Man overboard bluetooth

[catsketcher]

Hello

Has anyone used any of the bluetooth man overboard "tethers". I am interested in picking up a couple of tags from OLAS but would like to know if anyone has used them first.

https://alertandfind.com/

cheers

Phil

[belizesailor]

Blue tooth on a good day has a range of about 150' ... better think fast!

[hoolie]

I have some of these though they're now more expensive than when I bought. They work as advertised but I've never really used them yet on board as a MOB device.

[hoolie]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Blue tooth on a good day has a range of about 150' ... better think fast!

Exactly. Crew out of range = MOB

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by hoolie

Exactly. Crew out of range = MOB

Ah, OK...so it relies on BlueTooth's limited range?

Be good if it could automatically kick off a PLB for actual tracking.

[barnakiel]

Any "BT lost" alarm app on any smartphone will work.

The problem though is not just to know that a person went overboard. In many accidents it has been found that the bigger challenge is to find the person after a while.

Think of MOB devices based on AIS/DSC systems - these start alarms on separate platforms and let you find the crew in more challenging conditions. And not just you but also all vhf or ais equipped boats around you will know there is a person in the water.

Cheers,
b.

[smac999]

I can't imagine this working well. I never get more then 15-20' on Bluetooth with my phone. Every time someone goes down into the galley or head you'd be getting mob alarms. How are you getting 150' from Bluetooth?

[catsketcher]

The idea is that when the bluetooth goes out of range the beacon goes off. It seemed like a nice way to be able to sleep a little better when off watch. I usually worry a little about my wife on watch and she worries about me. So knowing that I will get an alarm if she goes overboard would be nice. Of course we should not fall overboard in the first place but it is for peace of mind as well.

I also have a waterproof handheld VHF with GPS. This can talk to the boat's VHF and buddy up so I have a way of finding someone as long as they have the VHF in clipped to them. So the on watch person has to have VHF with a flare or two as well to help with being found again.

I will probably buy a few to keep on the boat anyway. They are pretty cheap.

cheers

Phil

[AedanC]

Has anyone found a “BT lost” app for the iPhone that works well and doesn’t need a particular type of beacon to pair with?

[EvilRabbit]

Have ordered the crewsaver device for testing. Will report back here.

[tanglewood]

You've got to be kidding. If I move across the room, I lose the bluetooth connection between my computer and keyboard. I expect a simple engine room check would trigger a MOB. No thanks.

I'll take an AIS based device that is water activated and actually provides a reasonable way to locate the victim.

[AedanC]

Bluetooth comes in many versions which trade off power consumption, range and speed. Keyboards would have one of the lowest power and consequently lowest range versions. As a contrasting example my kids wander all around the house with a loud speaker which plays music from a device in one room using Bluetooth.

[LongRange]

I bought a few of the OLAS tags and I am disappointed. They are practically unusable, due to the number of false alarms. On my 45' monohull I have a 50/50 chance of triggering the alarm by going to the front toilet.

It seemed like a more economical option compared to personal AIS, but in retrospect I feel it was false economy. A single wearable AIS unit would have cost about the same, and it would be far more useful.

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