Brainstorming: Bilge Alarm that pages me (probably already exists)

[Captain Ben]

"There's an app for that"

This has probably already been done.. but here we go.

Car alarm systems make a pager that will buzz you on a key chain sized device if your car is broken in to.

The alarm on my house is ADT. It has an internal cell phone to call the ADT system if my house is broken in to, it stays charged via household A/C, but with DC battery backup

I would like my high point bilge pump float swith to do the same.

I am sure I would have to pay some sort of monthly fee...


Build it myself with a prepaid cell phone? I'm not at that level, but it could be done.

 

[ryanr623]

Re: Brainstorming: Bilge Alarm that pages me (probably already exists)

Are you proposing a system that will send a signal to your cell phone when the bilge is activated? Like while in a slip?

I would love that. But probably too expensive to be feasible

 

[Captain Ben]

Re: Brainstorming: Bilge Alarm that pages me (probably already exists)

Yes, and i just found one pre-packaged here..

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=53714&campaign=email010809

$599 and it does a lot.

I only need it to do bilge level..

still pondering DIY

 

[cwhite6]

Re: Brainstorming: Bilge Alarm that pages me (probably already exists)

Yes, and i just found one pre-packaged here..

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=53714&campaign=email010809

$599 and it does a lot.

I only need it to do bilge level..

still pondering DIY

That is a pretty cool system. I would think hard about getting on if my boat was wet slipped, especially if I had a larger, more expensive boat. Carolina Skiff claims my boat is unsinkable, but so was the Titanic.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Brainstorming: Bilge Alarm that pages me (probably already exists)

You can find systems that do it in the $300-400 range if you dig, might even be some cheaper ones out. (in reality it would be dead simple to build one even)


http://www.americanbulldogsecurity.com/servlet/the-57/ABS-Cellular-GSM-Alarm/Detail


Anyway, keep in mind ALL of them are going to have a monthly fee of some sort. In the case above, you have to provide it with a sim card for a cell phone, so you are paying for a cell phone line just for this. Some have agreements to use data only off a cell provider, they might be a little cheaper.

 

[Captain Ben]

Re: Brainstorming: Bilge Alarm that pages me (probably already exists)

This is great. They customize.

Their base system has too much stuff. I don't want an alarm and motion detector.

I want the bilge level and I am waiting for a call back from their sales rep to see if they can rig a loss of A/C power sensor to it as well.

My boat has 2 batteries, 3 blige pumps, and a smart charger (5 Amps per battery)

The bilge pumps can hang with just about anything, so long as they have A/C from shore to keep up.

If I lose shore, or the GFCI trips, I want a text message to go check on the boat.

 

[Daley]

Re: Brainstorming: Bilge Alarm that pages me (probably already exists)

How far are you from the nearest land-line? I'm thinking of a simple wireless device (think garage-door opener, LOW tech) that sends a BASIC signal to some receiver that will auto-dial/email/sms/whatever. I build systems like this all the time (never for a boat, but I love your idea!) on-the-cheap. Also, depending on your electronics and computer skills, you could probably have this for the cost of spare parts + $dinner/movie.