always help you search for cars or other moving objects. You can buy it in a store or create it yourself. It is worth deciding which option to choose, taking into account your own financial capabilities, the purpose for which the device will be used and soberly assessing your communication skills with technical devices.

I think it will not be a discovery for most of you that the vast majority of modern car navigators work for Windows based CE, but the operating system itself is carefully hidden by the manufacturer from the user’s playful hands, so that he does not do anything unnecessary.

This was done by a simple but radical method - replacing the native graphical shell of Windows CE with a shell from the device manufacturer, which starts when Windows starts. On the one hand, this is good - a convenient menu, the main functions are launched in 1-2 clicks, babble in one word. But on the other hand, the user is limited only by the functionality that the manufacturer decided to provide; there is no opportunity to install their own programs. However, it is very simple to establish the triumph of justice; you only need a GPS navigator, a data cable, a computer that can work with Win CE devices in Active Sync mode and a couple of minutes of free time.

Attention! This instruction is not universal, but helps in most cases. Deviation from steps and creative experimentation can leave your navigator in an inoperable state, which can only be cured by flashing it. If you have no idea why you should do this, don’t do it, because it doesn’t matter!

So, as Gagarin said: “Let's go!”:

If something is not clear, then here is a picture where everything you need is highlighted:

The main thing is not to touch anything else, otherwise the chance of getting a half-dead piece of iron is very high.

As a result of performing these simple steps, you will get a fully functional PDA from the navigator on which you can easily install any applications you need. It's a small thing, but nice.

ZY In no case! Do you hear? Under no circumstances! Even if you are completely drunk, stoned, or high (underline as appropriate), do not set a password on Windows. Including in order to see what happens!

A fully functional PDA will come in handy even if you are learning the basics of SLR photography; you can always write down a few instructions and tips for amateur photographers on it so that they are always at hand.

A wide range of GPS devices of different price categories are available in specialized stores. Powerful models with advanced functionality are quite expensive, but the simplest beacons differ affordable price. However, many people try to avoid the expense and make their own GPS tracker. How difficult is this task, what will be needed to solve it, and will the effort be worth it?

Using a Smartphone for GPS Tracking

To use a GPS-enabled smartphone as a GPS tracker or beacon, you need to do a little tinkering with the software. Make your own GPS tracker from your phone on Android based, Windows Mobile or iOS is very simple, no intervention in its design is required. If the smartphone is used as a car tracker, you will have to perform simple manipulations to connect it to the vehicle’s electrical network.

There are several applications that allow you to turn your smartphone into a tracker. For Android devices, you can download it from: Google Play Loki application, launch it on your smartphone and configure the settings. It is recommended to activate the following functions:

• autostart;
• notifications (optional);
• external power supply(usage alternative settings when connected to external source nutrition);
• full awakening (optional);
• command processing.

For navigation (location determination), it is recommended to set the data update interval once a minute; for sending SMS messages when communication with the server disappears, the time limit is 5 minutes. Make settings in the “Events” section in accordance with your own needs.

After completing the settings, all you have to do is register on the Asgard website and add your device, indicating the identifier defined by the Loki program. If, as a result, a mark of your location appears on the site map, then everything was done correctly, and the smartphone can be used as a tracker, tracking its location through Asgard.

You can also use the GPShome Tracker application for Android, and GpsGate Client for Pocket PC for Windows Mobile. When turning a smartphone into a tracker or beacon, it is extremely important to set the time zone correctly.

To determine coordinates through Wi-Fi networks and GSM, the device must have access to unlimited mobile internet, so you need to choose a tariff that allows you to optimize costs. If the phone will be used exclusively as a tracker, it is better to install a SIM card only for accessing the Internet, and not for calls. Using a GPS receiver, which increases the accuracy of determining coordinates, is a very energy-intensive process, so care should be taken to provide power to the homemade tracker. To do this, you need to cut off the lower end of the car plug (cigarette lighter plug) and insert the phone charger cord into the USB connector. To connect the tracker directly to the on-board system you need to buy a step-down converter direct current. And those who know a little about electronics can assemble an analog converter from a pair of capacitors and a stabilizer.

If you plan to use a homemade tracker (beacon) to covertly monitor the movement of a car, you need to think about where to hide it so that it can be easily retrieved if necessary. And don’t forget to activate silent mode if your phone has a card installed for the Internet and calls.

How to make a GPS tracker with your own hands from a regular phone

The simplest model of a mobile phone without GPS can also be turned into a beacon, but this will require additional equipment and more effort. Necessary materials and tools:

• mobile phone;
• GPS/GPRS module;
• GPS receiver;
• adapter (you can use an old charger with a working plug);
• knife and soldering iron.

Having cut off the charger from the side of the power supply, you need to strip the wires and solder them to the module board, and insert the plug into the phone's power connector. Then the receiver is turned on and the phone is set up. Using such a device, you can track the location of mobile phones belonging to your family members. Information about their coordinates will be sent to a mobile phone combined with a GPS module in the form of regular text messages.

Some cellular operators offer the Beacon service, which can be activated on any mobile phone without a GPS module. A list of contacts of subscribers whose location needs to be tracked is compiled. To receive a message with coordinates, you need to send a request in the prescribed form.

Is it possible to make a GPS tracker without a phone?

There is an alternative to using a smartphone or telephone in combination with a GPS module - any device with GPS function (laptop, PDA). The principle is the same as for a smartphone - install the application, settings, register the device on the website.

Is it possible to assemble with your own hands the GPS module and receiver that make up the beacon or tracker? Here are some of the components included in these devices:

• photoresistor, usually short-wave;
• operational amplifier on the base bipolar transistors;
• rectifier;
• capacitor type controller;
• mesh filters;
• pulse trigger.

All these parts can be bought, and the device diagram can be found on the Internet, but not everyone can figure out how to make a GPS tracker with their own hands.

Advantages and disadvantages of a homemade design

If you are using the old one and unnecessary phone(smartphone), then the main advantage of converting it into a tracker is savings. If you purchase a device specifically for this purpose, the savings from making a GPS tracker yourself are almost imperceptible. The design of a mobile phone and a GPS module is quite cumbersome, it is inconvenient for a person to carry it with them, and when installed in a car there is a high risk of wire breakage. It is more convenient to use a smartphone as a tracker or beacon, but only for tracking people. Installing it on a car is not the best solution; the original tracker has a number of advantages over a homemade one:

• runs on battery for up to a year;
• without any tricks it connects to the on-board network, consuming a minimum of energy;
• designed for operation in a wider temperature range than a telephone;
• thanks to the sealed housing, it can be installed outside the car;
• reacts to impacts, rocking of the car;
• can be equipped with a panic button, microphone, and various sensors.

If you use a smartphone as a hidden tracking device, it will no longer be able to perform the functions of a communicator.

It is better to buy a GPS tracker or beacon than to use a homemade device based on a smartphone or regular mobile phone. The factory tracker is more reliable, more convenient to install on a vehicle, and performs more features. The cost of purchasing a tracker is not that high, and turning a smartphone into a tracking device is justified only if you have an unnecessary device.

Despite the fact that today you can find a huge variety of GPS devices on the market of various price categories and functionality, not everyone is ready to immediately buy a ready-made navigation device and prefer to make it themselves. Whether this is necessary is difficult to say, but, without a doubt, it is possible.

You can make your own navigator using two different ways. For the first one, you will need the simplest mobile device, a GPS transmitter and a battery. It’s worth warning right away that there is no point in considering it in detail, since assembling a homemade navigator in this way will require a lot of hassle and time, and most importantly, you need to have a good understanding of electronics and master the basics of system programming - not everyone has such skills. In addition, such a navigator is difficult to use; by sending a message to the satellite, it will receive in response coordinates that will have to be superimposed on the map.

The second method is simpler and can be done by anyone - a GPS navigator made using a laptop. What will you need for this? Firstly, the laptop itself, and secondly, a GPS receiver, for example, built into a modern mobile phone.

The GPS receiver is connected via any of the interfaces (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB) on a laptop PC. Almost everyone has the latter today; besides, even the simplest netbook or tablet will be enough for a navigator.

Before connecting GPS module you need to make sure that the PC has the appropriate software which will support it. Finding and downloading it from the Internet will not be difficult, since the choice here is unimaginably large. Some programs are suitable for long-distance country trips, some, on the contrary, for trips around the city. If your PC has Internet access, you can also install programs that provide information about traffic jams.

Having connected the navigator to the PC, you need to wait until the system detects it; if additional drivers are required, they must be installed. There is no need to search, you can simply ask automatic search in the Internet. The device has been detected - you can start it navigation program and make sure the device is visible to her. If everything is ok, homemade GPS navigator ready, if problems arise, you need to dig into the software settings.

Whether it is worth making a navigator with your own hands or whether it is better to buy one is up to everyone to decide at their own discretion. In any case, in both the first and second cases you will have to make a little effort and spend time.

Total tracking of cars has now become widespread, since all domestic cars come off the assembly line with a built-in GLONASS system. This is done in order to use the system while driving or stealing, but it is still tracking each person.

To cope with the problem of unwanted tracking, you will need a GPS jammer that can suppress the navigator and interfere with its operation. Such a device can be purchased at an electronics store, or you can create your own new gadget yourself, if available. basic knowledge in radio engineering.

Stationary option for indoor installation

This sample will easily fit in your pocket

The device consists of the following parts:

1. generator;
2. antenna;
3. scheme;
4. amplifier.

A voltage control generator that allows you to eliminate system overvoltage and save the circuit from burning out. Additionally, it serves as a current amplifier, maintaining system functionality even with a weak power source.

Antenna. This device uses different types of transmission parts, but preferably SMA or OMNI, which give the largest coverage area and can operate in civil band frequency

Amplifier. Part of the circuit responsible for supplying a more powerful and, accordingly, understandable signal.

Customized circuit. This part includes the generator and the core coil. The first creates oscillations, which are subsequently transferred to the coil. So that the gadget works correctly and does not jam cellular communication, you will need to wind the correct number of turns equivalent to the frequency. The choice of core will determine how long the device can last and the gain.

The design also contains other elements that allow it to operate in different modes:

1. interfering with the operation of tracking devices, allowing you to hide a car or mobile phone from radar screens;
2. changing a valid signal so that it shows false information. For example, the screens will show a different street location.

Such gadgets are much more difficult to implement due to the presence of a special processor.

Features of creation and configuration

The GPS jammer you create yourself must fully correspond to a similar factory device. To do this, you will need a GPS jammer circuit, which is a small cascade that includes transistors and diodes.

GPS jammer circuit:

A simple frequency jammer for jamming a GPS signal

Capacitors and resistors can be created using current mirrors and other replaceable circuits. Thanks to this substitution, it is possible to reduce the size of the gadget and its cost.

The most important point is the setting, which helps to get rid of problems such as jamming of other signals, for example, 3G or Bluetooth. To prevent frequencies from mixing, it is best to adjust the inductor, on which the emitted frequency depends. This action is performed by changing the number of turns on the core.

For more precise definition turns, you will need to use a special formula showing the relationship between frequency, inductance and windings.

Thompson's formula. Determination of the resonant frequency v - frequency, L - inductance of the coil, C - capacitance of the capacitor

Additionally, you will need to arrange the operation of the amplifier. This unit will be able to show how strong the signal will be, which may not give the desired effect when the device is operating.

In some cases, it is best to reduce the gain, thereby reducing interference from third-party communication sources. Adjustment of this indicator involves experimental manual setting amplifier, simultaneously checking the operation of the entire complex and its impact on tracking devices.

The antenna is a part that does not require tuning, but you need to be more careful in choosing it. According to the recommendations of radio amateurs, the right solution would be to install SMA antennas that radiate the signal in all directions and give the best gain.

SMA connector options

The appearance of the SMA antenna can be almost any

The GPS jammer is also made from other types of transmitting parts:

1. whip antenna;
2. log-periodic;
3. panel, used on an industrial scale.

Depending on the coverage area, there will be a choice between the number of antennas to be installed. If you need to get results within a couple of meters, then only 1 piece is used, while in some structures up to 4 pieces are installed. The latter is much more difficult to do on your own, since you will need additional terminals with contacts and a distributor of both signal and voltage.

Before receiving permission for installation, you will need to undergo inspection and testing. Of course, a homemade GPS tracker jammer is not able to obtain the appropriate permission, so it is best to use it unofficially.

Since the device has low power and is used only in the civilian range, it cannot be tracked. The main problems will arise if a driver, under close surveillance of the employer, is caught with such a device, this can lead to a large fine or even dismissal.

Each person decides to buy a device himself or create it himself. If you use existing circuits, it is possible to get a really high-quality gadget at minimal cost. Despite the lack of permits and certificates, the device can be configured specifically for you and your situation.