Remote Monitoring System

[Midnightsun]

Source of the post Help huh.....the only thing that would bug me is that the whole thing hinges on a contract with some provider you must rely on....did I understand that right ?

Actually is there not the same sort of thing that just works over wifi.

There are a few no cost solutions out there such as a Smartthings hub however these need wifi which must remain on the same network. If you were to move your boat and leave the wifi location you are non operational. Not to sure how well that would work on marina wifi since I think you need admin accessibility to connect a hub. In my case I already have a wifi lte network on Midnight Sun so I could use it however the complexity of the system becomes an issue IMHO not to mention sensors that need power or batteries recharged since they are wireless dependant and not a wired connection. Not saying it won't work but I visualise sensor X losses connection to the hub so you need to reconnect by pushing the button on the sensor and pairing or some similar action. The Boat Command is plug and play, wired and simple and at $45 a season with GPS capability it is so much easier not to mention the unit draws milliamps as opposed to a much larger draw for any wifi system. The drawback is IF Boat Command folds then you have just lost over $300 and/or there are no guarantees that they will not jack their fees way up in the future.

There are several ways to skin a cat, some are complex, some are easy, some are free, some cost money. There is no one method that works best for all.

[BenTen]

I've been thinking about adding an on board monitor as well but am not a fan of the monthly fees.

Since I already have a 4G enabled internet router on board (MOFI4500- Link Below) I am thinking about adding a simple environmental monitor like I use in my data centers to monitor multiple temp, humidity, bilge and other contacts such as hatches and main salon door. I could set it up to trigger two remote relays if needed (bilge pump, A/C possibly, alarm etc.)

Monitor: http://www.networktechinc.com/environme ... html#tab-9
4G Router: LINK


As said above, this will only work if you have always on internet like I do.


Ben in SC

[Midnightsun]

Just an update regarding the system. The simplicity is great and although I have not installed it on the boat yet, it works fine setup in my garage connected to the house wiring which is simulating shore power and I also connected a temp probe. I have activated my subscription and do have access to the unit via my browser and my phone. Emails and text message come in within a minute of an event. I did opt for a basic yearly subscription so as not to bother with activating a deactivating, not bad at all @ $79 US for the year.

Power draw from the unit is minimal by the way. Less than 70 mA @ 12V (active), less than 10 mA @ 12v (sleep)

Most everything is built into the unit so connecting a wire to lets say the bilge activation wire is all that is required so no additional costs except you do need to get down there and fish a wire which can be a walk in the park or a few hours of cussing and bleeding knuckles. A few options do require additional items as mentioned below. Cost effective to say the least.

Shore power needs an additional sensor as well as temperature on board. There are also switches you can activate which simply require a 12v standard relay used in the automotive industry

The shore power sensor is simply a 5v power supply hooked to dedicated wires of the boat command, when the 5v is lost it triggers an alarm that shore power is lost. This works perfectly and much cheaper, just cut of the 5 volt plug and connect to the boat command wires. https://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-100-240V-to-DC-12V-1-1-5-2A-Switch-Power-Supplier-Charger-Adapter-US-EU-Plug/292051198707?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D6ec4412030574b4e948d607704182bc0%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Des%26sd%3D332188456618%26itm%3D292051198707&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A95c9f4b3-52cb-11e9-956f-74dbd180511e%7Cparentrq%3Acddcd50e1690a88a0346283fffee4860%7Ciid%3A1


This is what I used for the temp probe, again much much cheaper and works perfectly, I ordered the 3 meter length just to be sure I had enough. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-2-5-3m-DS18B20-Waterproof-Digital-Humidity-Temperature-Sensor-Thermal-Probe/312182285632?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=610852128989&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

This is a screen shot of my home page when I open the app in my browser which is also almost the same on the phone. Normally you would see the marina on the map but since it is in my garage you see my house. Actually you will see a shot from google maps whereever the boat may be when the request happens. I can click on any item to get more detailed info. There really are several options I did not expect in such an inexpensive unit. Overall I am really liking this.




Clicking on weather as an example brings this up.



Cliking on shore power which shows a log and you can see where I simulated failures.



Here is what you see when you click on Bilge pump. You can monitor a maximum of 2 bilge pumps and a high water alarm which is more than sufficient.



There is a lot of information buried all over the place, again 5 thumbs up.

[Midnightsun]

One more thing I forgot to mention. Once you subscribe, you get an insurance certificate attesting so which I sent in to my insurer to see if they allow me a discount. Not that I think anything will happen but a scan and a quick email is all the effort it takes. Will get back to you with their answer.

[pepmyster]

That, is impressive!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Midnightsun]

They finally got back to me from the insurance company. They gave me a credit of $101 after I showed them the insurance certificate you get when you subscribe which covers more or less the annual subscription fee. I'm a happy camper.