Staying off the radar possible?

[Docwagon1776]

And then there is my truck. No OTA anything, and I keep the GPS turned off unless I need to correct the time on my clock, then I turn it off again. And I have manual door locks and manual windows, and the lowest version of radio they have.

Turning your GPS off doesn't really do anything. The GPS system is roughly analogous to navigating by lighthouses. You see them and know where you are based on where they are. The lighthouse doesn't know you're looking at it.

Same for GPS, the satellites are broadcasting and your device is an antenna that then triangulates where the signals are coming from. There's no two way communication and it's not tracking you.

Cell companies track your GPS via triangulation from towers because they need to. It's how it knows when to hand your call off to a new tower. (It's a bit more complicated, but that's the basic version and getting in the weeds doesn't change the fundamentals here)

 

[Randy Grant]

With the On-Star4 in my '05 Duramax all I had to do was pull the fuse and it disabled the whole tracking system. I don't even know if ours is a fused system.

 

[Jimmy07]

The only thing a thief could do with my fob is lock and unlock my tailgate...and set off the panic alarm.

…Or they can just break in and program a new $20 eBay fob in 3 minutes flat, and drive off with it.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Turning your GPS off doesn't really do anything. The GPS system is roughly analogous to navigating by lighthouses. You see them and know where you are based on where they are. The lighthouse doesn't know you're looking at it.

Same for GPS, the satellites are broadcasting and your device is an antenna that then triangulates where the signals are coming from. There's no two way communication and it's not tracking you.

Cell companies track your GPS via triangulation from towers because they need to. It's how it knows when to hand your call off to a new tower. (It's a bit more complicated, but that's the basic version and getting in the weeds doesn't change the fundamentals here)

And cell companies track you via you location app, which I also keep turned off except once in a while when checking the weather.

 

[Tulecreeper]

…Or they can just break in and program a new $20 eBay fob in 3 minutes flat, and drive off with it.

Possibly, but they can do that with any vehicle.

 

[Docwagon1776]

And cell companies track you via you location app, which I also keep turned off except once in a while when checking the weather.

Again, no. What apps you use are completely irrelevant, or even if your phone is capable of using apps.

The cell company tracks your phone's location constantly when it's powered on and it is in range of cell towers. How do you think it knows which tower to use to route a call to you?

 

[Tulecreeper]

Again, no. What apps you use are completely irrelevant, or even if your phone is capable of using apps.

The cell company tracks your phone's location constantly when it's powered on and it is in range of cell towers. How do you think it knows which tower to use to route a call to you?

Never gave it much thought as I can't remember the last time I actually made or received a call while I was driving. A couple years ago, maybe. I make or receive maybe 3 calls a month, and I send or receive maybe 10 texts, total. My phone is 6 years old and doesn't have many bells and whistles.