Libbys on the Loose:2 Humans. 2 Great Danes. Full Time Traveling Abroad: May 2016

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Tile GPS Tracking Devices and How They've Helped Us

Here we go again!   A couple of weeks back we gave away a few Tile GPS tracking devices.  We're going to do it again through sharing on Facebook!  For every 50 shares we get through our Facebook post, we will give away another free Tile!  Since then, we've had a couple of instances where our Tiles have really come in handy.  We wanted to share those stories with you since we love them so much!  So please read the post and share by either clicking the social media links below or by going back to your Facebook account and share this post.  Thank you!

One of the things we didn't realize when we first got the Tiles was that they can work via two way communication (we thought they only worked as a "locate only").  What that means is that you can push the button on the Tile to locate your phone and, of course, vice versa.  After more testing over the last few weeks (some intentional, some not so much!) we can happily report that the Tiles work just as well as we initially reported (we hadn't yet deeply tested the units like inside buildings).



One morning after Moose got his Tile affixed to his collar, I (Eric) could not find my phone for the life of me. Of course, it couldn't be a morning where we didn't have to get on the road. We had to be somewhere and had to leave within a reasonable timeframe - losing my phone did not play well into that equation!  Finally, after searching high and low in the RV, I decided to try to use the "Find my iPhone" app.  I knew this worked well since it wasn't the first time that I lost my phone! As I was trying to locate the phone, Jeanine recalled that the Tile had two way communication, so I pulled up the instructions and found that by simply pushing the 'power' button on the device, it would cause an alert to pop up on whichever phones were synced to the Tile device.  By using this feature, I was able to find my phone in no time at all - even faster than it could be located through using Apple's Find my iPhone program!
Note:  This feature only works if the phone is within bluetooth range (30 feet or so) of the Tile device.

These days, it seems like everyone is running in 27 different directions and trying to do many things at once.  Continually taxing ourselves day-in and day-out with things that "have to be done" leaves a lot of room for forgetfulness.  Think about how many simple instances you have throughout the day where you simply 'forget' somethings.  This happens to us just as much!  It seems to happen more often than not with our RV keys.  I'm not sure why we don't have more than one set, but we have lost them on more than one occasion (maybe this blog post will spark some motivation to get copies!) 

Last ski season, we were getting ready to depart from Tahoe Valley RV Resort and Campground, of course we could not locate the RV keys to save our lives. Fortunately, Tile was there to save the day! After just a minute or so (including time to get phone and open the Tile app) the keys were located!  Thankfully, we found them because our black and one gray tank were full!  We certainly didn't want to drive hundreds of miles with all that extra weight!

There ya have it!  We can't say enough good things about the Tile.  Anything as cost-effective (battery lasts about a year) and so wholly useable always has a place in our RV.  Since full-timing, we have dramatically decreased the quantity of products that we carry, but have also increased the quality of the products we purchase and use.  99 times out of 100, we have found that you get exactly what you pay for.  If it's inexpensive, chances are it's probably built very cheaply and thus will perform the same.  Research what you buy and only take stock in reputable sources' reviews.  It's worked for us this far - hopefully it helps you, too!

Did we get it right? Do you have experience or knowledge about this post? Please make yourself heard! Comment below and we will respond as soon as possible. As always, thanks for following us! Disclaimer: We are not paid writers. We write for enjoyment and to share information about our travels with our families, friends, and our followers. The information that we provide is based on our experiences with the products, services, etc, that we write about. It is 100% non-biased!