Anchor/Wind/Radar Alarm...yes again but more.

[Gypsy]

A few weeks back I posted about an anchor alarm repeater unit I had developed. It had a warm response from forumites but better still I received some valuable feedback for extra features.
So I now have the ENHANCED version which responds to Raymarine/Seatalk alarm messages from Depth, Wind Maximum and Radar Guard Zones!!!
It is still a hobby experimental project, but take a look here if you would like to know more. All feedback appreciated.
Thanks for the very useful input from the forum so far. It may never be a commercial project but I am sure it will be useful to somebody other than me.

 

[scarlett]

I made a wind alarm out of broken boat hooks and slices of olive tree, to work like a wind chime.

Trouble was calibrating it. I hung it in the cockpit with the idea that it would wake me when appropriate.

It would chime nearly all the time and would make me a pariah in any anchorage!

It now hangs in my back garden to remind me of the sea.

 

[Gypsy]

You and I are living proof that we feel compelled to do something with those ideas which are trapped in our head. Sounds like yours was useful and components easier to get than mine.

 

[KellysEye]

>I made a wind alarm out of broken boat hooks and slices of olive tree

Love it! We bought a new wind instrument and set off at night from Union Island to St Lucia with a forecast of 20 to 25 knots increasing 25 to 30. About two hours out something started beeping that I hadn't heard before. I traced it to the new instrument and it was flashing 'strong wind' (meaning over 25 knots). After an hour listening to it I was so naffed off that Plan A was to fix it with a 5lb club hammer. Plan B was get the manual out, which I did.

Why oh why do the idiot manufacurers think we need strong wind alarms when the rigging is howling, there is water flying everywhere and it's blindingly obvious there are strong winds.

 

[Gypsy]

Kelly, don't you think you are being a bit "OneEyed"? Firstly, there was a switch provided to turn it on/off. It is a tool, a feature. Use it or not at your choice. Secondly, there are times such as at anchor when you DO want to know if the wind lifts, before it gets so strong as to wake you and be dangerous. And thirdly, singlehanding sailors often need help to wake when there is a change if they have been sleep deprived.

Most bits of technology have more features than we want/need but we buy them for specific uses and can ignore the rest (except for those from Big Brother Microsoft!). Please don't discourage innovation as it is the path to new features YOU might want or appreciate.