Understanding Passive GPS Trackers

If you are considering the purchase of GPS trackers for personal or business use, it's important to understand the difference between passive and active GPS trackers.  This article provides an overview of passive GPS trackers, and the benefits of using them.

What They Do:

In short, passive GPS trackers are tracking devices which store location information for retrieval at a later date. A passive GPS tracker placed on a vehicle will log location, speed, and stop information, and then store the information until the memory of the tracking device is full.

Information Provided by Passive GPS Trackers

Passive GPS trackers log and store valuable location information including idle time, speed, stop and start times, and the number of miles traveled by any particular vehicle.  The information can then be retrieved to establish routes of travel, create mileage reports, etc.

How to Retrieve Information:

When using passive GPS trackers, the device owner must download the data stored on the GPS tracking devices.  This is most commonly achieved by connecting the passive GPS tracker to a computer.  Then, the user may view the data, and play back routes of travel.  Some passive GPS trackers now feature wireless download of information.

Are Passive GPS Trackers Right for Me?

If you don't require immediate access to GPS tracking information, then passive GPS trackers may be the best choice for you or your business.  The benefits of using passive GPS trackers include the elimination of the monthly service fees associated with active GPS trackers.

However, if you want the ability to immediately use your computer to determine the location of an individual or vehicle anytime day or night, then passive GPS trackers are probably not the right choice for you.  For example, parents wanting to check the location of a teenage driver when he is 15 minutes late returning from football practice would need to utilize one of many active GPS trackers on the market as well as a subscription based tracking service to achieve their goals.

For More Information

TrackingTheWorld, Inc. offers a broad selection of both passive and active GPS trackers.  For more information on choosing the correct GPS tracking system for your business or personal use, please visit our website at www.trackingtheworld.com.