Boat Security and Cameras

[ksanders]

Do you have a boat security system?
Do you have cameras on your boat?

If so, please tell about your system. What equipment do you use, and how do you like it?

For security we we have two systems.

The original security system was a Sensaphone WEB600. This is a wired system, and is very reliable and versatile.
The 6 inputs monitor:

High bilge water
Battery voltage
Shore power
Inverter power
Temperature (two places)

We really like this system but it has limitations. First it is wired making new connections problematic, and limited to a total of six inputs.
Second is that you cannot access it remotley. This is not a limitation of the device, as it has a static IP address, it is a limitation f the network, as our cellular providers do not provide a routable IP address, so we cannot use DDNS services.

The freat thing about the system is that it does send a text message and a Email when anything happens.

The “new” system, (actually two seasons old now) is a Lowes Iris system. This is a wireless system and has proven to be very reliable as well.

With this system we monitor:

Smoke and CO alarms throughout the boat and engine room
Bilge water in two places
Shore Power
Inverter Power
Battery voltage
Temperature throughout the boat and in the refrigerators and freezers
Intrusion and theft

We also control a permanent mounted engine room heater with the system.

After two seasons we really like the Lowes Iris. New sensors are very easy to connect, and we find that the batteries last over a year in the sensors.
We can view the system in real time using the Iris app, and set alarm limits easily.
The ssytem sends text, emails, and even calls on the telephone if an “event” happens on the boat, and it’s all programmable.

The only downside to the system is that there is no factory supported contact closure sensor.
In order to overcome that I modified several door contasct sensors to provide sensing of an external contact.

[ksanders]

For cameras we use Dlink home security cameras.
They are wireless, reliable, and we can view them from anywhere in the world.
If we are on the boat, we do not have to use the internet to view tem, as they provide local connection from any ipad or iphone, or android, or even a laptop.

Here are some live shots. As you can see it’s still dark in Alaska, and it’s snowing as well. The night vision on the cameras works pretty well.
Most of the cameras also record, so we can look at the recorded images again from anywhere in the world.