ALARM SYSTEMS

The Bill Collector

Well-Known Member
GOLD Sponsor
Jun 2, 2008
5,019
Tacoma, WA
Boat Info
1998 450 Sundancer, Achilles dinghy w/15hp
Engines
3126 Cat's
Hi everyone, I have been asked to explain a little about the alarm I installed last year after getting burglarized. My claim was over $30K and I was highly motivated to find added protection. My marina does not supply Wi-Fi so I started with cellular-based alarmed systems.
I choose SimpliSafe, but there other similar products out there. The system comes with your choice of a T-Mobile or Verizon chip. I chose Verizon, as my cell phone is the same and I know I have a good signal in the boathouse. At first, I was wondering where in the boathouse should I install this, as the base needs 120v power. Then my thought was why limit it to just the boathouse if I install it on the boat it now goes with us wherever we take the boat.

So, my setup has the base unit plugged into a 120v outlet at the helm, the base will last 1-2 days without power and you'll get a notification when that first happens(power outage). I started with just theft security in mind and quickly added safety to my wireless arsenal. I have door switches at the boathouse dock door, transom door, salon door, I have motion detectors in the boathouse and in the cockpit, I have an additional siren mounted 10 feet up in the boathouse pointing out the garage door, another siren in the cockpit, I have a freeze sensor set for 32 degrees under the cockpit sink as I do not winterize, I have a CO alarm in the main cabin, I have a high water sensor in the aft bilge in the ER, I have a smoke detector in there as well. Forgot your key fob... turn it on and off from your smartphone.

They have 2 different monitoring packages available @ $15/mo & $25/mo. I have the $25/mo with smartphone app, wireless key fobs etc. Log in from any computer, tablet, smartphone.

I have approx. $500 out for my system plus monthly. It is month to month as there is no contract. I have been with them for 14+ months now and have been very happy with the service and peace of mind that it gives me...

https://simplisafe.com/home-security-shop


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Welcome, Mark D Flaten !
xxxx MARINE VIEW DR #A-xx, TACOMA WA 98422
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02/28/2018 12:19pm System Armed (away mode)
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02/24/2018 12:14pm System Disarmed: Keychain Remote 1WABK "MARK'S "
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I have Simplisafe in my house. Have most features activated but wish they offered a natural gas detector. Great service at reasonable cost. Cameras are also available but I have separate camera system anyway.
 
Thanks Mark. I'm still looking and my preference would be for a system that doesn't need a monitoring company. My brother has a system in both his residences (FL & MI) that work off their wifi. He can connect to either place with his phone or laptop. No separate monitoring company. That's what I'm looking for.
 
The system (if it exists) that I would like to have:
Entry Sensor(s) Cabin door and possibly the transom door.
Motion Sensor - Maybe.
Camera - Weatherproof/Resistant that can be mounted on the dock overlooking the slip. Detects motion and has the ability to store or stream video. When it trips, would sent an email or text message and I could then connect to the camera and see what it sees or has seen. Since the marina does not have reliable wifi/internet, this would have to work with cellular service.
Rather than "reinvent the wheel", anyone have something like this or know where I could get the equipment/service?
 
The system (if it exists) that I would like to have:
Entry Sensor(s) Cabin door and possibly the transom door.
Motion Sensor - Maybe.
Camera - Weatherproof/Resistant that can be mounted on the dock overlooking the slip. Detects motion and has the ability to store or stream video. When it trips, would sent an email or text message and I could then connect to the camera and see what it sees or has seen. Since the marina does not have reliable wifi/internet, this would have to work with cellular service.
Rather than "reinvent the wheel", anyone have something like this or know where I could get the equipment/service?

That’s about what I’m looking to put together too with the addition of another camera in the cockpit.
So far from what I’ve seen here I think I’m going to look at a mobile hotspot and a couple of Arlo cameras.
Two things I need to resolve:
1. Entry sensor/loud audible alarm to scare the amateurs off while it alerts me somehow to an intruder so I can dial 911.
2. Cell service is spotty inside my cabin and that’s where I’d have to set up the mobile hotspot. I need to figure out a way to overcome this.
 
Did a little more digging this afternoon and have come up with a possibility.
Arlo Pro 2 Package - comes with 2 cameras (weather resistant) and base station.
Verizon Jet pack 4GLTE "Hot Spot"
Verizon "unlimited" data plan.
Aircard Signal Boosting Cradle DC113A.
The Arlo Base Station has to be connected to a router via an ethernet cable and Verizon doesn't have a "hot spot" device with an ethernet port. Thus the need for the Boosting Cradle. which has several ports.
Arlo has just cameras and no entry sensors (at least I couldn't find any on their website), but I could live without these. Cost comes out to less than a boat-buck for equipment, and a little over a boat-buck annually for data package and video storage.
Arlo Pro 2 Package - $479.00
Verizon Jet Pack $99
Boosting Cradle - $200
Verizon Data plan - $80.00/month (2 year contract required)
Arlo Cloud Storage (rolling 30 days) $9.99/mo
Still in the thinking stage on this project. Any ideas/suggestions from those have "been there/done that" are welcomed.
 
Looks like a nice package. I’m an AT&T subscriber, but I could put together a similar package but I frequently have spotty cell service inside my cabin at my dock so I’d need to work around that.
I added my iPad (Sim Card) to my data plan for about $10.00 per month. I’d like to get something that will let me do something similar.
I also really want to put an entry sensor on the cockpit door with an audible alarm and the ability to alert me so I can call 911.
It’s nice to capture a picture of an intruder, but it’s even better to discourage him with a loud alarm before he does any damage.
I’ve looked at the SimpliSafe but it looks like I need WiFi (I don’t have it and can’t get it at my dock) to make it do what I want it to do and they don’t indicate the camera being for outdoor use.
 
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The system (if it exists) that I would like to have:
Entry Sensor(s) Cabin door and possibly the transom door.
Motion Sensor - Maybe.
Camera - Weatherproof/Resistant that can be mounted on the dock overlooking the slip. Detects motion and has the ability to store or stream video. When it trips, would sent an email or text message and I could then connect to the camera and see what it sees or has seen. Since the marina does not have reliable wifi/internet, this would have to work with cellular service.
Rather than "reinvent the wheel", anyone have something like this or know where I could get the equipment/service?
TRY THE ARLO GO - WORKS OFF LTE (AT&T, VERIZON OR SOMETHING ELSE ARLO SELLS. ABOUT $400 EACH AND IT'S TOTALLY WIRELESS, PORTABLE AND WEATHERPROOF (AMAZON ALSO SELLS "SKINS" THAT ALLOW YOUR CAMERA TO MOUNT IN VARIOUS WAYS AND CAMOUFLAGE THE CAMERA.
 
TRY THE ARLO GO - WORKS OFF LTE (AT&T, VERIZON OR SOMETHING ELSE ARLO SELLS. ABOUT $400 EACH AND IT'S TOTALLY WIRELESS, PORTABLE AND WEATHERPROOF (AMAZON ALSO SELLS "SKINS" THAT ALLOW YOUR CAMERA TO MOUNT IN VARIOUS WAYS AND CAMOUFLAGE THE CAMERA.
I thought the Arlo go would require a SIM card for each camera which would make it more costly to monitor a multi camera system. Is there some kind of work around that would enable you to monitor multiple Arlo Go’s with just one SIM card?
 
as far as I know, it is as you state. :( would be nice if they could link several to the one sim card but they dont.
 
I picked up this Foscam R2 on eBay refurbished from the factory for $50 https://www.foscam.com/R2.html

So far I couldn't be happier with it... It connects directly to the marinas wifi... A couple photos back and forth from the your iPhone and your good to go... It has motion and sound alarms that message to your phone that are easily turned on/off and it has an sd slot for play back or you can pay for cloud recording... For the price you can't go wrong.

image.jpeg
 
I added wifi with a Ubiquiti Bullet this week, and use a Wyzecam to monitor. The cameras are $20 and have auto day/night capability, record on motion only and have the ability to monitor sound and I can speak to the camera. You can monitor the boat from an app on your phone/tablet/ipad. If motion is detected, it will notify you. You can adjust the motion detection to reduce false notifications.

They are not waterproof, but for monitoring the boat, its pretty cheap. They make housing for outdoor applications.

www.wyzecam.com

Here is the live screen shot...

Screenshot_20180519-084737.png
 
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I thought the Arlo go would require a SIM card for each camera which would make it more costly to monitor a multi camera system. Is there some kind of work around that would enable you to monitor multiple Arlo Go’s with just one SIM card?
i have Arlo Pro with 4 different cameras. I can monitor each camera and receive alerts for anything i want.
 
no sim card - it runs thru wifi - but there is an ARLO GO which uses cellular service and has its own sim card but requires a sim card for EACH camera. not very cost effective.
Thanks!
Back to my initial problem. No WiFi at my dock.
 
Thanks!
Back to my initial problem. No WiFi at my dock.

I installed a Ubiquity bullet with a 12vdc to 24vdc injector and a refurbished net gear router. All in less than $200 and I can pull in the startbucks from 1/2 mile away. The Wyze cam was $20.
 
I installed a Ubiquity bullet with a 12vdc to 24vdc injector and a refurbished net gear router. All in less than $200 and I can pull in the startbucks from 1/2 mile away. The Wyze cam was $20.
My problem is that my dock property (which is a private 50’ of bulkhead along a canal by 25’ between the street and the water) is in a residential area about 3/4’s of a mile south of the main road and there are no public WiFi spots anywhere near me.
I don’t feel too bad about that since anytime I’ve stayed as a transient in a marina with WiFi, the WiFi was pretty crappy.
Fortunately my iPad has a cell plan for those situations.
I’m not sure that I’m tech savvy enough to set one of those bullets up anyway. I’ve looked at them online a bit and it looks like you need to be pretty good with software to get them going.
Cell service outside at my dock is sometimes sketchy, and often non existent from inside the boat. I usually have to sit in the cockpit to make calls or on the Internet on my iPad, even then, I get dropped calls or bad connections (maybe 3 bars) occasionally.
I have AT&T, but all carriers have sketchy service there.
My best bet is probably a couple of cell based cameras mounted very high up on my utility pole and using some sort of antenna for best reception, but it looks like anything out there now would need a separate SIM card for each camera and that would be kind of crazy.
 
maybe you just have to get a regular, monitored, hard wired alarm system (like the kind they have in houses) that notifies the police, fire if they get a signal. they're usually connected through one cell phone line. the service is usually about $20-30 a month (cheaper if you shop around). you probably can also monitor it through their website while you're away?
 
I bought the Arlo Go from Verizon. 399.00 for the camera but only 5 bucks a month added to my bill. Seems to work great.
 

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