Apple Airtag as tracker

[alumfever]

Hi fellow aluminum fever sufferers! I have a 1966 17’ Caravel. Her name is Shiny Hiney! Without bias I can say that she is the talk of the campground wherever we go. I currently use a MegaHitch and a pin lock. Taking the tires off is not something I want to do as I travel alone. I am considering a boot. I follow the threads about anti or slow down theft devices regularly as I want to make sure I am up to date on any new ideas. I have just received the new Apple Airtag and am looking forward to seeing how this works as a tracker. Is anyone else using an Apple Airtag? Let’s share information.
Here is a link that describes what it is:

https://www.apple.com/airtag/?afid=p...lid---product-

I have no connection to or financial gain from this link.

Angela

[blacklab]

I've not studied it yet, but I wonder if the AirTag sends out a signal that any thief can detect and, therefore, (1) know it is there and (2) trace the signal to remove it from the trailer?

Cheers,

Bryan

[OTRA15]

Concerns like that are discussed in detail at the Apple link provided.

[jftompkins]

Am thinking about putting inside my Zamp portable panel and Progressive EMS …. So that if anybody “borrows” them, I can call the authorities for giving coordinates and meet them there to retrieve.

[OTRA15]

Of course . . . if a thief sees the tracking device, he or she can toss it by the side of the road . . .

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by blacklab

I've not studied it yet, but I wonder if the AirTag sends out a signal that any thief can detect and, therefore, (1) know it is there and (2) trace the signal to remove it from the trailer?

Cheers,

Bryan

No and yes. Apparently *IF* the thief has a newish iPhone, and *IF* they take whatever they took from you to their home (as defined in their iPhone address book) the iPhone will tell them they have a foreign Airtag. However, it will already have reported its location to iCloud so you'll see their home on your tracking of the Airtag.

https://petapixel.com/2021/04/26/app...track-thieves/

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Of course . . . if a thief sees the tracking device, he or she can toss it by the side of the road . . .

You would definitely want to hide the tracker if you're using it for antitheft. The back of the controller inside the Zamp suitcase is probably a decent location, though I don't know how much that would limit its bluetooth range. For the EMS, I can't think of an obvious hiding place.

[Nelson428]

just ordered mine yesterday.

[alumfever]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

No and yes. Apparently *IF* the thief has a newish iPhone, and *IF* they take whatever they took from you to their home (as defined in their iPhone address book) the iPhone will tell them they have a foreign Airtag. However, it will already have reported its location to iCloud so you'll see their home on your tracking of the Airtag.



https://petapixel.com/2021/04/26/app...track-thieves/

Thanks for this article!

[Mollysdad]

It's Bluetooth, so you'd need to be in range of ~30'?
They make reference to some network of trackers so you'd rely on other people to look for your tag too.
Sounds to me that it's better for finding your keys in the sofa than your trailer in another state.

[AnnaBelle33]

For $29 - I’m going to throw one in AnnaBelle and see what happens. Thanks for the article.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

It's Bluetooth, so you'd need to be in range of ~30'?
They make reference to some network of trackers so you'd rely on other people to look for your tag too.
Sounds to me that it's better for finding your keys in the sofa than your trailer in another state.

ANYONE with a newish iThing needs to be within 100 or so feet for a moment. While it won't tell RandomAnonymousPasserby that they've detected an Airtag, the iThing will remember where it detected that unique tag. If you look for where your tags are, you'll see that "ping" on a map. If you've set your Airtag record to "Lost" you'll get a notification every time an online iThing detects your Airtag.

That said, it *IS* likely to be better for finding something in your own house (or car, or lawn, etc.) than as a LoJack, because when you're looking in the "last place you had the thing" you can use "precision finding" when looking for it, etc. Still, hidden in the AC shroud or somewhere else it could get good range, iPhone people at the same gas station as the thieves (e.g.) would be helping you track it without ever knowing, and if the thieves have an iThing they'll be giving themselves away!

[AnnaBelle33]

I just bought some; 5-6 week wait for delivery. I’ll report back. It will only notify the thief if they go “home”. Their “home” record in the iPhone. Otherwise - they won’t know you are tracking them.

[OTRA15]

Guess you could always carry one in a pocket . . . so’s when you get old and can’t remember where you are . . . you can just check your phone and you will know right where you are at!

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

ANYONE with a newish iThing needs to be within 100 or so feet for a moment. While it won't tell RandomAnonymousPasserby that they've detected an Airtag, the iThing will remember where it detected that unique tag. If you look for where your tags are, you'll see that "ping" on a map. If you've set your Airtag record to "Lost" you'll get a notification every time an online iThing detects your Airtag.

You did a better job of explaining it than I did. Let me ask, does an iPhone need to have the i-Thing app? Running?
I'm wondering how Airtag communicates to random I-phones.
I see where a big data base of I-phones all working together is brilliant. Is it just people who bought Airtags or can anyone add the app to be part of the system?

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Concerns like that are discussed in detail at the Apple link provided.

https://www.apple.com/airtag/?afid=p...lid---product-

[mattmmatt]

I tossed one in my car and Airstream to track them. After I had a motorcycle stolen in San Francisco, I now figure it's worth the $30 to use a Tile or Airtag to track them.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

You did a better job of explaining it than I did. Let me ask, does an iPhone need to have the i-Thing app? Running?
I'm wondering how Airtag communicates to random I-phones.
I see where a big data base of I-phones all working together is brilliant. Is it just people who bought Airtags or can anyone add the app to be part of the system?

First, full disclosure here: I *am* a professional computer geek, but I am *NOT* an iOS programmer and I have no special knowledge of their implementation of this Airtag process beyond published sources, "But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career" and I read through the Airtag stuff out of personal and somewhat-professional curiosity.

First off, translating me: I somewhat-derisively use iThing to describe iOS devices of any kind... now they're calling the iPad's iOS "iPadOS" just to try to pretend it's not a giant crippled iPhone but mmmkay.

My understanding is this: With the current level of iOS and future releases, the support for Airtags is all baked into the always-on "Find My" components of the OS. You don't need to install or run anything as long as you have a new-enough iThing and you keep the OS updated. The iThing obviously needs to be turned on to sense the Airtags around it.

Airtags use a rotating ID code based on an algorithm and an intrinsic seed value to make it harder to "stalk" someone's Airtag without their permission. Even if you managed to hack into where Apple is storing detection events, the Airtag seems to act in a similar fashion to the old RSA fobs for logging into VPNs (now mostly replaced by apps on smartphones) where the server and your fob (or app) share a secret that allows the server to know what the possible valid values of the fob's display are at a given point in time. Since this value doesn't have to be transcribed by a human it can be much more complex and secure, of course, but the principle is similar. The Airtag is advertising what ever its current anonymized ID code is via low-energy Bluetooth all the time and iPhones around it are "noticing" that but generally not telling their users anything about it because it's not interesting for the humans.

Since it's not a new app, just part of Apple's "Find My" utility, there's nothing for us mere mortals to do with it besides track Airtags we're allowed to track (because we own them or our friends have shared their tags' info with us) so it's not likely to be "a thing" for any non-Apple apps or functionality.

[s1000pre]

I install the Brahma boot when left unattended for a long period of time. Very difficult to remove, even if they deflate the tire.

[drbrick]

I have my doubts about the Air-tracker once the AS is been wheeled away ... There are lots of the "luggage trackers" out there. What you really need a long range GPS tracker which uses a SIM card. The best security is make the AS hard to "Wheel Away".

We do the following to achieve that.

1. Emergency break-away chains are connected with quick connect links so that they can be removed. Theft has occurred by simply rapping these chains to tow hook on the back of a truck. Removing the chains helps prevent this.

2. Coupler Vault such as: a) Mega Hitch Lock Coupler Vault Pro, b) Proven Industries Coupler Lock, c) BRHL Steel Ball and Ring Hitch Lock. There are many different coupler locks out there to choose from, some are cheap. Rule of thumb, “you get what you pay for”. A quality Coupler Vault is very difficult and time consuming to remove making it impossible to hitch the trailer – period.

3. Trailer Coupler Latch Padlock won’t allow the coupler to seat on the ball and is nice added security companion with the Coupler Vault.

4. Trimax Locking Wheel Chocks. If it can’t roll it can’t move. (you need to lock a minimum two wheels – dual axle same side; single axle both sides)

5. Disconnect the trailer jack from power. This will make it difficult to “hitch” the trailer if the jack is immobilised especially during long term storage. (don’t leave your trailer at the height you unhitched, rather lower the level of the coupler as low as possible, then disconnect the jacks power)

Realise that the object is to make it so difficult and so time consuming that a thief moves on. Nothing is absolute - even the Proven Industries Coupler Lock can be drilled out in a couple of minutes. The best defense is the use of multiple methods of deterrent.