Car GPS testing
There are many benefits to having a GPS tracker, but most of those count for nothing if the tracker flattens your vehicle battery.
I’ll be testing at as many GPS trackers as I can and publish the real power consumption of each one. If you have a tracker I have not tested I’d be grateful if you could send it to me.
Every tracker will be powered by the test bench and the same multimeter will be used. This way it is a fair test and there are no variables.
I’ll update this page and publish the results here. I will add a link to a blog post with the test video and any information I have on that tracker.
Which trackers are a battery parasite? - Car GPS testing results
Below are the test results
Vodafone Automotive SCD60
Claimed current draw: <5mA
Test bench current draw: 3.5.mA (< 4 minutes from turning ignition off)
Comments: Recommended
Update 2025: Replacement for the SCD40
Vodafone Automotive SCD40
Claimed current draw: <5mA
Test bench current draw: 2.3mA (< 7 minutes from powering up)
Comments: Recommended
Update 2025: New version is the SCD60
AVS GPS Tracker
Claimed current draw: 85mA
Test bench current draw:
230mA at 10 minutes
140mA at 1 hour
85mA at 2 hours
Comments: Not fit for use in a vehicle
Teletrac Navman Qube 300
Claimed current draw: <3mA
Test bench current draw:
243mA at 10 minutes
222mA at 1 hour
95mA at 2 hours
53mA at 12 hours 30 minutes
12.5mA at 13 hours
12.5mA @24 hours
Comments: Disappointing
I will add more test as and when I get my hands on more trackers..
Check out the Fluke website for more information about finding a parasitic drain with a multimeter.
