FAQ & Installation Guide

The box has the GPS tracker (with its LTE SIM built in), a printed quick-start guide and, for hardwired models, a wiring harness and mounting hardware. Your first 12 months of tracking are included: your Spectre account is set up as soon as you pay, and your tracker is added to it when it ships.

Not necessarily. Spectre trackers are designed to be self-installed by anyone comfortable with basic wiring, similar to fitting a dashcam. They need a constant 12V or 24V power source, ground and a switched ignition wire. Our step-by-step guide walks you through everything. If you'd prefer, we can connect you with a trusted local installer.

Most self-installs take 30–60 minutes depending on the vehicle. Common locations include behind the dashboard, under the seat, or in the boot near the fusebox. No specialist tools are required.

No. The tracker draws around 15–20mA in standby, less than a typical car alarm. Battery-low and battery-disconnected alerts are included free, so you'll know if voltage drops below safe levels or if someone cuts the power.

That's up to you. We recommend a location that's hidden from plain sight but has a clear view of the sky for GPS signal. Popular spots include behind dash panels.

Yes, anything with a 12V or 24V power source. Spectre trackers are used on motorbikes, jet skis, boats, caravans, trailers, tractors, and heavy plant equipment across New Zealand. For non-standard setups or battery-only installations, contact us and we'll advise on the right approach.

Firmly. Use a cable tie or another solid fixing so the unit can't move or vibrate loose — it doesn't need to be bolted down, but it must not flop around. A loose tracker can't calibrate its accelerometer correctly, which can trigger false harsh-braking or crash alerts. A couple of zip ties through an existing harness or bracket point is usually enough.

Plug it into the OBD-II port and mount it within about 50cm of the tracker unit. Bluetooth range is short, and anything further can cause dropped connections or unreliable data. If your OBD-II port sits far from where the tracker is hidden, use an OBD-II extension cable to bring the dongle closer rather than relying on distance.

Yes. If your vehicle is stolen, you can see its live location in real time from the Spectre app and share that location with Police. Because the tracker is hidden and hardwired, thieves typically don't know it's there. New Zealand Police can use live GPS coordinates to intercept a vehicle in transit; recovery rates for tracked vehicles are significantly higher than untracked ones.

Open the Spectre app to confirm the vehicle's live location, then call 111 and provide Police with the coordinates and direction of travel. Do not attempt to intercept the vehicle yourself. You can also trigger the remote immobiliser so the vehicle won't be able to restart once it stops.

The tracker connects to your vehicle's ignition circuit via an output relay. When you trigger immobilisation from the app, it interrupts the ignition signal: the engine won't restart once it's switched off. For safety, immobilisation never cuts power to a running engine mid-drive. It only takes effect the next time the ignition is cycled.

Spectre trackers are hardwired, hidden devices with no visible antenna or indicator light. They don't transmit on any frequency that standard RF detectors pick up. Communication is over the standard LTE cellular network, the same as a mobile phone. Physically locating one requires knowing where to look. For maximum security, install in a non-obvious location during fitting.

For vehicle theft recovery, yes, significantly. AirTags update their location passively via Bluetooth and nearby Apple devices, which means there can be significant delays in location updates and no updates at all in areas without nearby iPhones. Spectre trackers update via dedicated LTE every few seconds, give you live speed and direction, and include a remote immobiliser. AirTags also alert nearby iPhones if they detect an unknown tag, making them easier for thieves to find and discard.

Some New Zealand insurers offer a discount for vehicles with GPS tracking fitted, so it's worth asking your insurer directly. We can provide a certificate of installation on request. Having a tracker also strengthens any theft claim by providing an accurate timeline of events.

When your vehicle is moving, the tracker reports its location every few seconds. When stationary, it drops to a low-power heartbeat to preserve battery and data. You always have the last known location available in the app.

Yes. You can set up geofence alerts: define a zone on the map, and you'll receive a push notification if your vehicle enters or exits that area. This is useful for detecting unauthorised movement overnight, monitoring a vehicle at a storage facility, or keeping track of a vehicle used by someone else.

Yes. The Spectre app stores your full trip history so you can replay any journey, including route taken, speeds, and stop times. History is kept for up to 7 years while your subscription is active.

Yes. Live speed is displayed in the app alongside position. You can also set overspeed alerts to notify you if a vehicle exceeds a defined speed threshold, useful for vehicles driven by others.

Spectre trackers use the LTE cellular network with a built-in SIM card. Coverage follows standard New Zealand mobile coverage maps. The SIM plan is included in your subscription, so there's no separate data plan to manage.

Wherever there's LTE coverage, the tracker works. In areas without cellular signal, the unit stores its GPS positions locally and uploads them automatically once signal is restored. This means you won't have gaps in your trip history even in patchy coverage areas.

We sure do!, Voltage Monitoring, Fuel Level Monitoring, Geofence, Inputs to name a few!

Yes, but we'd usually steer you towards a hardwired install. OBDII plug-and-play trackers are portable and quick to fit, but they don't support custom inputs or outputs (immobiliser, alarm, sensors), and they're discoverable: anyone who pops the OBDII cover can pull the plug and disable tracking entirely.

Yes. Spectre has a read-only REST API covering live positions, trip history, geofences, assets, events, and reports, fully documented with an OpenAPI spec, so it plugs into almost anything: spreadsheets, dashboards, your own internal tools. It is off by default. Contact us to get it enabled for your account, then generate an API key from Settings > API.

The starter bundle (which includes the hardware and your first 12 months of tracking) is a one-off purchase; tracker prices are on the shop. After that, keep your Spectre online for $15 a month, or $138 a year if you pay annually (both incl. GST). There are no hidden fees, no per-alert charges, and no lock-in contracts.

Not for the first year: your first 12 months are included in the bundle price. After that it's $15 a month with no contract, or $138 a year if you pay annually (both incl. GST).

The tracker hardware stays installed and connected to our servers, but live tracking and alerts stop until you renew. We don't keep your trip history once your subscription ends, but we can give you a copy if you ask. You can renew at any time from the app or through the store.

No. Renew month-to-month and cancel any time, or choose an annual plan for a discount. The hardware is yours to keep regardless.

Yes. The tracker isn't permanently fixed to any vehicle: you can unplug it and fit it to a different vehicle at any time. Drop us a line when you do and we'll confirm it's reporting cleanly from its new home.

Yes, and lots of them. Voltage, fuel level, geofence, custom inputs, speed, movement, ignition: pretty much anything the tracker can sense. Delivered however you want: email, mobile push, or in-app.

Yes, it is legal to install and use a GPS tracker on a vehicle that you own. Tracking a vehicle you do not own without the owner's consent may breach the Privacy Act 2020. Spectre trackers are intended for use on your own vehicle or vehicles in your care (such as a company vehicle or a vehicle used by a family member with their knowledge).

Only you. Your location data is stored securely on our servers and is only accessible to your account. We do not sell or share your data with third parties. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time.

365 days by default. If you need to keep history for longer (fleet compliance, insurance audits, that kind of thing) let us know and we'll see what we can do.

Yes, your data, your call. You can request deletion yourself via our account deletion page, or email [email protected] give us a ring on 0800 224 244 and we'll permanently delete your account and all tracking history. You'll get written confirmation once it's processed.

In most cases, yes, and you often won't need to buy new hardware. A lot of telematics and fleet providers fit the same kind of industrial trackers that Spectre supports. If you own your devices outright, there's a good chance we can reconfigure them to report to Spectre instead, so your units stay exactly where they are and you avoid a full re-fit. Send us your device make and model (it's usually printed on the unit, or shown in your current provider's portal) and we'll confirm compatibility before you commit.

Usually not. If your current trackers are compatible units that you own, switching is mostly a configuration change + a Sim swap rather than a physical re-fit; the hardware stays in place. For any device that can't be migrated, you can move it to a Spectre tracker at standard bundle pricing. There's no lock-in, so you're free to bring as many or as few vehicles across as you like.