Hi. New to Electronics, have an idea, need pushed in the right direction.

[Hitcat]

Hi guys,
I don't know much about actual circuitry, I can solder, desolder, run some wiring etc. But major building I am no good at.
On to my question(s).
I want to build two parts. I want a main box, can be most any size,has to be easy to wire into say a computer power source, a vehicle power source etc. I want it to send a signal to a much smaller and preferrably thin as possible. secondary part. The signal it sends needs to be nothing more than a Hey you there?

The second part, needs to be small as possible, able to cover with plastic to make it water proof. I need it to have a gps module like a jupiter 32. The module has to be able to recieve GPS signals when indoors and blocked. The jupiter supposedly does that in parking garages, canyons etc.
It also needs to be able to transmit a SMS to ,at a minimum, two phone numbers.

What I am looking for is, the main box sends a signal to the secondary one. Hey you there? Yeah. Secondary stays in idle mode(battery power is a major issue. Want to use a little as possible on the draw until they are seperated. ) Once the secondary doesn't pickup a signal within a given time frame say every 15minutes. It powers on and starts sending its GPS coordinates and an ID# to two phones via SMS.

That is the basic idea, again my knowledge is limited. If it is something you think I should take to a prototype builder, that is fine too, but I'd need to find a good legit one around chicago.

Any help and or part lists would be greatly appreciated. I'll pickup some books when I get a chance.
Budget I'd like to keep within $100-150 range.
project time asap obviously But in reality 6 months- year a complete product ready to send out for a small production run into a mass production run 2-3years down the road.

 

[rezer]

It sounds like you need to partner with an engineer that knows what he is doing. Your asking for advice to build a complex unit, with no experience in electronics. No way your going to design something like this for $100-150 (unless you meant $100-150K). You could use something that is non-proprietary, but even then, the pricing would be challenging and there would still be the issue of board layout and building. A proto-typing house would probably be outside your budget. Even to get something like this to the proto-typing stage in 6 months, by yourself with no design experience, impossibe. I could be way off base here with what your asking, but what I read doesn't sound reasonable. There's nothing wrong with ideas, or dreaming for that matter.

 

[Hitcat]

I think you are reading too deep into it.
the $150 range was the end product cost.
A perfect example. PetSafe makes a wireless invisible fence for dogs.
outside of 90ft the reciever(secondary box) discharges a capacitor shocking the dog.

Exact same concept. Only variables, 20ft radius(give/take), gps module, sms transmitter.
SMS I should be able to go through a teir 1 cell carrier and get what I want.
I'm thinking eprom or eeprom. Get a "if no signal after x minutes than send XXXXXXXXX. to ###########." The main box would mearly need to send the pulse type signal say every 5-10 minutes.

I can hookup with an engineer, will take some time to find someone I have confidence in, just cost me some cash and possibly a few candidates with the whole non-disclosure papers and having a lawyer write them up.
.