How do you build a gps tracking device?

Answer 1

Low Cost Home Built GPS Device?I would not even attempt to do this and I am an electronics design engineer.

It would involve a satellite receiver and transmitter and lots of custom chips, and there probably is no way to build a low-cost unit compared to commercial units. In other words you would be better off buying a commercial unit.

That said, it is possible there is a kit for a GPS tracking device which is less than a commercially built unit.

Any such kit would either:

• Come with a fully preassembled and tested GPS receiver module. (you might as well just buy a complete unit, price would be similar)
• Use surface mount components that would require the home builder purchase or lease thousands of dollars of specialized reflow soldering tools to assemble it. (kit might be low cost, assembling it won't be)
• When assembled the finished unit would consist of several cards and occupy over a cubic foot of space. (low cost but not portable)

Answer 2

It depends - what are you going to track (size matter) - for how long (longer - bigger batteries to feed the GPS+transmitter) First you need to receive the data flow from the satellites to pinpoint the position(s) It is done by the GPS receiver. Then you need to transmit the data to dispatcher or the watching eye. Radio, cellular or sat tech. Then you visualize the position on the map on the computer screen. Bigger things like 40 ft container could be fitted with powerful UHF radio to send the data. Cars normally using cellular network to deliver the coordinates. Trucks are sometimes using satellite phones to deliver the data to the dispatcher.