Remote Monitoring

[Richard.C]

I purchased a remote monitoring system from Skippers Mate last winter and considering others may be thinking about remote monitoring now for the impending winter I thought I would post a little information and my thoughts.

We live about a 4 hour drive away from the boat so it’s not possible for me to just pop down and check on things if we have a cold snap during the winter and I wanted to keep the boat in commission to take advantage of some of those lovely winter days we do get. Having some form of remote monitoring was just a good idea for me.

The system is based on a Raspberry Pi as the main brain with remote sensors using Arduino’s linked via Bluetooth. So first thing to consider is this is development based hardware not production goods in fancy packaging, (you can probably add a few zero’s to the purchase price if you wanted everything neatly packaged).

Everything can be purchased through Skippers Mate or you can buy separately and use their software, I chose to purchase everything through Skippers Mate as I’m new to Pi’s and Arduino’s. The kit arrived with everything required to connect it and get started although I did buy some separate enclosures for the Arduino’s to offer a little protection.

I connected everything at home to start with and I think within an hour everything was up and running. I started with the main unit, 3 temp/humidity sensors, (one in the Lazarette, one in the engine room and one in the saloon) and a video camera. I have since added a mains supply monitor which I put together myself but again using Arduino, (the team at Skippers Mate did the software side for me).

My system is connected by the marina wifi (with 3G as back up) to the internet and subsequently to the Skippers Mate server where my data is hosted and presented to me via their web interface. I can log on to see the camera feed, check on historic temp/humidity data, see current sensor readings and a few other settings and system set up. The system also sends text messages based on alerts I have set up, such as temp alarms, humidity alarms, mains power failure, etc.
The system has worked well for me and I’m very pleased with the peace of mind it has given me, the support from Colin and Penny at Skippers Mate has been superb. Here’s a few screen shots from the web interface from this morning:







My water tanks, water pump and immersion heater are in the lazarette hence why I have a sensor located there. You will see on the humidity screen the saloon is nice and constant at low humidity thanks to the dehumidifier, the lazarette is fairly constant at a humidity level some way above the saloon and the engine room having ventilation to the outside is more variable and follows ambient humidity. I think it was raining or foggy in Lymington this morning!

I have the main unit powered from the boats 12v system, the temp/humidity sensors are powered from the 240V system via USB adapters and the mains power monitor is similarly powered via USB adapter but with LiPo battery back-up.

I’ve had one instance of mains power failure and the text alert meant I could call the marina to have power restored within 20 minutes.

I’ll try to answer any questions if people have them, I have no affiliation with Skippers Mate other than being a happy customer.

Richard

 

[Oscar24]

Nice setup,
Been meaning to do something similar.
Thanks for posting :encouragement:

 

[superheat6k]

Can you advise how much it costs to install and set up and then annual costs to run please.

 

[Richard.C]

Can you advise how much it costs to install and set up and then annual costs to run please.

Probably best you refer to the Skippersmate website for latest details and pricing. I spent around £350 all in but that was the main unit, 3G dongle, Wifi dongle, GPS dongle, 3 sensor units, IP camera, power supplies. This includes 3 months server access and then I think it is £50/yr for the service, but again best you check the website for latest pricing and deals.

I forgot to mention before with the GPS the system also plots position on a goggle earth image and can alert if the boat moves, I'm not likely to need this but a neat feature.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I forgot to mention before with the GPS the system also plots position on a goggle earth image and can alert if the boat moves, I'm not likely to need this but a neat feature.

Can it function as an anchor alert? In other words can you designate a guard zone radius around the boats current position and for the system to warn you on your mobile phone if the boat strays outside that zone?

 

[Richard.C]

Can it function as an anchor alert? In other words can you designate a guard zone radius around the boats current position and for the system to warn you on your mobile phone if the boat strays outside that zone?

Mike, I haven't actually used that feature, there is an alert setting in the GPS set up where you set how many meters of movement, may not be a radius though. Would be a good update for Skippers Mate to make, they have been good at adding features upon request.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Mike, I haven't actually used that feature, there is an alert setting in the GPS set up where you set how many meters of movement, may not be a radius though. Would be a good update for Skippers Mate to make, they have been good at adding features upon request.

For me that would be essential. If the system has a GPS to enable position monitoring then an anchor alert is a bit of a no brainer

 

[Richard.C]

For me that would be essential. If the system has a GPS to enable position monitoring then an anchor alert is a bit of a no brainer

Yes, and I'm sure they would add functionality if it doesn't already work that way.

This is the GPS set up page where you turn on/off the alert and set distance:



Here's the actual GPS plot of my boat on google earth, there is some GPS error but the sensor is inside a cupboard inside the boat so not the best location, but that is my boat in her berth. The sail boat icons signify the GPS position.

 

[Hurricane]

For me that would be essential. If the system has a GPS to enable position monitoring then an anchor alert is a bit of a no brainer

The easy solution if all you want is a position monitor.
Is to buy or reuse an old mobile phone.
Stick in a PAYG SIM and with the appropriate anchor app, get it to SMS to you if it moves.
I appreciate that doesn't monitor all the other criteria that the OP has set up but it does answer your query for a very cost effective price.

I have been using one of these for a number of years.
It also monitors the shore power - just stick a PAYG SIM card in (£5) and plug it in.
One like this:-

I don't know if they are still available but I found this with a quick search - this is the exact model that I have:-

https://pressreleases.responsesourc...ntrolled-power-socket-manage-power-using-any/

 

[Hurricane]

I purchased a remote monitoring system from Skippers Mate last winter and considering others may be thinking about remote monitoring now for the impending winter I thought I would post a little information and my thoughts.

We live about a 4 hour drive away from the boat so it’s not possible for me to just pop down and check on things if we have a cold snap during the winter and I wanted to keep the boat in commission to take advantage of some of those lovely winter days we do get. Having some form of remote monitoring was just a good idea for me.

The system is based on a Raspberry Pi as the main brain with remote sensors using Arduino’s linked via Bluetooth. So first thing to consider is this is development based hardware not production goods in fancy packaging, (you can probably add a few zero’s to the purchase price if you wanted everything neatly packaged).

Everything can be purchased through Skippers Mate or you can buy separately and use their software, I chose to purchase everything through Skippers Mate as I’m new to Pi’s and Arduino’s. The kit arrived with everything required to connect it and get started although I did buy some separate enclosures for the Arduino’s to offer a little protection.

I connected everything at home to start with and I think within an hour everything was up and running. I started with the main unit, 3 temp/humidity sensors, (one in the Lazarette, one in the engine room and one in the saloon) and a video camera. I have since added a mains supply monitor which I put together myself but again using Arduino, (the team at Skippers Mate did the software side for me).

My system is connected by the marina wifi (with 3G as back up) to the internet and subsequently to the Skippers Mate server where my data is hosted and presented to me via their web interface. I can log on to see the camera feed, check on historic temp/humidity data, see current sensor readings and a few other settings and system set up. The system also sends text messages based on alerts I have set up, such as temp alarms, humidity alarms, mains power failure, etc.
The system has worked well for me and I’m very pleased with the peace of mind it has given me, the support from Colin and Penny at Skippers Mate has been superb. Here’s a few screen shots from the web interface from this morning:

View attachment 67083

View attachment 67084

View attachment 67085

My water tanks, water pump and immersion heater are in the lazarette hence why I have a sensor located there. You will see on the humidity screen the saloon is nice and constant at low humidity thanks to the dehumidifier, the lazarette is fairly constant at a humidity level some way above the saloon and the engine room having ventilation to the outside is more variable and follows ambient humidity. I think it was raining or foggy in Lymington this morning!

I have the main unit powered from the boats 12v system, the temp/humidity sensors are powered from the 240V system via USB adapters and the mains power monitor is similarly powered via USB adapter but with LiPo battery back-up.

I’ve had one instance of mains power failure and the text alert meant I could call the marina to have power restored within 20 minutes.

I’ll try to answer any questions if people have them, I have no affiliation with Skippers Mate other than being a happy customer.

Richard

Yep - I take my hat off to you.
I monitor the power using a GSM system - see above post.
But this year, I thought I would try something else.
So, I knocked up a Raspberry Pi, added a night vision camera and set it up as a security camera.
I installed some software that uses the camera to detect motion and then alarms by sending an email.
The software worked rather well actually - even managing to send a video clip of the time that it detected motion AND 5 secs before it was triggered.
The problem I found was that the Raspberry Pi didn't seem stable enough.
The night vision camera needed its infra red lights on all the time to detect motion so the whole thing got a bit too hot.
The result was that it crashed (or at least was un- responsive) after about 4 hours.
My next plan was to add a simple PIR detector and only switch the camera on when the PIR detected motion.
But I then found this on ebay for 20 quid.

Here are a couple of Youtube clips on the device.





So, I bought one and it is really quite good.
Has all the features that I wanted in my Raspberry Pi.
But it is stable - doesn't get hot and you get a remote controlled camera thrown in.
I have a VPN (proper VPN that is) that connects the boat into my home LAN so this device should work well.
But for people who don't have a VPN, the device can use DDNS so you can use it remotely.
It could even connect to the marina WiFi.
I will be installing mine later this month when I next visit the boat so I will keep you posted on its performance.
Mine will be connecting through the 4G connection that the boat now relies on when I'm out there.
As a precaution, I will probably power it from the Energenie GSM Remote Controlled socket - just in case it does need its power cycled/rebooted!!

 

[Richard.C]

Yep - I take my hat off to you.

Nothing to do with me Mike, I'm just a happy customer, all development done by Skippers Mate.

It has opened my eyes to Arduino and Raspberry Pi though, I just don't have the software knowledge.

Richard

 

[Hurricane]

Nothing to do with me Mike, I'm just a happy customer, all development done by Skippers Mate.

It has opened my eyes to Arduino and Raspberry Pi though, I just don't have the software knowledge.

Richard

I don't have knowledge either.
Knowledge is stuff you remember.
I forget most of what I learn!!
The most important thing that I remember is Google is my best friend.

I was very late to playing with the Raspberry Pi.
I found the Arduino a long time ago though.
I'm also in the process of weaning myself off Windows so Linux is an option.
All the good stuff on the Raspberry Pi is based around its Linux implementations.
So, unlike the Arduino, the Raspberry Pi has a proper and well supported operating system that is a great place to start when you have projects like this.
It is really impressive that so much can be done on such a small and cheap device.
Remember my thread to find the cheapest plotter - here:-
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?475608-A-challenge-to-make-a-cheap-plotter-for-under-%A360

 

[Richard.C]

I don't have knowledge either.
Knowledge is stuff you remember.
I forget most of what I learn!!
The most important thing that I remember is Google is my best friend.

I was very late to playing with the Raspberry Pi.
I found the Arduino a long time ago though.
I'm also in the process of weaning myself off Windows so Linux is an option.
All the good stuff on the Raspberry Pi is based around its Linux implementations.
So, unlike the Arduino, the Raspberry Pi has a proper and well supported operating system that is a great place to start when you have projects like this.
It is really impressive that so much can be done on such a small and cheap device.
Remember my thread to find the cheapest plotter - here:-
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?475608-A-challenge-to-make-a-cheap-plotter-for-under-%A360

Yes, I've been following that thread and all the various chain counter threads.........

 

[TwoHooter]

Hurricane - I really like that little camera and its ilk but I had shied away from getting one because I had been told that you can't connect remotely when the camera is using the boat's router while that is using a cellular SIM card. The reason, I have been told, is that a cellular connection has a dynamic IP address, not static. And just in case I am tripping over my own jargon here what I am trying to say is that these sorts of cameras are usually designed for use with a fixed broadband connection with a static IP address. If you have that you can connect to the camera remotely and ask it to do its stuff. But with a dynamic IP address you can't do that and you can only wait for the camera to send you a message, and pictures, when it is triggered. In practical terms the restriction I have been told about means that if the boat's router is connected to stable WiFi (eg: in a marina) then you can interrogate and control the camera remotely, but if the WFi connection isn't available and the boat's router is connecting via the cellphone network you can't. Is any of that right?

 

[rlw]

Essentially yes but most camera's have an option to use a dynamic dns provider like dyndns to get round this. Some vendors use their own service. (foscam) so not a blocking point. Worth checking if the camera you buy has this feature but I would expect most to have this today.

 

[mparrish]

Mostly correct, but many cameras have dynamic ip support options. We use a Foscam C1 and have done for two years. Used for internal boat monitoring and has worked flawlessly. We have dedicated 3G WiFi router on the boat, so can use when away from marina WiFi - this has battery backup, but is charged via 12v circuit through dedicated usb socket on the boat. Reason we went this way was C1 uses Foscam own software which handles IP address (either windows iOS android) plus the camera is powered by 5v through usb cable, so again we have it connected to 12v circuit with dedicated usb charge sockets. This means we don’t need to worry about the power supply being 240v all the time. Works really well, mainly use the android app for setting and checking on the camera, but have it setup to email me when it detects motion. Can also detect and email on sound activation plus can view the camera via android app and communicate with boat occupants.
Mike

 

[TwoHooter]

Essentially yes but most camera's have an option to use a dynamic dns provider like dyndns to get round this. Some vendors use their own service. (foscam) so not a blocking point.

Mostly correct, but many cameras have dynamic ip support options. We use a Foscam C1 and have done for two years. Used for internal boat monitoring and has worked flawlessly....Mike

Thanks - I just found another independent dynamic DNS tracker, noip.com, and a video which mentions how to use them. But the Foscam recommendation has really caught my attention.

I purchased a remote monitoring system from Skippers Mate last winter and considering others may be thinking about remote monitoring now for the impending winter I thought I would post a little information and my thoughts.

FWIW I have been researching this for some time and I have a list of 19 active players in the boat monitoring market - here. I'm trying to avoid systems which use the providers as a host because if the provider goes out of business the whole system will have to be replaced. I don't think the market is big enough to sustain 19 players and I expect many will fail - no way of predicting who will survive.

 

[matthewriches]

Did we discuss Hikvision the other day?

Thanks - I just found another independent dynamic DNS tracker, noip.com, and a video which mentions how to use them. But the Foscam recommendation has really caught my attention.


FWIW I have been researching this for some time and I have a list of 19 active players in the boat monitoring market - here. I'm trying to avoid systems which use the providers as a host because if the provider goes out of business the whole system will have to be replaced. I don't think the market is big enough to sustain 19 players and I expect many will fail - no way of predicting who will survive.

 

[BartW]

regarding monitoring,
at Mets in Amsterdam, I discovered the new Yacht Sentinel YS6

http://yacht-sentinel.com/

the worldwide 3G-4G connection is included in the unit,
and imho all very affordable.
installation and setup is extremely easy, (all sensors are wireless)
I'm about to order a set.

 

[Nautical]

regarding monitoring,
at Mets in Amsterdam, I discovered the new Yacht Sentinel YS6

http://yacht-sentinel.com/

the worldwide 3G-4G connection is included in the unit,
and imho all very affordable.
installation and setup is extremely easy, (all sensors are wireless)
I'm about to order a set.

Have a look at this system . www.sirenmarine.com

While it is a server based system its pretty trick. Doe's Geo Fence, battery functions, Bilges , shore power , alarms, internal and external temps, engine metrics, Position tracking , anchor watch and a bunch of other stuff.