Choosing a tracker
The four kinds of tracker LemursEye takes, which one fits which fleet, and what to check before you buy.
LemursEye does not sell you a box. It works with the trackers already on the market, so you can keep the ones you have, buy locally, or mix brands in one fleet. What matters is choosing the right kind of tracker for the vehicle and for what you want to know.
The four kinds
| Hardwired | OBD plug-in | Battery asset tracker | Driver's phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | |
| Fitted by | An installer, 30 to 60 minutes | Anyone, 1 minute | Anyone, magnet or screws | The driver installs the app |
| Ignition | Yes, from its own wire | Yes | No | No (the phone guesses from movement) |
| Engine cut-off | Yes, with a relay | No | No | No |
| Reports | Every few seconds | Every few seconds | A few times a day (saves battery) | Every 10 seconds while a trip runs |
| Best for | Commercial fleets: vans, trucks, buses, machines | Cars, quick pilots | Trailers, containers, generators | Trying LemursEye, very small fleets |
| Weak point | Needs an installer | Drivers unplug it | No ignition, no live tracking | Phone off or in a pocket means no data |
Our default for a commercial fleet is a hardwired 4G tracker with its ignition wire connected. The ignition signal is what turns positions into real trips, idle time and fuel cost. Without it, LemursEye can only guess from movement.
Which one for which fleet
| Fleet | Recommended | Also wire |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery vans | Hardwired | Ignition |
| Buses, microbus lines | Hardwired | Ignition; a panic button if you want one |
| Construction machines, haulage | Hardwired, 9 to 36 V (machines and trucks are often 24 V) | Ignition; engine cut-off if theft is a risk |
| Rental cars | Hardwired, hidden | Ignition; engine cut-off |
| Field service cars | Hardwired or OBD | Ignition |
| Cold chain trucks | Hardwired with extra inputs | Ignition, door sensor, temperature sensor |
| Trailers, containers, generators | Battery asset tracker | Nothing |
Before you buy: checklist
- The model is on our list (below), or you have asked us first. LemursEye decodes more than 200 protocols, so the answer is usually yes.
- Mobile network: 4G with 2G fallback is the safe choice where your vehicles drive.
- Power range: 12 V cars need nothing special; trucks, buses and machines are 24 V, so take a tracker rated 9 to 36 V.
- An ignition (ACC) input. Every hardwired tracker has one; make sure it gets connected.
- A backup battery, so the tracker reports when someone cuts its power.
- A digital output if you want engine cut-off.
- Extra inputs (door, temperature, panic button) for cold chain and buses.
- A data SIM for each tracker: data plan, credit, and no PIN code on the SIM.
Tested models
| Model | Kind | Protocol | Port | Setup guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concox GT06N / GT06E, WeTrack, JM-VL01 | Hardwired | GT06 | 5023 | GT06 / Concox setup |
| Teltonika FMB920, FMB120, FMC130 | Hardwired | Teltonika | 5027 | Teltonika setup |
| Teltonika FMB003 | OBD plug-in | Teltonika | 5027 | Teltonika setup |
| SinoTrack ST-901, ST-906, ST-915 | Hardwired | H02 | 5013 | SinoTrack setup |
| Phone (LemursEye app, Traccar Client) | Phone | OsmAnd | 5055 | The LemursEye app as a tracker |
Every tracker is pointed at gps.lemurseye.com and the port of its protocol. See Supported trackers and ports.
From the box to the map
- Buy the tracker and a data SIM for it.
- Install it in the vehicle: see Installation.
- Configure it to talk to
gps.lemurseye.com: the setup guide for its model. - Register it in the console: Fleet, add the tracker by its IMEI (the 15 digits on its label), choose the protocol, assign it to the vehicle.
- Test it before the installer leaves: Handover test.
Not on the list?
Send us the model through the contact form. If LemursEye decodes it, which is most trackers, its port is opened the same day.