Coban

For the reseller

Coban: fine to start with, risky to grow on without care

From Shenzhen, manufacturing since 1999 and selling in more than a hundred countries. This is the device half the industry made its first sale with.

Who you sell it to: private owners, motorcycles, and any sale where price decides. It covers the basics: position, history and — depending on the model — engine cut.

What it earns you: the lowest entry price, which lets you compete in markets where nobody will pay for an expensive device.

What to watch — and this one is serious: quality varies between batches and there are plenty of imitations in circulation. Test one unit before you buy a hundred. And check the network: this is where most leftover 2G part numbers are still floating around, and a 2G batch in a country switching that network off is money thrown away.

If you are starting out with this range: which tracker to buy first, what it really costs to start and theft prevention and immobilising.

Which protocol it speaks: Coban devices reach the platform over the Coban GPS103, Coban TK102, Coban TK103 and Coban V680 protocols. Their pages explain what they are and how they work.