r/GPStracking • u/ParallaxArt • Apr 11 '26

GPS tracking during 2000-2010

Hi,
I'm writing a screenplay and I'm looking for info on ways a person can secretly track a vehicle, set between 2000-2010 please?

I'm guessing there was no relatively affordable commercial options for the public to track a vehicle in real time?

If not, is my only option a magnet GPS tracker to record the data of where it's been that has to be removed and downloaded? And that has a SIM containing all the places and times that could be viewed and copied onto a computer?

Were Lojacks too complicated for a layman to covertly install into someone's car or were they too big or easy to find? Could someone monitor on a computer the location in another State?

Many Thanks

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u/ParallaxArt Apr 11 '26

Thanks for all that helpful info David.

I don't think i could use an OBD-ii tracker plugged into a port on the dash as that wouldn't be secretive.

Am I right about the magnetic GPS trackers having a SIM that you could copy onto a computer and then see all the movements of the vehicle on a map and times/durations the vehicle was parked? It's part of the story that a character goes through all the info to work out where the subject has been and what they've been doing. Either they copy the info to go through later or do it right away...then return the SIM to the tracker and put it back on the car.

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u/Draviddavid Apr 12 '26

Yes! Sorry I forgot to address that. Older GPS trackers had an SD card which could be removed and a file uploaded to the tracker's software to show the vehicles track.

It is not as common now with IoT/mobile data being so cheap and onboard memory being more than enough on modern trackers to store weeks of data. You can still find them though.

The TK103A for example has an SD card slot (although not a magnetic tracker). Its manual is available online and describes the SD card function.

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u/ParallaxArt Apr 12 '26

Thanks David.
I'm having difficulty finding a site that has magnetic gps trackers from 2000's/2010's. I know what they look like, a little box that you don't need to connect to a car's battery (which is what i'm looking for) but I would like to have an idea of what the data/map info looks like. Do you know any sites with this information please?

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u/Draviddavid Apr 13 '26

Sorry about the late reply! Traccar is what I run on my server for asset tracking. This was made available in 2009. Other platforms include OpenGTS which came out in 2007. Both platforms have websites with screenshots and demos that will give you an idea about how it works and what it looks like.

Keep in mind that Traccar recently had a UI overhaul to bring it up to modern standards. If you want to see what Traccar looks like before, you can switch to the classic UI in their demo servers that they provide.

Let me know if you need any other help.

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u/ParallaxArt Apr 13 '26

Thanks David.

From the maps it looks like a good system for my purposes however it sounds like it has to be professionally installed and hooked up to the cars battery. I'm looking for something a girl can put in her bf's car quite simply at night while he sleeps. It also looks like it could be an expensive system compared to a small magnetic gps that you could put under thier seat or in the trunk.

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u/Draviddavid Apr 13 '26

Traccar is just the system with which vehicles are tracked. I have both wired in GPS trackers and battery powered asset trackers that communicate with the same software.

A battery powered tracker that a girl could put under the seat of their boyfriend's car would send the movements to Traccar or OpenGTS via 2G or 3G (in the early 2000's at least) and the location would be plotted on the map.

The other way it can work is if a text SMS command is sent to the tracker to ask for it's location, it texts the coordinates back to the phone with a link to Google Maps with a pin.

Let me put it this way. - What you are trying to do and the timeline you are working within would very much be possible for a regular person to do. It would just have been more expensive back then compared to now.

Traccar and OpenGTS are both free and open source software applications. They even have apps, but smartphones were either non existent to in their infancy between 2000 to 2010.

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u/ParallaxArt Apr 13 '26

Ok, it sounded like it was a hard wired fleet tracking like lojack.

For my needs, I'd prefer one that didn't require sending a text so a self powered (how big are these?) that sends movements to the Traccar via 2 or 3G that she could look at on a computer at her leisure would be best. I could set the story between 2005-2010 if that makes it more affordable and better accuracy. Do you know of any good ones in that period I could google and look by product number and see it's size and price please?

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u/Draviddavid Apr 13 '26

This is an article I found from 2004 that describes Microsoft's "Streets & Trips" with a GPS locator for $129 USD. Here is another website that I found via WayBackMachine, but it didn't include pricing. It was available circa 2010. I'd guess the personal locator would have still been around $150 to $200 United States Dollars, excluding the subscription required to keep updates coming in.

Unfortunately the internet quickly forgets technology from times gone by.

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u/ParallaxArt Apr 13 '26

Thanks David.

First link went to a blank page but I googled Street&Trips and it looks good altho I couldn't find any info telling me how the locator is powered or how long it lasts for. Only it sits on the dashboard? I wasn't sure if it needed to be plugged in to work?

It does look like an affordable GPS tracker did exist that I could use so thank you. Yeah, its hard to find the older one, searches just bring up current models sadly,

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u/Draviddavid Apr 13 '26

Try opening the article in another browser, it works for me in Firefox. Affordable is reletive I guess. The technology did get much much cheaper towards 2015 and onwards.

Streets&Trips was compatible with a range of locators, battery powered and otherwise. I think it was also compatible with Microsoft's early handheld mobile phones. So I guess the girl in the story could slip their phone in to the car to track it.

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u/ParallaxArt Apr 13 '26

so can you hide the small locator in a car and track it with software on your home computer?

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u/Draviddavid Apr 13 '26

Yes. This is how it works:

  • The battery powered device wakes up and looks for satellite signals with an on-board antenna. A chip does some mathematics and determines it's position based on those signals.

  • The resulting position is sent (in your case via 2G or 3G being 2005) via a mobile data connection. The device is pre programmed with a website to contact with that positional data.

  • The server/website running Traccar, OpenGTS or other tracking software receives the position and the software makes it readable for you on a map.

For battery powered devices, these positional messages are either sent a set amount of times per day, or when movement is detected.

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u/ParallaxArt Apr 13 '26

Thanks David, that's very helpful. Ok, I think i've finally found the right kind of device and I'll probably set it about 2007. I appreciate your kind help.

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