Locate one's boat remotely for safety and security? plus other stuff.

[Sailingsaves]

Is there a device cheaper than £35 already that does this?

If so I will cease following my investigations.

At the moment I have a device that can be positioned on a boat, car, motorbike, pet, valuable object, child going exploring in remote places (a friend wanted me to protect his bike from being stolen _ or find it IF stolen) just about size of matchbox that allows owner to send text message to unit and receive:

location (lat and long.)
immediate visual location via Google Map if using a smart phone
speed
audio of what is happening around device
state of battery charge of unit (if not wired to vehicle's main system)

it will notify user via text if it detects vibration (good for mounting on one's outboard engine?)
It will notify the owner (or more than one person) if "panic" button is pressed - good for elderly?
It will notify user if it moves out of user defined area - so act as an anchor alarm? As well as act as an alarm if boat slipped its mooring one windy night.

It can be programmed and controlled from comfort of your armchair in front of a warming fire.

At moment I am testing its battery longevity and so forth.
It requires a Sim card. I am using a 99p Pay As You Go card and £10 on it has only decreased by 99p over two months so far.
It does other things but before I go on, what do you guys think so far?

It uses GPS, GMS GPRS, so if 'seeing' a satellite, very accurate, if not, cell towers give location within 30 foot range.

Thanks for usual criticism good or bad _ donning my hard skin coat now...........

I am asking here. Not trying to sell one.

 

[Robin B]

SO... how long does the battery last..?

 

[Sailingsaves]

SO... how long does the battery last..?

Well 2 months and it is still over 35% charged. And it hasn't even been through 4 cycles or charging yet (that is what is required to prime a lithium ion battery.
If it was on my boat, it would be wired into the 12V system.

 

[Robin B]

That's pretty good.

How big is it?

 

[nigelmercier]

My son has something like this for Airsoft, don't ask. Which one do you have?

 

[daveyw]

Under £35 and the size of a matchbox? I'd have one.

 

[Alpha22]

Like this? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171233938356?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

[nimbusgb]

Spent a little more on mine but it does all the same stuff as well as alerting if the power is removed amongst other things.

I'd question the location accuracy without GPS though as you'd need significantly higher resolution than is currently possible and it is reliant on accurately knowing not only the location of the gsm tower but also having several towers 'in view' at once. Not always the case!

 

[Sailingsaves]

I have 4 that I am testing.

To Nigel: The American ones are best. They have no name as such.

The chinese ones often have NO gps chip _ be careful what you buy one under test is the ebay linked type. It depends upon cell tower coverage, not accurate, no GPS chip _ get what you pay for I guess.

To Robin: Size of battery, 1000mAh. About 40mm by 30mm by 5mm

To Nigel again: I cannot resist but ask, what does he do with it in Airsoft? Track 'enemy' after hiding it on their rucksack or just log his progress?

 

[yoda]

great idea, having had 2 outboards stolen one night I would be interested in multiple devices. I guess the level of water resistance is also going to be key.

Yoda

 

[Robin B]

I think we need a link..!

 

[lynall]

If its the tk102 it will disappoint you at some crucial time, tk103 better but has two aerials to consider.
I think tk106 maybe be waterproof, but cannot be 100 percent sure

 

[CaptainBob]

Sounds like an excellent gadget. Would make a good anchor drag system perhaps also?

We use the app 'My Anchor Watch Pro' which has facilities similar to your device (it will text you under your specified circumstances, or you can text it to receive an update in response), and which can be installed on a basic smartphone. Works either as an anchor drag alarm or as an anti-theft device if you make sure the phone is hidden, and in silent mode.

But yours can run for a couple of months without external power? That's very cool!

 

[Norman_E]

I have 4 that I am testing.

To Nigel: The American ones are best. They have no name as such.

The chinese ones often have NO gps chip _ be careful what you buy one under test is the ebay linked type. It depends upon cell tower coverage, not accurate, no GPS chip _ get what you pay for I guess.

To Robin: Size of battery, 1000mAh. About 40mm by 30mm by 5mm

To Nigel again: I cannot resist but ask, what does he do with it in Airsoft? Track 'enemy' after hiding it on their rucksack or just log his progress?

This type claims to have a GPS chip in it. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Auto-...rg=20140107083358&rk=0&rkt=10&sd=171233938356

I have been thinking of fitting one, but as the boat is in Turkey there is a problem, because the local system turns off access to foreign SIM cards, and makes problems over registering foreign bought devices to use a local SIM.