gregcope
Well-Known Member
Anyone know of a cheapish GPS location tracker with battery and bilge alarm?
Found one, but is eye wateringly expensive....
Thanks.
Found one, but is eye wateringly expensive....
Thanks.
Cheap(ish) GPS/SMS tracker
- Thread starter gregcope
- Start date
nimbusgb
Well-Known Member
I purchased a £50 unit off ebay. It has 1 input sensor circuit. A bit of fiddling would allow you to sense battery voltage low or bilge high using just 1 sense signal.
If you want to sense battery direct the unit has an internal battery that is monitored. You could use that input to monitor the battery and the input to monitor the bilge.
For £50 not too bad.
I was going to publish a 'YAPP' type posting on how to build a monitoring system but couldn't be bothered fielding all the flak from the forum naysayers!
If you want to sense battery direct the unit has an internal battery that is monitored. You could use that input to monitor the battery and the input to monitor the bilge.
For £50 not too bad.
I was going to publish a 'YAPP' type posting on how to build a monitoring system but couldn't be bothered fielding all the flak from the forum naysayers!
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electrosys
Well-Known Member
There are several DIY designs on the web - here are three I found fairly quickly:
http://dev.emcelettronica.com/reuse-your-old-personal-gsm-phone-sms-control-and-monitoring
http://www.spaceorbit.net/peter/projects/microguard_mark1/index.html
http://www.piclist.com/images/boards/thebug/index.htm
Maybe you could twist the arm of AngusMcDoon or nimbusgb to put together a turn-key module - I'm sure there would be a lot of people here who would appreciate a GPS/alarm/surveillance system sending such info from their boat back to their mobile phone, for just the cost of a text.
http://dev.emcelettronica.com/reuse-your-old-personal-gsm-phone-sms-control-and-monitoring
http://www.spaceorbit.net/peter/projects/microguard_mark1/index.html
http://www.piclist.com/images/boards/thebug/index.htm
Maybe you could twist the arm of AngusMcDoon or nimbusgb to put together a turn-key module - I'm sure there would be a lot of people here who would appreciate a GPS/alarm/surveillance system sending such info from their boat back to their mobile phone, for just the cost of a text.
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sarabande
Well-Known Member
count me in for a DIY kit please; no two of them.
(no, it's not a catamaran, but a caravan
)
(no, it's not a catamaran, but a caravan
)gregcope
Well-Known Member
Thanks electrosys, but those seem to be only SMS gizmos.
What I was looking for was;
1. Anchor/Mooring watch - SMS when unit moves xM (where X=30M) from a configurable point - this will need GPS;
2. Battery Alarm - SMS when Batt. volts goes below 11.5v - this will need some sort of input;
3. Bilge Alarm - SMS when contacts sense water - this will need some sort of input;
4. Low power consumption;
5. Ability to be charged from a 12v supply;
6. small size;
7. cheap.
What I was looking for was;
1. Anchor/Mooring watch - SMS when unit moves xM (where X=30M) from a configurable point - this will need GPS;
2. Battery Alarm - SMS when Batt. volts goes below 11.5v - this will need some sort of input;
3. Bilge Alarm - SMS when contacts sense water - this will need some sort of input;
4. Low power consumption;
5. Ability to be charged from a 12v supply;
6. small size;
7. cheap.
gregcope
Well-Known Member
Balls... duplicate.
electrosys
Well-Known Member
Using the SMS protocol is the difficult stuff - everything else you mention is completely straightforward. The projects referred to are intended for general purpose use, hence don't go into much detail re: the interfacing of individual applications, as each user application will have it's own customised requirements.
The battery and bilge water sensors can be straighforward comparators - most PICs have these included on-chip.
GPS is slightly more involved and will require a GPS module for a stand-alone device - I bought one recently (with a Sirf chipset) for around a tenner. Example units can be seen on Ebay: #180592192165, #180671218144, and #330563708379
Using this as an anchor watch/ location tracker etc. will require some extra programming of the PIC - but again, it's well-trodden ground for microprocessor programmers. If you've got a GPS with NMEA on-board, you could always use that info - but these modules are easier to use than handheld GPS's, in that they can be switched on and off, and switched into low power mode, remotely.
Low power ? - PICs are nano-amp devices, and can switch on more power hungry (i.e. milliamp) devices at preset intervals, or when triggered to do so.
A few tens of milliamps from a 12V supply would be more than adequate.
Size ? Mobile phone size x2 should do it.
Cheap ? At a guess, I'd say the cost to make one would be around Mobile Phone + GPS sensor + £20 ?
If someone can be arsed to put such a dedicated system together, I'd say it should sell for at least £50.
The battery and bilge water sensors can be straighforward comparators - most PICs have these included on-chip.
GPS is slightly more involved and will require a GPS module for a stand-alone device - I bought one recently (with a Sirf chipset) for around a tenner. Example units can be seen on Ebay: #180592192165, #180671218144, and #330563708379
Using this as an anchor watch/ location tracker etc. will require some extra programming of the PIC - but again, it's well-trodden ground for microprocessor programmers. If you've got a GPS with NMEA on-board, you could always use that info - but these modules are easier to use than handheld GPS's, in that they can be switched on and off, and switched into low power mode, remotely.
Low power ? - PICs are nano-amp devices, and can switch on more power hungry (i.e. milliamp) devices at preset intervals, or when triggered to do so.
A few tens of milliamps from a 12V supply would be more than adequate.
Size ? Mobile phone size x2 should do it.
Cheap ? At a guess, I'd say the cost to make one would be around Mobile Phone + GPS sensor + £20 ?
If someone can be arsed to put such a dedicated system together, I'd say it should sell for at least £50.
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Wunja
Well-Known Member
count me in for a DIY kit please; no two of them.
(no, it's not a catamaran, but a caravan
Your caravan need a bilge alarm?
doughnut
Member
I've been wondering over the last few months about buying a cheap android phone and connecting an I/O board like
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10748
Using SL4A (python/perl scripting for android) means that setting up SMS control should be dead easy, and with 48 I/O pins to play with I should be able to collect plenty of data (or even control a few things). Plus I would get GPS for free and could even tell the phone to take photos via SMS.
I also looked at
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_12&products_id=108418
which might just keep the phone charged up ok.
Then I got to wondering how I would plug both USB devices into the same phone and I went to the bar for another pint instead.
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10748
Using SL4A (python/perl scripting for android) means that setting up SMS control should be dead easy, and with 48 I/O pins to play with I should be able to collect plenty of data (or even control a few things). Plus I would get GPS for free and could even tell the phone to take photos via SMS.
I also looked at
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_12&products_id=108418
which might just keep the phone charged up ok.
Then I got to wondering how I would plug both USB devices into the same phone and I went to the bar for another pint instead.
nimbusgb
Well-Known Member
Actually the SMS bit is quite simple.
If there is some genuine interest I'll get involved with a YAPP bilge monitoring project.
What I have working so far is this.
SMS interface
2 * battery voltage sensor circuits ( to 30v in 0.025v resolution)
1 * Bilge pump monitor
GPS interface ( Either local OEM board or read onboard GPS via NMEA or seat*lk )
A pair of general purpose inputs and
A pair of general purpose outputs.
Optional ( I have on my prototype )
1 * Mains input sensor ( £4.50 )
Temperature and Humidity sensor interface ( about £18 )
Barograph sensor ( roughly another £15 )
Further stuff.
Bluetooth connectivity
Navtext interface ( deliver navtext text to browser on mobile phone or laptop )
The hardware has support for USB mastering so it is conceivable that a web cam could send a snapshot of the inside of your boat to you via MMS.
The software already does a few things.
Monitors the bilge switch and the pump current. An alert can be sent every time the pump runs or on a number of other perameters such as total run time per day, single run exceeds a certain time, number of pump runs in 24 hours. When running via the float switch the motor is measured and several modes can be detected - pump running, pump stalled, pump outlet blocked, pump inlet blocked, pumping water. If the pump is running but not pumping water the pump will switch off and enter an adaptive mode where the processor controls the pump not the float switch.
Run the pump on a given schedule and test for the same perameters. Alerts can be generated to the SMS system if a pump fault is detected.
If the pump is pumping water for more than a few seconds then a float switch fault is flagged and the system takes over by running until the pump current reflects pumping air. It then adaptively reruns the pump as required to prevent further flooding. The remote phone is notified.
Similar perameterized alerts can be set for Mains ( shore power fail / restore / number of failures etc. Temperature and humidity ( high low )
The two outputs can be used to control frost heater and dehumidifier either automatically or manually via SMS message. ( Or turn on fridge 12h before to make a couple of beers cold
)
An Anchor / boat moved alarm would be trivial to implement, as would a GSM re transmission of the boats position.
A reporting function allows you to query the number of pump runs, temperature / humidity / mains failures , high and low battery voltages etc etc.
Cost - somewhat more than £50 to do it all but as a kit of parts not prohibitive.
Size - the unit is in a robust aluminium casing about 120 mm * 50 mm * 150 mm but then I wasn't trying to cram it down!
Power - to do all the above takes a bit of grunt, I'm not too concerned about that because I have 2 * 80watt panels on my boat but I could implement some serious power saving measures. It wouldn't be down to PIC levels but hey ho you pays your money ........
Ideally I think a system that can survive say 2 weeks on it's own ( without recharging ) and have some sort of backup/ recharge from a small cheap solar panel would work for most people?
If there is some genuine interest I'll get involved with a YAPP bilge monitoring project.
What I have working so far is this.
SMS interface
2 * battery voltage sensor circuits ( to 30v in 0.025v resolution)
1 * Bilge pump monitor
GPS interface ( Either local OEM board or read onboard GPS via NMEA or seat*lk )
A pair of general purpose inputs and
A pair of general purpose outputs.
Optional ( I have on my prototype )
1 * Mains input sensor ( £4.50 )
Temperature and Humidity sensor interface ( about £18 )
Barograph sensor ( roughly another £15 )
Further stuff.
Bluetooth connectivity
Navtext interface ( deliver navtext text to browser on mobile phone or laptop )
The hardware has support for USB mastering so it is conceivable that a web cam could send a snapshot of the inside of your boat to you via MMS.
The software already does a few things.
Monitors the bilge switch and the pump current. An alert can be sent every time the pump runs or on a number of other perameters such as total run time per day, single run exceeds a certain time, number of pump runs in 24 hours. When running via the float switch the motor is measured and several modes can be detected - pump running, pump stalled, pump outlet blocked, pump inlet blocked, pumping water. If the pump is running but not pumping water the pump will switch off and enter an adaptive mode where the processor controls the pump not the float switch.
Run the pump on a given schedule and test for the same perameters. Alerts can be generated to the SMS system if a pump fault is detected.
If the pump is pumping water for more than a few seconds then a float switch fault is flagged and the system takes over by running until the pump current reflects pumping air. It then adaptively reruns the pump as required to prevent further flooding. The remote phone is notified.
Similar perameterized alerts can be set for Mains ( shore power fail / restore / number of failures etc. Temperature and humidity ( high low )
The two outputs can be used to control frost heater and dehumidifier either automatically or manually via SMS message. ( Or turn on fridge 12h before to make a couple of beers cold
)An Anchor / boat moved alarm would be trivial to implement, as would a GSM re transmission of the boats position.
A reporting function allows you to query the number of pump runs, temperature / humidity / mains failures , high and low battery voltages etc etc.
Cost - somewhat more than £50 to do it all but as a kit of parts not prohibitive.
Size - the unit is in a robust aluminium casing about 120 mm * 50 mm * 150 mm but then I wasn't trying to cram it down!
Power - to do all the above takes a bit of grunt, I'm not too concerned about that because I have 2 * 80watt panels on my boat but I could implement some serious power saving measures. It wouldn't be down to PIC levels but hey ho you pays your money ........
Ideally I think a system that can survive say 2 weeks on it's own ( without recharging ) and have some sort of backup/ recharge from a small cheap solar panel would work for most people?
gregcope
Well-Known Member
nimbusgb, sounds like you have lot of it covered.
My aim was just to monitor a moored or Anchored yacht and hence to keep it simple, small cheap. It would need to be low power so as not to draw excessively from the batteries, as I do not see adding a Solar Panel to charge this and the boat would not have shore power.
My aim was just to monitor a moored or Anchored yacht and hence to keep it simple, small cheap. It would need to be low power so as not to draw excessively from the batteries, as I do not see adding a Solar Panel to charge this and the boat would not have shore power.
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
I'm away boating at the moment so have limited internet connection.
I did something similar a while back for remote monitoring while at anchor. It's all quite easy and cheap, apart from the mobile communications part. Old mobile phones used to have a standard serial port which could be connected to for sending messages using AT commands. This is what I used on my old Sony Ericsson P900. I could also control the phone's camera and send picture messages.
Now however, phones have a USB connection instead which makes it more difficult to connect to them. It is possible to buy standalone GSM modem modules, but these are usually surface mount, so not suitable for a YAPP. You can get a GSM modem in a box with just a standard serial connector for £35 here...
http://cheapbuyuk.co.uk/forum/7-Wavecom-Fastrack-M1206B-GSM-Modem-GSM-Terminal
...but that's the cheapest I can find.
Any small processor could drive this, like a PIC or AVR. The AT command set is well published, although usually slightly differently implemented by different manufactures which makes it a bit awkward.