Welcome in our Customer Support page. We are here to help you: here you’ll find our troubleshooting page to solve any eventual problem with the installation, the use and the update of your anti-theft GPS tracker Smart Alarm.
- Click on the HELP button to find answers to your questions or to open a ticket
FIRST STEPS
SOLUTIONS
BATTERIES
Tracker's battery
Tag's battery
FIRST STEPS
Make sure you follow all the steps. Click here.
For an optimal performance, avoid covering Smart Alarm with large or heavy metal objects (padlocks, chains) and make sure that it is fixed with its labels facing down, to obtain the best satellite signal reception.
It is fine to place the device in the storage area or under the seat of motorcycles, scooters, cars or in trunks.
To avoid false alarms, secure the device with the provided double-sided adhesive tape, available inside the packaging or with the bracket Smart Clip (optional, sold separately for Smart Alarm V.2).
On some motorcycles or mopeds with an all-metal body, as in vintage models, it is important to avoid placing the Tracker in a completely closed compartment: operation may be affected by not correctly locking the GPS signal.
NOTE
If you have bought Smart Alarm V.2 (with the Tag in round shape), the Tracker is water resistant.
Otherwise, for the previous version of Smart Alarm, the device is not waterproof, so be sure to place it in an area where it stays protected from atmospheric agents and water.
Smart Alarm contains an integrated rechargeable lithium battery. To charge it, simply connect the device to a smartphone charger using the provided micro USB cable.
Charge the battery for at least 4 hours in order to preserve battery lie. When the battery is fully charged, you will be notified on the App Trackting- Smart Alarm.
During charging the red led flashes, at the end of charging the green led will stay on.
NO, mainly because the device would be easily intercepted by thieves who first look for then neutralize devices that are connected to the battery.
NOT ONLY. The sophisticated charging system guarantees the longest possible battery life as long as the charge discharge cycle is fully respected.
Should the device stay permanently connected it would always be kept in charging mode and the battery could deteriorate rapidly due to the fact that it would never discharge.
Smart Alarm is a burglar alarm and not a tracker. It is designed to send its position in certain events only (parking, alarm activation and tracking).
To get the most out of the life of your battery, the system limits data transmission to a minimum because communication via the GSM cellular network requires a lot of power.
WHAT IS MORE, Smart Alarm becomes invisible or undetectable by devices used by thieves to find out whether a vehicle has a GPS Theft-Protection or not. These devices are antennas that, when they come in close range to the targeted vehicle, are able detect the signal of an active device. Smart Alarm is undetectable because it becomes active in motion and starts sending alarm notifications to your smartphone as soon as your vehicle starts moving.
For optimal performance, we recommend to keep the Tracker updated to the latest available firmware version.
Check which model of Smart Alarm you have, and click on the related photos below, in order to read the few steps for the firmware update.
It’s easy: just connect the Tracker to a power source via its USB cable, then launch the App and follow the instructions that will appear on your smartphone.
PC with Windows 10 or Mac (Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra ,El Capitan, Yosemite) + 1 USB port (please don’t use any USB Hub)
You must use the original USB cable provided with the product otherwise the update process can’t start.
INSTRUCTIONS
Don’t connect the Tracker to the computer now, you will be asked to do it during the process.
1) Download and install the software:
>>Windows version here (version 2.03)
>>Mac version here (version 2.02)
2) Run the software and follow the instruction on the screen (connect the USB cable only when the software asks for it)
3) Once the process is complete please disconnect the Tracker from the computer
4) Done!
We suggest you to perform a quick park event to check that everything is fine:
1) Shake the Tracker for at least 45 seconds and move it around together with the Tag (red keychain), until reaching a windowsill, a balcony or a place exposed to the sky. Set it down face-up.
2) Take the Tag keychain with you and distance yourself from the Tracker by at least 30 meters. Wait 5 minutes. The Tracker will locate its first “Parking” and will notify your App which will display its the position on the map.
3) Perfect, done!
SOLUTIONS TO COMMON ISSUES
[WINDOWS] Automatic Windows update must be enabled.
[MAC] You must authorize the installation of our software that can be blocked by Mac. Just go to your system Preference “Security and Privacy” section.
If you have got SMART ALARM V.2 (see here below), you can add or remove a Tag to your Tracker by yourself.
You can watch this video tutorial or read the simple steps below.
Here’s how to add/remove a Tag
Open your Tag with a screwdriver and keep it in front of you.
Set the Tracker in the “Service” mode: in order to do this, you need to launch the Smart Alarm App.
In the “Vehicle” list, select the desired Tracker, then select “Ok” in the field “Add/Remove Tag”.
Now follow the instructions that the App will give you:
1. set the Tracker in charge with its USB cable
2. the LED flashes red once per second
3. wait until the flash becomes double (like a heartbeat)
4. tap the device repeatedly until the red and green LEDs flash alternately
5. in the App select “Ok” on the upper right.
HOW TO ADD A NEW TAG (PAIRING)
Inside the Tag, click on the button for 3 seconds until you see the still green LED, then leave it. In the Tag the green LED starts flashing. Now the App tells you that the pairing process has begun: select “Ok” in the dialog window.
Once done, you will see the green LED still for 5 seconds, then the App will confirm that the Tag has been paired correctly.
Now you can exit the App selecting “Close”.
If the green and red LEDs flash alternately, repeat the process.
HOW TO REMOVE A TAG (UNPAIRING)
Inside the Tag, click on the button for at least 10 seconds, until you see the red an green LEDs flash alternately, then leave it.
In the Tag the red LED goes on flashing. Now the App tells you that the unpairing process has begun: select “Ok” in the dialog window.
Once done, you’ll see the green LED still for 5 seconds, then the App will confirm that the Tag has been removed correctly.
Now you can exit the App selecting “Close”.
If the green and red LEDs flash alternately, repeat the process.
As indicated in the confirmation email you received after completing the order, you can contact us at store@trackting.com for any kind of issue related to purchase and shipping.
Warning: this is not a technical support email. For this type of request, visit the Customer Support area, where you can find answers to the most common problems and open a free ticket (red “Assistance” button).
SOLUTIONS
It has been over 5 minutes since you parked your vehicle and your new parking position does not appear on the App Trackting Smart Alarm that continues to show your previous parking position. Usually this does not amount to a problem. It does not mean that Smart Alarm will not work properly in case of theft.
Smart Alarm is designed to save battery life. Parking positions are not considered “vital”. If it is not possible to send a Parking position at some time (due to a temporary GSM network overload or because you are parked inside a garage) the device will not attempt to resend the position again and again, but will instead resume to low power mode without further signaling the position.
It has been over 5 minutes since you parked your vehicle and your new parking position does not appear on the App Trackting Smart Alarm that continues to show your previous parking position. Usually this does not amount to a problem. It does not mean that Smart Alarm will not work properly in case of theft.
Smart Alarm is designed to save battery life. Parking positions are not considered “vital”. If it is not possible to send a Parking position at some time (due to a temporary GSM network overload or because you are parked inside a garage) the device will not attempt to resend the position again and again, but will instead resume to low power mode without further signaling the position.
This will not prevent Smart Alarm from working effectively in Alarm mode because in case of theft, the device will operate in a radically different way: by sending data continuously, by automatically changing operators and by making repeated attempts to send data.
If the alarm mode is activated while driving, then the Tag does not connect to the Tracker. When the Tracker detects motion but does not find the Tag, it reads a theft event.
To avoid this situation:
– Never keep the Tag in close contact with your body (for ex. in your pocket) because the human body can shield the signal.
– Is the Tracker too close to metal objects? Try placing it elsewhere.
– Keyless electronic keys may cause interference; always keep your Keyless electronic key separate from the Tag.
SOLUTION FOR MOTORBIKES AND MOPEDS
In some cases, if the Tag is on the motobike key-holder, the bike’s shape and the metal (i.e. a large fuel tank) can make the Tag’s signals bounce, and let not reach the Tracker.
This causes the false alarms before start riding.
It doesn’t happen with all vehicles: generally in mopeds it does not happen because they are made of many plastic parts.
Here you find how to prevent and solve this case:
1. Keep the Tag in close contact with your body (for ex. in your pocket) because the human body can shield the signal.
2. Start the engine and wait for 10 seconds
3. Well done! Now you can go riding.
SOLUTION FOR CARS, VANS, TRUCKS
You can put the Tracker in the cabin, at a distance of max. 2 mt from the Tag.
In fact, if the Tracker would be hidden inside the boot, for istance of a sedan car, the Tag’s signal could not reach the Tracker.
HOW TO EXIT FROM ALARM MODE
To exit the alarm mode you must keep the Tag near the Tracker while the Tracker is in motion for at least 60 seconds. You can do this by taking your vehicle for a ride (carrying the Tag with you) or by shaking the Tracker for at least 60 seconds (always with the Tag close by and not in your hand otherwise it will be shielded).
The procedure is deliberately long to make sure that the alarm will not be deactivated if your vehicle has been hidden somewhere by a thief and you inadvertently pass by it while you are looking for it.
You can put the Tracker in the cabin, at a distance of max. 2 mt from the Tag.
In fact, if the Tracker would be hidden inside the boot, for istance of a sedan car, the Tag’s signal could not reach the Tracker.
A false alarm is technically impossible in the sense that the device reacts only to motion/vibration.
If the digital accelerometer sensor registers motion when the vehicle is stationary, this can only be caused by a faulty installation: if not properly secured, the tracker may vibrate after the passage of heavy vehicles or the ignition of a nearby motorcycle.
This is also the case when the tracker is set on “resonating” surfaces such as
– Under the seat of an “empty” scooter
– In car glove compartment
To avoid this problem, you must properly fix the Tracker to your vehicle with the provided double-sided adhesive tape or screws. You also need to secure it to a smooth, rigid plastic surface.
NOTE: To avoid false alarms caused by an accidental impact to your vehicle while parked, the Tracker firmware is able to filter this type of vibration from vibrations that occur in an attempted theft or burglary.
This happens when the tracker is unable to get a correct GPS position, in a garage for example.
Do not worry. Your vehicle is still protected in case of theft: Trackting will alert you immediately and provide an updated location as soon as it locks on to the GPS satellite signal again.
The reason it works this way in “Parking” mode is to avoid all unnecessary battery consumption. Therefore, if the device fails to get the correct GPS position in just a few seconds, it goes back to standby mode.
In “Alarm” mode, the goal is very different: we want to read valid positions as soon as possible. This is why the tracker stays on when your vehicle moves, up until it gets a valid GPS position.
To deactivate the alarm you must keep the Tag near the Tracker for at least 15 seconds while the Tracker is moving and proceed in one of the following ways:
– Shake the Tracker for at least 15 seconds keeping the Tag close by (do not shake it in your hand as you might shield it)
– Take your vehicle for a ride bringing the Tag with you.
IMPORTANT: You will NOT deactivate the alarm by simply bringing the red Tag near the black Tracker because the Tracker is designed to read the Tag only if it is on the move.
This is because you do not want the alarm to deactivate itself too easily in case of real theft. If you are tracking down your vehicle and the thief has hidden it, you do not want to deactivate the alarm mode by just passing by the hidden vehicle, you want the alarm mode to work until you find it!
If you do not receive push notifications (e.g. when parking), you can simply try to uninstall and reinstall the app Trackting – Smart Alarm.
SPECIAL CASES
1. In some phones, including Huawei and Asus, manufacturers have included an operating system setting that blocks notifications for advanced power saving.
To solve this problem just go to the Settings/Battery menu and exclude the Trackting application from this type of optimization. This is a common problem with easy solutions online: just search on Google for “notification problems Huawei P20 lite”.
2. Some third-party software on Android, such as antivirus and notification management softwares, may interfere with your notifications. We recommend removing this type of software to solve the problem.
The battery will last 6 months in standby mode. Standard use with daily home-work trips and up to 2 parking notifications per day is consistent with a battery life of about 3/4 months.
Battery life was tested on a vehicle in city center (GSM cellular signal always very strong) that always parked on the street.
Factors that can adversely affect battery life are:
1. A higher number of parking events (if you park 4 times a day the battery will last about 2 months)
2. Triggering the alarm: in this case, the tracker, if on the move, stays connected to the GSM network and sends its position repeatedly. This clearly causes an increase in battery consumption.
3. Parking in a garage where the GSM or GPS signal is poor or absent: the device will try to connect itself several times using more power.
4. Areas where the GSM cellular signal is usually low.
It may happen with some chargers (Samsung for example); to avoid damaging the battery, the Tracker needs a very low current otherwise it will not charge.
Solution: Use another charger or use a PC.
We recommend using the cable supplied in the box, because some cables are prevented by a few tenths of mm from connecting to the internal connector due to the design of the plastic plug cover.
In “Parking” mode, the device will use as little battery power as possible and turn the GPS off as soon as it can send a position that is valid but not necessarily precise. Deviation can sometimes run up to 50 meters, but this should not happen often. If it does happen often, it might be because you have not chosen the best place for the Tracker and we recommend that you move it elsewhere in your vehicle (it might be in a spot surrounded by too much metal).
In “Alarm” mode, on the other hand, the device performs at maximum accuracy, producing an average error of about 5 meters in open field.
Another factor that can compromise accuracy is the alignment of the Tracker. In fact, to make sure that the antenna is in the best position to receive satellite signals, it is important to position the tracker with its labels down, that is, with the side without screws and labels facing the sky.
Please review this checklist to make sure that the Tracker has been set appropriately.
1. Check that the Tracker is properly aligned (smooth side facing up).
2. Make sure that Tracker is free and that it is not covered by metal bodies or shielding material.
3. Ride around in the open for a couple of minutes.
4. Park somewhere in the open and walk 30 meters away from your vehicle, taking the Tag with you.
5. Wait for the parking notification to arrive, around 5 minutes.
6. Verify if the accuracy of the position on the App.
