Anchor alarms oh my

[The Garbone]

We have been using the "drag queen" app as an anchor alarm. The one drawback is that it keeps the iPhone or iPad awake and as I keep it next to my rack the light is annoying.

Just loaded "boat monitor" on the phone it works great and also includes a email feature for online use. I set up an account with the mms email address for our phone ( example 5555555555@mms.att.net).
It seems to work well, texting us if the boat moves or drags anchor. It also includes a VOX mode were you can set it up to key you VHF with an alert. Pretty cool.

[ranger58sb]

Saw a tip once about using a baby monitor to hear alarms from standard electronics...

-Chris

[S/V Alchemy]

"Drag Queen" is a hilarious name for an anchor watch app.

Of course, so would be "The Happy Hooker".

[RaySea Lady]

Maybe you need to try this new Garmin watch, it does the anchor watch and a bunch more.

Garmin | Newsroom | Press Releases

It is called the quatix and is just out the last couple of days.

[barnakiel]

We do not use any app. We just leave the GPS up with its anchor alarm active.

If the bottom or depth vary then a depth alarm helps too.

Unfortunately, none tells if the anchor actually drags.

b.

[Sam Plan B]

How about this app, when you drop your anchor drop an 8oz fishing weight on a 1/4" line. Tie the 1/4" line to a cow bell. Play out your anchor rode and the 1/4" line at the same time. If the anchor drags the cow bell will clang. (no charge for this app)

[The Garbone]

Problem with the cow bell is you can not here it from a mile away on the beach or sitting at the bar of the local watering hole.

I have been looking for something economical that in addition to a a drag alarm would also monitor the bilge, battery and maybe a door sensor on the companionway. They have cheap Chinese GPS car alarms that almost do most of this but I don't know if it is worth the effort to hook one up and pay $10 a month for a SIMM just to have the thing stop working in a few weeks.

I read in another thread someone using a webcam app to do that. I guess I could set up a small alarm panel and webcam and do that but I would really love it if someone made a Bluetooth enabled sensor suite for a boat that would provide telemetry.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by The Garbone

(...) I would really love it if someone made a Bluetooth enabled sensor suite for a boat that would provide telemetry.

I think within the boat the systems can be simply wired. Beyond the boat you need something to get over the existing infrastructure - wifi or mobile, I think, is the answer for most of us.

But I would rather place my boat in a safe marina than invest in plenty of monitoring/security gadgets.

b.

[Matt sachs]

We have been using the "drag queen" app as an anchor alarm. The one drawback is that it keeps the iPhone or iPad awake and as I keep it next to my rack the light is annoying.

Turn it over??

[Bash]

The problem with an anchor alarm is that it keeps waking you up. Better to invest in an anchor that encourages you to sleep through the night.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Bash

The problem with an anchor alarm is that it keeps waking you up. Better to invest in an anchor that encourages you to sleep through the night.

A well set anchor alarm on a good GPS won't do that.there is no need to put up with false alarms.
With this sort of accuracy there is no need.
My anchor alarm is on 24/7 (when I am not sailing) and I cannot remember the last false alarm

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by The Garbone

We have been using the "drag queen" app as an anchor alarm. The one drawback is that it keeps the iPhone or iPad awake and as I keep it next to my rack the light is annoying.

Just loaded "boat monitor" on the phone it works great and also includes a email feature for online use. I set up an account with the mms email address for our phone ( example 5555555555@mms.att.net).
It seems to work well, texting us if the boat moves or drags anchor. It also includes a VOX mode were you can set it up to key you VHF with an alert. Pretty cool.

If you're out of mobile phone range having a text message sent won't be much use.

We use the anchor alarm on our chartplotter.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Bash

The problem with an anchor alarm is that it keeps waking you up. Better to invest in an anchor that encourages you to sleep through the night.

As per Noelex's re. Same experiences here.

We use depth alarm too when applicable.

b.

[atoll]

the best drag alarm that has served me well over the last 20 years is a hard dinghy tied off the stern......boat drags ,dinghy hits the transom or quarter and wakes me up...

[ReMetau]

We use our anchor alarm on the Garmin 740s. I connected an external buzzer for it so that it REALLY wakes me up. If the weather is too crappy, I just don't go to shore.