Data-Tags (and Trice)

The electronic datatags - are they any good or worth it? The one review
I've found is pretty poor saying that they're easy to remove.

They're little plastic cones that are stuffed into the seat upright,
the idea that they're hard to remove. They contain a small radio device,
much like the RFID systems now. I'd have thought that the bike frame
would make a good Faraday Cage, but it is claimed that they work.

Are there any ongoing costs with them, for example to keep the entry on
the database? Also, would they fit a Trice? The pictures of the Trice show
a pretty normal size looking seat upright, which is presumably closed at
the bottom, otherwise the device could be pushed through. I'd wonder if it
would take valuable space needed by the seat support tube itself though,
and would therefore prevent the seat being set to its lowest angle.

Cycle insurers seem to like them, but insuring the Trice is not cheap
(not tried the home insurance people yet). Failing insurance, would it be
worth it for more peace of mind, or would the rarity of the Trice suffice?

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com
_/ _/ _/ _/
_/_/ _/ _/ Time is a one way street,
_/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twighlight Zone.

In message , Danny Colyer
writes
Richard Corfield wrote:
The electronic datatags - are they any good or worth it? T

snip

Failing insurance, would it be worth it for more peace of mind

YMMV, but I think so.

or would the rarity of the Trice suffice?

Well, I mentioned earlier this evening in another thread that Adam
Hart-Davies' Windcheetah was stolen a couple of years ago. So you can't
rely on the rarity value.

Indeed not.

While rarity/unusualness may put off the casual thief, it will still
attract a more 'professional' theft.

Ken Davison's Trice was stolen from North Shields earlier this year.

It was locked inside a locked garage, other expensive bikes were left
behind - it would seem it was stolen to 'order' .
--
Chris French, Leeds

Richard Corfield wrote:
The electronic datatags - are they any good or worth it? The one review
I've found is pretty poor saying that they're easy to remove.

They're little plastic cones that are stuffed into the seat upright,
the idea that they're hard to remove. They contain a small radio device,
much like the RFID systems now. I'd have thought that the bike frame
would make a good Faraday Cage, but it is claimed that they work.

Are there any ongoing costs with them, for example to keep the entry on
the database? Also, would they fit a Trice? The pictures of the Trice show
a pretty normal size looking seat upright, which is presumably closed at
the bottom, otherwise the device could be pushed through. I'd wonder if it
would take valuable space needed by the seat support tube itself though,
and would therefore prevent the seat being set to its lowest angle.

Cycle insurers seem to like them, but insuring the Trice is not cheap
(not tried the home insurance people yet). Failing insurance, would it be
worth it for more peace of mind, or would the rarity of the Trice suffice?

- Richard


I have one of these in my bike, sounded potentially useful, though the
frame stickers that you get with it might be more useful as a deterrent
than the actual recovery of the bike via the tag.

Can't remember anythign to do with costs/renewals, but can tell you it
did interfere with my seat post. The tag seems to have got stuck on the
mounting points for the bottle cage, which led to me having to get the
bottom sawn off the seatpost (I'm short and the frame only just fits me,
so the seat's pretty low on it!)

Velvet

There are no ongoing costs with Datatag. It costs IIRC a tenner to
transfer ownership details on their database. Changes of details for
the same owner (change of address) are free, or they were for my
motorbikes. Uses little transponders that you hide in the frame. The
bike kit is a cut-down version of the motorbike kit for almost as
much. I'd consider getting the motorbike one and using it to tag the
bike in more places, or tag more bikes, although I'm not sure how
geared up their database is for this idea.

A rival system uses little microdots suspended in glue. You dab them
here there and everywhere. It's called Alphadot. It's generally
available via motorcycle dealers, although the marketing blurb seems
to recommend it for use as a tagging method for anything valuable
around the home - TV's, videos and the like. The pot you get of
microdots is sufficient to tag a fair few bicycles and many of your
household valuables.

Honda market a tagging system called Smar****er which is a fluorescent
dye that you paint on. It's invisible under daylight. Under UV it has
a particular "signature" which someone with the right equipment can
identify as unique. Again it's intended for motorbikes, but you could
mark up anything you like.

None stop anything getting stolen, but might aid with identification
if recovered. The theory is that it makes anything traceable as
stolen, even if broken down for parts, which is supposed to put the
crims off if they see the stickers.

Didn't stop them lifting my brothers motorbike into a van. We'd hidden
the datatag transponders _very_ cunningly, and stamped the id number
using the templates into the subframe, etched _all_ the bodywork

Better to use a big U-lock and chain.

Q. Why does every bike weigh 50lbs?
A. Because a 40lb bike needs a 10lb chain and a 20lb bike needs a 30lb
chain.

--

Regards,

Mark Davies

I think Datatag's website has had a bit of a revamp. Most notably,
the text on the site talks about two transponders in the cycle kit,
presumably of differing sizes, and the motorcycle kit (about £50) also
has microdots. Two transponders would be good, one at the back, one at
the front (the boom perhaps). I've asked some questions on their page,
but they do sound a good idea.

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com
_/ _/ _/ _/
_/_/ _/ _/ Time is a one way street,
_/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twighlight Zone.

MD wrote:
The
bike kit is a cut-down version of the motorbike kit for almost as
much.

I dunno about that. My bike kit (one transponder) cost a tenner, my
motorbike kit (5 transponders) cost 50 quid. Seems roughly proportional
to me.

Mind you, ISTR CTC had a special offer on Datatag kits at the time and
the usual price was 20 quid.

I'd consider getting the motorbike one and using it to tag the
bike in more places, or tag more bikes, although I'm not sure how
geared up their database is for this idea.

I'd agree, except that I'd be quite surprised if their database could
handle it. And Richard mentioned that the bike kit now seems to come
with two transponders, which I think should be enough.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

On 2003-11-21, Danny Colyer wrote:
I'd consider getting the motorbike one and using it to tag the
bike in more places, or tag more bikes, although I'm not sure how
geared up their database is for this idea.

I'd agree, except that I'd be quite surprised if their database could
handle it. And Richard mentioned that the bike kit now seems to come
with two transponders, which I think should be enough.

It would be great, but I've not seen a sign of this in the shops. I
wonder, if the website is correct and its a recent change, how long
before old stock is cleared. I plan to find one of the shops listed on
the site and present the page in question.

I wonder why the database will have problems? Does it contain other info
about the bike as well as tagID and owner? If so, then it would be a
problem.

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com
_/ _/ _/ _/
_/_/ _/ _/ Time is a one way street,
_/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twighlight Zone.

Richard Corfield wrote:
It would be great, but I've not seen a sign of this in the shops. I
wonder, if the website is correct and its a recent change, how long
before old stock is cleared. I plan to find one of the shops listed
on the site and present the page in question.

I've just had a look at the cycle section on the website and it
specifies "a transponder", not two. But then, investigating a bit
further, I found the bit that specified "1 x DAT300 transponder, 1 x
DAT500 transporter". So the website's wrong somewhere.

(I also looked at the News section and noticed that Datatag was acquired
by a new owner in January 2002, which explains why the website has
changed beyond all recognition since I last looked at it. It might also
mean that the kits have changed significantly since I bought my cycle
kit in January 2001).

I wonder why the database will have problems? Does it contain other
info about the bike as well as tagID and owner? If so, then it would
be a problem.

The motorbike information includes the DVLA registration number. The
bike information includes the frame number. I can't remember what other
information is included, but those are the bits that I'd expect to cause
problems.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine