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Hardware guide · watch · port 5093

TK806 and watch-protocol trackers: server and APN by SMS

The "watch" protocol started life on GPS wristwatches and now runs on a set of small asset trackers, the TK806 among them. Two SMS and it reports to Moon.

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Summary

Protocol Port Server command APN command Tested on
watch 5093 adminip123456 <host> 5093 apnuser123456 <APN> In service on our platform; unit count not published

Server: trackers.moongpstracker.com (169.58.68.140), TCP. Some firmware refuses domain names — then use the IP.

What it is

The watch protocol is a text-based tracker protocol originally built for GPS watches and now used by a family of compact trackers, including the TK806. Moon keeps port 5093 open for it.

Configuration is by SMS with the adminip / apnuser command pair, using the factory password 123456.

What you need

  • A data SIM in the device, and the APN string for that SIM
  • The SIM's phone number for the two SMS below
  • The device IMEI, printed on the case or under the battery cover

APN examples

The APN belongs to the SIM, not to the tracker. These are the two we use ourselves:

  • 1NCE: iot.1nce.net
  • Truphone: iot.truphone.com

On both, the APN username and password are empty — which is the usual case on IoT SIMs. If your SIM comes from a mobile operator, ask them for all three values.

SMS commands

Send both SMS from any phone. 123456 is the factory password — replace it if you have changed yours.

Point it at Moon 
adminip123456 trackers.moongpstracker.com 5093

This hardware normally resolves the hostname. The device acknowledges and reconnects on its own.

Set the APN (replace <APN> with your SIM APN) 
apnuser123456 <APN>

On most IoT SIMs the APN username and password are empty and this single command is enough.

Fallback: numeric IP 
adminip123456 169.58.68.140 5093

Use this if the device acknowledges the hostname form and then never connects — the symptom of firmware that cannot resolve names.

After the device is configured it turns up in Unknown devices in the Moon panel — or straight on your map, if you registered its identifier first. The first position normally lands within minutes.

What Moon shows you

  • Live position and trip history with stops and addresses
  • Battery level, which on a portable tracker is the number that actually matters
  • SOS and movement alarms as the device raises them

What it does not do

  • No engine cut, no digital inputs: this class of hardware is not wired into a vehicle.
  • Reporting is sparser than on a wired tracker, because the device is running off its own battery.

Which values arrive depends on the device and the installation, never on your licence: every Moon account has the whole platform. See what the platform does.

Gotchas

The things that cost us time on real vehicles, written down so they do not cost you any.

It is a battery device, so gaps are normal

Watch-protocol trackers report on a duty cycle to protect their battery. A gap between positions is the device saving power, not a lost device. Set the alert thresholds accordingly, or you will spend your week acknowledging alarms that mean nothing.

Both commands, in either order

The server and the APN are independent. A device with the right server and the wrong APN acknowledges everything and connects to nothing — the most confusing failure mode there is, because the SMS all get answered.

Factory password

The commands on this page use the factory password (123456). A tracker left on its factory password can be reconfigured by anyone who knows its SIM number. Change it, or use SIMs that cannot receive SMS from outside numbers — the 1NCE and Truphone SIMs we ship are set up that way.

TK806 and watch-protocol trackers: questions we get asked

Is the TK806 the same as the TK103?
No, despite the similar name. The TK103 speaks the tk103 protocol on port 5002 and takes SERVER,… commands. The TK806 speaks the watch protocol on port 5093 and takes adminip. Sending one family's command to the other does nothing.
The device answers the SMS but never appears in the panel.
That is the signature of a wrong APN: the device has a server address and no data connection. Re-send apnuser123456 with the APN of the SIM actually fitted, then wait for the next duty cycle.
Can I use it to track a vehicle?
You can, but a wired tracker is a better tool: it never needs charging and it can report ignition, voltage and, where wired for it, engine cut. Watch-protocol devices earn their place on assets that have no power to draw from.

Two ways to go from here

Send the commands yourself and register the device in the panel, or tell us what you have and we will confirm what it can do on Moon before you commit to anything.

Talk to us Already a customer? Open Unknown devices

No account yet? Send us the make and model and we will set the device up on a demo account for you.

Not sure it is the right model? Send it to support@moongpstracker.com and we will tell you before you buy.

Other hardware guides

The compatibility hub lists every open port against the protocol it serves.