Motion Alarms on Deck

[FilBrown]

I have a similar sensor bought for around £10 in the UK
It has a light and alarm combination which can be selected via a small switch on the back.
I put the sensor in the cockpit with the light but took the siren speaker bit out of the box and put that on a short cable which sits inside the cabin.
It lights up when anything climbs into the cockpit but the alarm is not as loud outside but wakes us up inside.

[a64pilot]

How about one of these things, cheap IR so dinghy etc won't set it off, adjust sensitivity so when a persons head pops up above the deck they get a bright light in the face?
Usually when a thief gets the lights turned on them, prior to them doing anything bad, they just leave, usually.
http://www.amazon.com/Security-Flood...or+flood+light

[MrReedatsea]

I bought one off of Amazon for $9 to put in the hallway of my house. It works great, but I don't know how sail movement, etc. might trigger it on your boat. It is SO loud!

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

As a single gal afloat, I have given security some thought too.

This is what I have opted for:



Nice and quiet, and should be enough to not be the easiest boat to break into.
Also kinda counting on being the smallest boat, moored close enough to more expensive boats which look like better prey

Lizzy Belle...you rock! Awesome!

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Lizzy Belle...you rock! Awesome!

Not yet, but soon! This pic is from a friends' boat, I stole the idea from them
It's pretty much all the "anti thief & murderers" security I plan on installing.

Not cheap, but it will allow me to sleep peacefully and have some fresh air to breath as well. And, added bonus, it'll keep the cat inside so she doesn't go walk- or swim about when she's not supposed to.

If someone really wants to get inside, I don't doubt they'll do just that. But it'll take some time and make some noise, which should give some warning when on board myself.

When I'm not on board, I hope it'll make most thieves (who are usually looking for a quick and easy grab) look for another boat (sorry ).

I'm also having one made for the front hatch (sorry, don't know the English for that).
Both are quick and easy to take it out from the inside (!), not so much from the outside.

[Bulawayo]

We use two in our cockpit - ours were around $15 each. Check everything is secure before using and as someone mentioned dont overlook gthe mainsheet or the davit lines if 'seen'. We use them in our cockpit itself plus we have two more 12v wired sensors connected to 12v flood lights (4x4 off road LED's) right aft to illuminate everything. We also have a trellis door that allows ventilation when closed but provides good security.

Originally Posted by gmnord

We are returning to sail ST Vincent & The Grenadines this spring. We are considering bringing along a battery powered (9v, with remote arming dongle that uses AAs) motion alarm. We have found a well reviewed unit for about $25 that has a very loud (120Db) audible alarm and a bright strobe. It covers about 120 degrees and we are thinking to place it in the cockpit to detect overnight intruders (or, even daytime...given the alarm is quite loud and will draw attention).

The alarm i am looking at is from UniqueExceptional for $25.

I have read one reviewer of the device that has used it successfully internal to the cabin. But I prefer to place it on deck to catch an intruder before they get to the point of opening a cabin hatch

Does anyone have experience with using these above decks? Would sea or dinghy motion possibly trigger it (this I believe uses visual motion, but may use infrared, i need to check on that...)?

Preferably I think I'd mount it at the companionway hatch, or base of the mast, facing the aft end of the cockpit. Alternatively it could be placed in a corner of the port or stbd cockpit quarter. Has anyone had experience placing these?

[ArmyDaveNY]

Have you considered the Trunk Monkey?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AidA...3Kz_8JjLH-Nxp7

[Bulawayo]

Brilliant!

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

Have you considered the Trunk Monkey?

[roland stockham]

IR would be way better than motion and if it has adjustable sensitivity can be set to need a bigger target then a seabird (unless it's an albatross)

[gmnord]

I want to firstly thank everyone for the advice offered.

I proceeded to obtain a PIR motion alarm, specifically the MA80 Mini Alarm for UniquExceptional. This particular unit includes a land line connection to a phone line, not much need or use for me on a boat, but it's there...For a boat moored in at a dock, with a phone line, it might be (it can dial up to 3 phone numbers when triggered). I don't recall (and did not pay much attention) if they offer a unit identical more or less, without the phone capability (for which I likely paid more). Cost of the unit on Amazon was US $28 (free shipping with Amazon prime).

I tested it at home today, and worked as expected. Program a 4 digit code to disarm it. Press "0" to arm, then you have 30 seconds to vacate it's detection zone. It indicates a 140 degree horizontal angle of detection. It detected me approaching from 15-20 ft away, and i had about 15-20 seconds to disarm it with my code. Once it triggers, it turns off (before or after sounding) immediately upon entering the code. It did not detect me (waving a hand) above it, directly and within a foot or two horizontally above. It indicates a 70 degree vertical angle of detection, so a foot or two away intersects at a height of a foot or two above.

Interestingly, it is just above freezing outside where I tested it, while fully clothed and in a winter jacket. It detects based on IR detection only (motion of heat, not just visual motion) and detected that small delta of heat emanating through my clothes (or the very small territory not clothed). That suggests it should do fine detecting human heat differential in a tropical climate, but I'll know better once there.

It sounds within about 15 seconds of detection. Reviews have called the alarm "ear splitting". I tried it with ear protection, it was audible through that, and when I removed the ear protection it was sufficiently loud, but I would not say quite "ear splitting", unless maybe you test it indoors.

I verified that it does not just sense mechanical motion, by waving a hose in front of it while I stood behind. It did not detect the hose at any angle within a distance of a foot or two (essentially right in front of it). It should not, based on PIR technology and my verification, trigger for motion of a wave, a dinghy, or a line dangling from the boom, etc.

My plan is to try it either on the forward leg of the cockpit table, facing the companionway, or on the aft end facing the transom. It could be placed also in an aft quarter of the cockpit facing the companionway. I'll assess when I am physically at the boat (a charter). One other option in mind is to hang it on the companionway top hatch board, secured with an angle iron over the hatch board and into the cabin under the sliding hatch. however I place it, the goal is to catch an intruder within the 20 sec trigger and secure it only sufficiently that the intruder cannot quickly or easily dismantle it (e.g, toss it overboard). In any case, it has two mounting holes and screws on the back, to which I plan to attach a small board that I can screw to an angle iron or secure somewhere in the cockpit.

We sail in about two weeks, in the Windwards, I'll report back on experience around mid March.

[Looking4Neptune]

It is great that you reported back and gave a progress report. Helps everyone to learn from this.
One thing to note - the device is detecting the *difference* in the heat patterns. On the cold day when you tested, any patch of skin would stand out REALLY well. That also means that on a very hot day the heat of a body may blend in and not be detected. So you should definitely try it at the max ambient temperature that you will need it to function at, to make sure it will be able to pick out a moving person from the background heat patterns it sees.

[valhalla360]

It's a charter boat. Have a couple more drinks and relax.

As long as you put stuff away before you go to bed, it's just not that big of a deal (leave towels and ropes swinging on the back deck and it will set off your alarm anyway).

If they want to do you harm, the battery powered alarm can be under water in a few seconds. Long before other boats come to your rescue (not likely anyway). If they have weapons, you are already up a creek as taking your gun to the carribean for a charter is a challenge.

Better approach is don't flash cash and fancy jewelry and keep the dingy on the davits and don't leave expensive stuff on the back deck and you likely won't be a target.

PS: I haven't heard a car alarm in years because no one pays attention to them.