LoJack Question

[ScannerSK]

LoJack says it is dead. Perhaps there are agencies and locales where there is a long term contract is maintaining previous infrastructure, but when LoJack says it is dead - I believe them.

An "official" LoJack website indicates that all new LoJacks being installed are both GPS based (Connected Car technology) and VHF based (Stolen Vehicle Recovery).

LoJack Coverage Areas - LoJack

Find LoJack coverage areas. Includes coverage areas for products such as the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System and LoJack SureDrive.

www.lojack.com

The current "official" FAQs section of the Classic (VHF) LoJack website states nothing at all regading the system being disabled or discontinued!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) - LoJack

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System.

www.lojack.com

LoJack is still operational in Colorado. A LoJack was activated and recovered by the police just seven miles from my location in December of last year. Several towers are still broadcasting activate/deactivate commands as of today (5/17/2024).

There are some indications they may be letting the VHF system slowly die out however as fewer towers are in service.

When someone purchases a VHF LoJack it is for the life of the vehicle. Unless LoJack is refunding everyone or giving them a new GPS system it has not gone away. The official LoJack websites above confirm the Classic LoJack system has not been disabled or discontinued.

 

[ecps92]

LoJack has gone through 3 major morphisms since its inception, none compatible with any other.
What started the coffin nails for LoJack is GPS systems, much cheaper to implement.

LoJack never used towers.

Incorrect.

Lo/Jack used the towers to send out the activation alert to the Stolen Car to tell it to start beeping.

 

[ecps92]

LoJack says it is dead. Perhaps there are agencies and locales where there is a long term contract is maintaining previous infrastructure, but when LoJack says it is dead - I believe them.

guess someone forgot to tell the customers, the LE, NCIC and NLETS.

from NLETS (as of 5/18/2024)
LoJack is a Stolen Vehicle Recovery System currently operational in 26 states. The LoJack system components include computer systems interfaced to Law Enforcement agencies in such a way that the entry of a stolen vehicle report by law enforcement will result in the activation of a LoJack Unit in the stolen vehicle so the police can quickly find and recover the stolen vehicle.

The LoJack System requires a feed of NCIC Vehicle file data (EV, MV, LV, XV and CV) from the participating state. This data is matched against a database of LoJack equipped vehicles. When there is a match by VIN, the LoJack system responds to the entering agency with LoJack information and queries NCIC to determine the Stolen/Not Stolen status.

Police agencies in the participating state need to be able to send transactions (Query, Check, and Quiet) with the LoJack Reply Code and receive the responses.

To determine the stolen vehicle status, a hit confirmation request must be sent to the entering agency prior to taking any action.

 

[chrismol1]

I checked for a few minutes the lojack freq around me I used to infrequently decode it on sdrtrunk and see the idle transmissions. Today, nothing. this wasn't a major metro area so I'm not surprised, license plate camera is probably 99% more utilized in recovering stolen vehicles than classic lojack these days. Looks like they are deactivating some areas,

 

[W1KNE]

Still in very active use (173.0750) in and around the Boston Area.

I can confirm this. Just turned it on and in under a minute heard the data bursts.

 

[wtp]

i had heard them in the past, but now i get nothing.

 

[merlin]

Incorrect.

Lo/Jack used the towers to send out the activation alert to the Stolen Car to tell it to start beeping.

The newest woud start a beacon the instant it was stolen/compromised. No help from otside needed.

 

[ScannerSK]

The newest woud start a beacon the instant it was stolen/compromised. No help from otside needed.

The beacon itself has no way of knowing the vehicle has been stolen. A command signal must be received by the beacon to activate from either a LoJack tower or via cellphone data. If a stolen vehicle is out of range of both LoJack and cellphone towers the beacon will not be activated.

 

[jeepsandradios]

Not that is matters for scanners but when I installed LoJack in my last vehicle they only offered the GPS/LTE version for my location. I am guessing certain areas dont support VHF and most likely will migrate many to LTE.

 

[ScannerSK]

Not that is matters for scanners but when I installed LoJack in my last vehicle they only offered the GPS/LTE version for my location. I am guessing certain areas dont support VHF and most likely will migrate many to LTE.

My understanding is the GPS version also includes a VHF transmitter regardless of the state it was purchased in or whether VHF coverage is available in that specific state.

From an official LoJack website: "Attention: If you purchased LoJack before May 2021, you are probably using the Classic LoJack System with Stolen Vehicle Recovery only. If you purchased LoJack after May 2021, you are probably using the New LoJack with Stolen Vehicle Recovery service + Connected Car features." LoJack Coverage Areas - LoJack

This appears to indicate the VHF system is referred to as "Stolen Vehicle Recovery". This website further states this feature, the VHF Stolen Vehicle Recovery system, is still included in new LoJack purchases after May 2021 however newer LoJacks also include "Connected Car" (GPS based) features.

LoJack is now owned by Spireon.

 

[jeepsandradios]

Well I dont know how mine could have VHF. The box is pretty small and no external antenna other than GPS. They showed it all to me before the install. Not sure I can get back to it but if I can snap a pic I will this weekend.

 

[ScannerSK]

Well I dont know how mine could have VHF. The box is pretty small and no external antenna other than GPS. They showed it all to me before the install. Not sure I can get back to it but if I can snap a pic I will this weekend.

It appears you may be correct. The FCC ID for newer Spireon LoJacks is O9YWCM3. The FCC shows frequencies which are used range from about 700-785 MHz, 1712-1753 MHz and 1850-1915 MHz. 173.075 MHz is not listed.

If no new LoJacks are being sold which use the VHF system then the VHF system is truly going away.

 

[sflmonitor]

LoJack has gone through 3 major morphisms since its inception, none compatible with any other.
What started the coffin nails for LoJack is GPS systems, much cheaper to implement.

LoJack never used towers.

They definitely use towers, both for VHF as well as LTE. The VHF sites can be easily found on the FCC website. My nearest tower is still transmitting to this day.

 

[ScannerSK]

The FCC shows the last VHF LoJack model made by LoJack was the VLU10 in March of 2018.
LoJack was then purchased by CalAmp. CalAmp made a VHF LoJack model VLU11/VLU11B in May of 2019.
LoJack was then purchased by Spireon. No new VHF LoJack models have been made by Spireon.

The latest FCC reference to 173.075 is in December of 2020 to a VHF tracking device with a model of VLU6M3 which is being produced by a United Kingdom based company by the name of Redtail Telematics Limited. https://fccid.io/2AXBF-VLU6M32207-01

I wonder if there is any possibility Redtail Telematics Limited is taking over the old LoJack VHF system in the United States? Probably not...

 

[ecps92]

The FCC shows the last VHF LoJack model made by LoJack was the VLU10 in March of 2018.
LoJack was then purchased by CalAmp. CalAmp made a VHF LoJack model VLU11/VLU11B in May of 2019.
LoJack was then purchased by Spireon. No new VHF LoJack models have been made by Spireon.

The latest FCC reference to 173.075 is in December of 2020 to a VHF tracking device with a model of VLU6M3 which is being produced by a United Kingdom based company by the name of Redtail Telematics Limited. https://fccid.io/2AXBF-VLU6M32207-01

I wonder if there is any possibility Redtail Telematics Limited is taking over the old LoJack VHF system in the United States? Probably not...

and each country had it's own unique LJ Freq - not all were 173.0750

 

[ScannerSK]

and each country had it's own unique LJ Freq - not all were 173.0750

True. I imagine this UK based company is licensed to 173.075 simply for testing products made in America.

Their website states, "Redtail Telematics is a TSP supplying devices, data and crash reconstruction to Admiral, By Miles and others. It supplies Stolen Vehicle Recovery products to Tracker Network and LoJack globally." Redtail Telematics

 

[ecps92]

True. I imagine this UK based company is licensed to 173.075 simply for testing products made in America.

Their website states, "Redtail Telematics is a TSP supplying devices, data and crash reconstruction to Admiral, By Miles and others. It supplies Stolen Vehicle Recovery products to Tracker Network and LoJack globally." Redtail Telematics

164.1750 UK
167.0250 Czeck/Slokak and Hungary
169.8750 Hong Kong
170.2500 Israel
173.0750 US and Columbia
173.2250 Ecuador
173.2500 Trinidad
173.3750 Greece

 

[BinaryMode]

LoJack never used towers.

Where did you get that information?

Refer to this post.

As to my understanding, LoJack works in the following way:

1) Thief steals car, truck, boat (?), etc.

2) Victim calls police and indicates vehicle has LoJack.

3) The tower using the LoJack frequency sends out a beacon of sorts that when the right stolen LoJack in the vehicle hears it fires off its alert burst of data.

4) Police find (hopefully) the vehicle.


From that FCC link in post #6, I extracted all the coordinates and plotted all 170 towers on a map (which is not free). Attached is a screenshot of the map with the tower locations and a text document of the coordinates.


For my personal "LoJack," I use the poorman's approach in that I placed one of those Bluetooth low energy Tiles in my car. Apple makes them and I believe Samsung does too. Best to use all three if you can... Jamming can be done of course, but then where's the Tile in the car to get rid of by the thief? You have to find them. Big pain for the crook to do at the chopshop. Real big pain if it's just a snatch and grab and the vehicle gets sent over seas. I mean, you can't possibly jam the Bluetooth signal all the time. Well, kind of I guess... You could toss a Raspberry Pi Bluetooth jammer in the car. But then you have evidence in the form of receipts from the electronics... Moral of the story: there's always a trail...

42° 31' 29" N,78° 22' 57" W
31° 30' 3" N,83° 11' 58" W
34° 27' 21" N,109° 33' 17" W
47° 33' 4" N,120° 10' 30" W
33° 35' 39.1" N,112° 5' 14.5" W
33° 20' 2.5" N,112° 3' 43.5" W
32° 14' 57.3" N,111° 6' 59.4" W
42° 14' 39.6" N,72° 38' 50.4" W
41° 40' 56.9" N,70° 21' 16.1" W
42° 20' 48.0" N,71° 26' 56.0" W
41° 57' 44.2" N,70° 42' 56.5" W
42° 14' 49.0" N,71° 2' 54.0" W
42° 29' 19.3" N,71° 53' 12.3" W
42° 31' 21.6" N,73° 6' 40.1" W
41° 43' 8.4" N,71° 3' 33.2" W
42° 38' 28.3" N,71° 6' 23.2" W
41° 42' 32.4" N,72° 28' 28.3" W
41° 37' 18.4" N,72° 58' 24.4" W
41° 16' 46.3" N,73° 11' 7.4" W
41° 31' 11.4" N,72° 10' 2.3" W
41° 3' 8.0" N,73° 33' 47.2" W
41° 23' 45.3" N,73° 25' 31.4" W
41° 2' 49.0" N,73° 31' 34.0" W
39° 38' 5.4" N,76° 0' 48.8" W
38° 57' 50.9" N,77° 6' 14.9" W
25° 46' 21.4" N,80° 11' 19.2" W
26° 34' 38.3" N,80° 14' 31.2" W
27° 7' 20.2" N,80° 23' 19.2" W
27° 28' 29.0" N,82° 31' 21.9" W
28° 3' 24.1" N,82° 38' 30.4" W
28° 34' 52.0" N,81° 4' 31.2" W
28° 33' 33.0" N,81° 35' 38.0" W
25° 58' 16.0" N,80° 12' 31.0" W
26° 20' 29.4" N,80° 4' 38.0" W
33° 46' 15.4" N,84° 23' 9.7" W
34° 14' 17.3" N,84° 9' 28.7" W
33° 44' 3.4" N,84° 47' 50.8" W
33° 20' 43.4" N,84° 17' 59.7" W
33° 44' 38.4" N,84° 0' 38.7" W
33° 57' 47.4" N,83° 27' 21.5" W
33° 37' 24.4" N,84° 53' 5.5" W
34° 9' 32.3" N,84° 43' 42.7" W
41° 52' 53.1" N,87° 37' 48.2" W
42° 14' 12.1" N,88° 4' 17.3" W
41° 32' 11.1" N,87° 51' 17.2" W
41° 48' 26.1" N,88° 16' 7.3" W
34° 2' 58.0" N,118° 15' 25.3" W
34° 32' 50.0" N,118° 13' 1.0" W
34° 12' 48.0" N,118° 3' 44.2" W
34° 19' 46.8" N,118° 36' 0.4" W
33° 42' 42.5" N,117° 31' 59.9" W
32° 41' 47.2" N,116° 56' 9.1" W
33° 6' 31.9" N,117° 9' 18.5" W
33° 52' 3.1" N,116° 26' 1.0" W
34° 19' 52.0" N,119° 1' 18.0" W
38° 1' 38.3" N,120° 35' 45.4" W
37° 19' 7.8" N,122° 8' 48.9" W
37° 52' 53.7" N,121° 55' 8.9" W
37° 55' 43.7" N,122° 35' 14.9" W
38° 52' 32.6" N,121° 7' 33.8" W
38° 23' 34.0" N,122° 5' 53.0" W
34° 36' 40.6" N,117° 17' 22.3" W
36° 17' 10.0" N,118° 50' 17.0" W
37° 32' 16.0" N,120° 3' 49.0" W
37° 4' 10.8" N,119° 25' 39.4" W
35° 25' 46.8" N,118° 44' 59.3" W
35° 17' 30.0" N,119° 45' 49.0" W
36° 18' 18.8" N,120° 24' 12.6" W
40° 39' 14.0" N,122° 31' 19.5" W
39° 57' 34.3" N,121° 42' 44.7" W
29° 55' 12.0" N,90° 1' 29.0" W
30° 27' 44.2" N,91° 19' 26.6" W
30° 25' 46.0" N,90° 2' 38.0" W
39° 20' 10.4" N,76° 38' 57.9" W
39° 29' 38.0" N,77° 29' 55.0" W
39° 14' 7.0" N,77° 2' 8.0" W
38° 22' 3.0" N,76° 36' 54.0" W
38° 32' 11.1" N,76° 37' 2.1" W
42° 19' 45.1" N,83° 2' 24.7" W
36° 0' 29.9" N,115° 0' 22.0" W
35° 57' 22.0" N,115° 29' 45.0" W
39° 35' 22.1" N,119° 55' 43.0" W
39° 15' 34.0" N,119° 42' 21.0" W
40° 16' 41.4" N,74° 4' 49.5" W
39° 28' 26.9" N,75° 8' 40.7" W
40° 49' 20.4" N,74° 33' 20.7" W
39° 21' 25.0" N,74° 25' 32.0" W
40° 51' 53.4" N,74° 12' 1.5" W
40° 17' 0.4" N,74° 41' 18.6" W
40° 28' 37.0" N,74° 29' 31.5" W
39° 52' 30.4" N,74° 9' 50.5" W
35° 4' 4.0" N,106° 46' 48.9" W
35° 39' 47.1" N,105° 58' 48.8" W
35° 53' 37.6" N,106° 17' 36.8" W
34° 47' 55.0" N,106° 49' 1.0" W
32° 24' 17.1" N,106° 45' 40.6" W
40° 47' 48.0" N,73° 27' 42.0" W
40° 50' 32.4" N,73° 2' 21.4" W
41° 20' 18.0" N,73° 53' 39.0" W
41° 12' 30.3" N,74° 21' 21.5" W
41° 4' 12.0" N,73° 47' 15.9" W
40° 52' 48.4" N,73° 52' 38.5" W
40° 45' 30.4" N,73° 58' 13.5" W
41° 22' 42.0" N,74° 8' 16.0" W
35° 13' 57.0" N,81° 16' 36.1" W
35° 40' 29.0" N,78° 31' 39.0" W
35° 15' 7.0" N,80° 41' 11.0" W
35° 52' 2.6" N,79° 49' 25.4" W
36° 22' 39.0" N,80° 21' 50.0" W
35° 3' 35.2" N,78° 59' 22.8" W
41° 30' 4.0" N,81° 41' 40.0" W
41° 4' 53.7" N,81° 31' 10.2" W
39° 57' 44.0" N,83° 0' 8.0" W
35° 28' 5.0" N,97° 30' 50.0" W
35° 16' 58.1" N,97° 20' 19.3" W
36° 9' 16.0" N,95° 59' 34.0" W
35° 48' 42.0" N,95° 34' 12.0" W
35° 57' 1.7" N,96° 15' 23.0" W
45° 31' 20.5" N,122° 44' 49.5" W
44° 51' 17.0" N,123° 7' 19.0" W
46° 0' 57.0" N,122° 46' 33.0" W
45° 27' 17.0" N,122° 33' 1.5" W
40° 4' 57.0" N,75° 10' 52.1" W
39° 56' 43.9" N,75° 8' 42.2" W
18° 18' 30.8" N,65° 47' 32.5" W
18° 6' 40.0" N,66° 3' 4.0" W
32° 54' 23.0" N,79° 55' 14.0" W
34° 26' 27.0" N,82° 41' 59.0" W
34° 2' 39.0" N,80° 59' 50.0" W
34° 12' 12.6" N,79° 51' 51.2" W
34° 56' 30.0" N,82° 24' 41.0" W
33° 47' 4.0" N,78° 52' 43.1" W
35° 6' 55.0" N,81° 46' 10.0" W
39° 54' 48.0" N,105° 17' 35.0" W
39° 40' 24.0" N,105° 13' 4.9" W
40° 37' 3.0" N,105° 19' 40.0" W
30° 16' 34.9" N,81° 33' 52.3" W
25° 28' 27.0" N,80° 28' 16.0" W
41° 50' 26.4" N,71° 40' 11.2" W
41° 29' 41.0" N,71° 47' 4.0" W
35° 6' 44.1" N,89° 53' 31.2" W
35° 32' 10.7" N,89° 40' 49.7" W
35° 53' 28.8" N,86° 28' 18.2" W
35° 58' 56.8" N,86° 50' 38.5" W
36° 15' 55.9" N,86° 48' 12.7" W
36° 9' 20.0" N,86° 22' 33.0" W
32° 46' 48.5" N,96° 48' 14.0" W
32° 35' 17.0" N,96° 58' 35.0" W
32° 45' 11.5" N,97° 19' 47.1" W
29° 45' 30.8" N,95° 22' 3.8" W
29° 30' 28.8" N,98° 34' 24.1" W
30° 17' 54.0" N,97° 49' 55.0" W
29° 19' 48.0" N,95° 2' 7.0" W
30° 6' 56.0" N,95° 24' 52.0" W
33° 9' 23.0" N,96° 42' 49.0" W
29° 46' 4.7" N,98° 14' 36.1" W
29° 11' 4.0" N,98° 30' 50.3" W
27° 46' 11.1" N,97° 26' 55.9" W
40° 48' 29.0" N,111° 53' 25.0" W
40° 5' 21.0" N,111° 49' 22.0" W
41° 15' 17.0" N,112° 14' 16.0" W
40° 39' 12.0" N,112° 12' 9.0" W
38° 54' 24.4" N,77° 40' 16.0" W
38° 16' 21.0" N,77° 29' 45.0" W
37° 30' 15.0" N,77° 41' 51.0" W
36° 49' 0.0" N,76° 28' 5.0" W
46° 58' 30.0" N,123° 8' 20.8" W
48° 41' 15.0" N,122° 21' 44.3" W
47° 32' 54.3" N,122° 47' 11.5" W
47° 29' 17.6" N,121° 56' 48.2" W

 

[BinaryMode]

Amazon.com

Amazon.com : tile tracker

Amazon.com : samsung tracker tags

Use all three to increase recovery. Except you'll need a Samsung phone (I think or any Android) and an Apple phone. Tablets would work too. Or you could run Android on A Pi...

Edit-

Yep, apparently need a crap Samsung phone for the Samsung variant. What Devices does the Galaxy Smart tag work with?

 

[ecps92]

Where did you get that information?

Refer to this post.

As to my understanding, LoJack works in the following way:

1) Thief steals car, truck, boat (?), etc.

2) Victim calls police and indicates vehicle has LoJack.

3) The tower using the LoJack frequency sends out a beacon of sorts that when the right stolen LoJack in the vehicle hears it fires off its alert burst of data.

4) Police find (hopefully) the vehicle.


From that FCC link in post #6, I extracted all the coordinates and plotted all 170 towers on a map (which is not free). Attached is a screenshot of the map with the tower locations and a text document of the coordinates.


For my personal "LoJack," I use the poorman's approach in that I placed one of those Bluetooth low energy Tiles in my car. Apple makes them and I believe Samsung does too. Best to use all three if you can... Jamming can be done of course, but then where's the Tile in the car to get rid of by the thief? You have to find them. Big pain for the crook to do at the chopshop. Real big pain if it's just a snatch and grab and the vehicle gets sent over seas. I mean, you can't possibly jam the Bluetooth signal all the time. Well, kind of I guess... You could toss a Raspberry Pi Bluetooth jammer in the car. But then you have evidence in the form of receipts from the electronics... Moral of the story: there's always a trail...

Data is from the FCC, search nationwide on 173.0750
Altho an NTIA allocation, they turned licensing over to the FCC

As to the LEGACY process for activation
1 - Correct
2 - Files the state required Theft Report - generally a signed report
2a - Dispatch/Desk then needs to enter the vehicle into NCIC with atleast the VIN being correct
3 - Correct
4 - Was a pretty good recovery rate in New England for many years.