Battery Powered Remote Bike Locator..... ?

[Meat Hunter]

Battery Powered Remote Bike Locator..... ?

Some months ago someone here on e-player mentioned purchasing a battery powered locator device that attaches to a bike, that has a battery powered remote, that when the remote is activated, causes a buzzer or horn to sound on the bike.

I have been looking for such a device for months and have been unable to slooth one out.

If anyone has any specific information where one of these devices can be obtained, I would appreciate knowing what it is called and where it can be purchased.

[unjonharley]

I need one for my ass.. Every time I go to the casino I lose it..

[Lonesomebri]

I have a similar idea for a stolen bike locator but without a buzzer, though I want to run my design features by the pyrotechnics people first, before starting the kickstarter campaign.

[chuckularone]

I built a 20 mhz crystal oscillator that ran forever on a 9v battery many many years ago. It was extremely low power, but with a small directional antenna and a shortwave radio receiver you can detect it from about a 1/4 mile away. It would be useful in finding your bike without alerting the thief.

I'd never do that now (being a licensed amateur radio operator), but I didn't know any better back then!

I used to use it to know when my luggage came up onto the baggage carousel. I'd be sitting behind the crowd waiting for their bags and as soon as there was a tone on 20 mhz, I'd hop up and walk over to get my bag. I can't believe I never got arrested! Of course this was before 9/11...

[Elliot]

I have a similar idea for a stolen bike locator but without a buzzer, though I want to run my design features by the pyrotechnics people first, before starting the kickstarter campaign.

Last time I started toying with cartridge primers and firecrackers in the context of a bicycle saddle, a Moderator suggested I cease and desist.

[FIGJAM]

The key fob for my car has a red button that honks the horn.

Works up to about 100 yards.

Shouldn't be hard to get something from a wreaking yard and put it on a bike.

[unjonharley]

Just Google remote locators... There are a bunch of different one one line..

[Meat Hunter]

unjohn,

Thank you for the proper search words.

'Tis interesting how when one uses incorrect search words how difficult it is at times to find the item that one is searching for.

'Twas nice to have met you at FigJams hooch. Nice buggy that you have.

[BBadger]

Get one of those Xbees that have the antennas that work out to 2-miles. It may still not be enough given the amount of radio noise, but you could also have it send out GPS coordinates from a GPS chip. I think the XBee can even measure response time, and use that as a measure of distance from its paired transceiver.

If you don't need the actual location and just want some noise, you could strap a 2-way radio to the bike. Higher quality ones are far more resilient against interference than cheaper walkie talkies.

[Sham]

This type of thing is you may be looking for. Maybe something louder than a fart sound.

[maladroit]

Get one of those Xbees that have the antennas that work out to 2-miles. It may still not be enough given the amount of radio noise, but you could also have it send out GPS coordinates from a GPS chip. I think the XBee can even measure response time, and use that as a measure of distance from its paired transceiver.

If you don't need the actual location and just want some noise, you could strap a 2-way radio to the bike. Higher quality ones are far more resilient against interference than cheaper walkie talkies.

I use these in a product (not 2 mile range, but in show biz where you want to be SURE the signal gets there). These have a fairly significant standby power drain, even more when transmitting. Would definitely need to enable sleep mode. The GPS module itself can drain a bit of power and take some time to start up and get signal lock. Probably would want to send coordinates once every 3 minutes or so...microcontroller is in low power sleep mode, wakes up to start the GPS, once lock is achieved, wake up the XBee and send the coordinates, then put everything back to sleep. It might last the week on a set of AA batteries.

[spacetime]

This product is a new product coming out next month from an SF company and may solve some folks problems:
http://bitlock.co/

It lets you lock and unlock using bluetooth on a smartphone. As a result, it also stores the GPS location of your bike (where you left it) You can share the unlock code with another person so they can unlock it, and there is a manual unlock on the thing itself.

It is still too heavy duty for the immobilizer stuff I'm looking for, but thought it might be good to get on people's radar.

[nncoco]

Here is an idea. Have a tazer mounted into the seat with contacts mounted through the padding. Have the thing triggered by a motion detector that starts a delayed timer. All of this activated and disabled by a simple concealed switch.

The thief gets a nice rolling start before, BAM! His nuts get zapped.

That'll learn ya.

[Elliot]

Here is an idea. Have a tazer mounted into the seat with contacts mounted through the padding. Have the thing triggered by a motion detector that starts a delayed timer. All of this activated and disabled by a simple concealed switch.

The thief gets a nice rolling start before, BAM! His nuts get zapped.

That'll learn ya.

What I started working on a couple years ago was this:

(For entertainment purposes only -- do not attempt to build!)

Some bicycles have a telescoping seat post -- a little suspension right under the saddle. I figure I can install a spring-loaded center-punch (a common tool) in that post, with a primer from a gun-cartridge below it. So when a thief sits on the saddle, the punch will set off the primer. That makes just a little "pop", but the primer would light a long string of firecrackers inside the bicycle-frame. I would drill a bunch of holes in the frame so the noise could get out (and the pressure, so as not to create a bomb).

Well, I rounded up a telescoping seat post and a spring-center-punch, and pulled the slugs from a few cartridges. But at that point... a moderator reminded us/me that ePlaya is a very public forum and things-with-gunpowder-in-them could injure someone. This was, of course, the right thing for the mod to do.

But -- still for entertainment purposes only, for the benefit of all our new members -- several "rigged" bikes were completed.

On one, I modified a coaster brake so it came on by itself as the wheel rotated, and installed this wheel on the front of a bike. The bike stopped after 20 or 30 feet. But it stopped too gradually to throw the rider over the handlebar, so not much fun in that.

On another bike, I cut the frame into two halves, removed a few inches, and reassembled it with garage door springs that slipped inside the frame tubing. The springs were stiff enough that the bike seemed normal until you put your full weight on it, and then the springs would give and the bike would collapse in a heap, as if the frame were made of rubber.

Next bike, I installed a tiny rear-sprocket on the crank, and a huge crank-sprocket on the wheel. The shifters and cables and derailers were still on it, but not hooked up. It was simply the world's slowest bike. Let a thief try to get away on that one!

On one bike the pedals would unscrew themselves and fall off after ten or so revolutions. This is super-easy to do.

And finally there is the bike where the front wheel turns left when the handlebar is turned right. Nobody has been able to ride that one yet.

Well, that was today's history lesson. But I still have the Slow Bike and the Wrong Way bike.
And two cases of firecrackers.

[unjonharley]

I can top all this building stuff...

Lock your bike when you not onit

[Elderberry]

I think the bike locator idea is great. I'd buy one if they were available. (I might even buy an extra one to locate my camp )

Elliot, there's another funny thread on here with a whole host of ideas on booby-trapping bikes for fun and entertainment. If I wasn't so lazy I would have searched for it for you.

[SnowBlind]

Next bike, I installed a tiny rear-sprocket on the crank, and a huge crank-sprocket on the wheel. The shifters and cables and derailers were still on it, but not hooked up. It was simply the world's slowest bike. Let a thief try to get away on that one!

Slow maybe, but you could go up a straight wall with that thing! While pulling trailer... Full of rebar...

[Joeln]

I want to try the wrong way bike!

[Zealous]

Elliot, if we can build another wrong way bike would you be amenable to the idea of a bike race?

Of course, I volunteer myself as one of the contestants.

[Elliot]

Elliot, if we can build another wrong way bike would you be amenable to the idea of a bike race?

Of course, I volunteer myself as one of the contestants.

I cannot ride it myself!
But the Cyclecide guys in San Francisco have one also, so you could challenge them.

Here's how it is done:

[theCryptofishist]

I think the bike locator idea is great. I'd buy one if they were available. (I might even buy an extra one to locate my camp )

Elliot, there's another funny thread on here with a whole host of ideas on booby-trapping bikes for fun and entertainment. If I wasn't so lazy I would have searched for it for you.

Search term "bait bike" should get it.

[Tin Halo]

On one, I modified a coaster brake so it came on by itself as the wheel rotated, and installed this wheel on the front of a bike. The bike stopped after 20 or 30 feet. But it stopped too gradually to throw the rider over the handlebar, so not much fun in that.

On another bike, I cut the frame into two halves, removed a few inches, and reassembled it with garage door springs that slipped inside the frame tubing. The springs were stiff enough that the bike seemed normal until you put your full weight on it, and then the springs would give and the bike would collapse in a heap, as if the frame were made of rubber.

I'm penning you in on my list of heroes.

[gaminwench]

TH, you're late to the party ...

[BBadger]

I use these in a product (not 2 mile range, but in show biz where you want to be SURE the signal gets there). These have a fairly significant standby power drain, even more when transmitting. Would definitely need to enable sleep mode. The GPS module itself can drain a bit of power and take some time to start up and get signal lock. Probably would want to send coordinates once every 3 minutes or so...microcontroller is in low power sleep mode, wakes up to start the GPS, once lock is achieved, wake up the XBee and send the coordinates, then put everything back to sleep. It might last the week on a set of AA batteries.

Yeah, you wouldn't want a constant stream. Maybe it could just have it ping home every minute or so and then sleep.

For "locking," the GPS/microcontroller could detect if it's moving without being unlocked (maybe with an accelerometer) and then when it finds it has moved too far away from its locked location -- and maybe while it's moving fast enough -- the bike could go into lockdown-brake mode, or fire some canned worms out of the front basket at the rider, or epoxy the person to the seat, or something else like that.

[GreyCoyote]

I use these in a product (not 2 mile range, but in show biz where you want to be SURE the signal gets there). These have a fairly significant standby power drain, even more when transmitting. Would definitely need to enable sleep mode. The GPS module itself can drain a bit of power and take some time to start up and get signal lock. Probably would want to send coordinates once every 3 minutes or so...microcontroller is in low power sleep mode, wakes up to start the GPS, once lock is achieved, wake up the XBee and send the coordinates, then put everything back to sleep. It might last the week on a set of AA batteries.

Yeah, you wouldn't want a constant stream. Maybe it could just have it ping home every minute or so and then sleep.

For "locking," the GPS/microcontroller could detect if it's moving without being unlocked (maybe with an accelerometer) and then when it finds it has moved too far away from its locked location -- and maybe while it's moving fast enough -- the bike could go into lockdown-brake mode, or fire some canned worms out of the front basket at the rider, or epoxy the person to the seat, or something else like that.

Cyanoacrylate gel is your friend. Unless the thief brought some acetone with him (and a third unglued hand) you will have caught him "red handed with the goods".

[Tin Halo]

TH, you're late to the party ...

I've managed to make a living out of it. Don't stop me now.

[BBadger]

Cyanoacrylate gel is your friend. Unless the thief brought some acetone with him (and a third unglued hand) you will have caught him "red handed with the goods".

Maybe some of that ink that they use for staining fingers for elections in places like Afghanistan would be good. Maybe it'd squirt on their hands and on their butts, before the bike unceremoniously grinds to a halt and they fall on the ground.

[Elliot]

...

Maybe some of that ink that they use for staining fingers for elections in places like Afghanistan would be good. Maybe it'd squirt on their hands and on their butts, before the bike unceremoniously grinds to a halt and they fall on the ground.

Exploding dye pack, used by banks.

[Ratty]

Because of this thread I almost bought one of those screeching personal alarms at a junk sale. I briefly wanted to make it a bike alarm and then I came to my senses.

[GreyCoyote]

...

Maybe some of that ink that they use for staining fingers for elections in places like Afghanistan would be good. Maybe it'd squirt on their hands and on their butts, before the bike unceremoniously grinds to a halt and they fall on the ground.

Exploding dye pack, used by banks.

Pyrotechnic-based and very moopy with a high collateral effect. I like it, but the Borg... not so much.