Boat Security - Boat Bandit!

I lashed out yesterday and bought a new gadget for the boat!

Called a Ezitrak boat bandit, it is a security alarm / tracking GPS - GSM tracking device, that I distribute if anyones interested in one for their boat!

Basically it's installed in your boat and alerts you if anyone breaks into it, steals it etc, by sending you a mobile phone voice call and SMS message!

It works back the other way too, where - using your phone, you can "track" - the boat wherever it goes by water or land....and you can even remotely disable the engines, turn on the horn / sirens, lights whatever you want to wire it up to!

It even comes with a bilge float switch alarm so if you leave your boat in the water for any period of time - and rain gets into the bilge (or a leak develops) you get a sms message or voice call - and you can manually activate your bilge pump by mobile phone to pump it out!

Lots of different stuff it can do..

I will report on it more fully when I have it installed and have fully trialled it!

You can, if you have a laptop, feed the tracking location data (lats and longs) to your laptop - and have your C map chart chip (and /or road maps if it's a trailerable boat) loaded onto your PC, so that you in effect have a chartplotter tracking real time the movement of your boat!

Then just get yourself in place to intercept the boat and remotely disable it using your mobile phone!!

If you don't have a laptop - but have a internet enabled mobile phone,you can log into boat bandits site with your phone and it will display a moving map, behind your gps waypint data on your phone screen so you can track your boat with your phone!

If boaters are sick of losing boats or gear from boats - then these types of devices will make a LOT of difference, in terms of getting your property back.

Compare to what we already spend on boat electronics they are not THAT expensive!

I understand (from the company who supply me with these units) that they have a prototype now in testing (after 3 years development) of a similar "personal tracker device", that is miniaturised, with NicCad batteries etc and gets placed inside high value personal equipment..

It lays dormant as long as the unit does not move..using virtually no battery power, for years at a time if necessary..

But - move the item outside it's pre programmed perimiter cordon, (like somepne nicks ya telly and takes it outside the house to drive away with it), and this thing "knows" (detects a movement in it's position) and sends a mobile phone message and tracks itself, till you come get it and turn it off!

This stuff will live inside hire cars, hire boats etc etc, some of the boat, car, and bike bandits, units are already inside hire cars for example!

A recent example(they record a entire track log) is a dude hired a 4wd in Perth from a hire co.

Claimed he didn't need offroad insurance, as he was just showing guests from overseas around Kings park etc..and said he'd do less than the 200 free kilometers in the few days he had vehicle.

Anyway - he gets round the corner from the hire place and first thing disconnects the speedo cable. Then he did some 2000 kilometers, down the southwest - thru the Warren R National Parks - across the mouth of the Warren R at Yeagarup beach - you name it - he went there!

He drops the car back 3 days later but before he gets there - they downloaded the entire track log and debited his credit card with all the excess kilometers - the compulsory off road insurance etc etc!

His bill was over $2 grand!

He was expecting a $few hundred...

Claimed he did less than 200 km's etc etc

Then they turned the computer screen round and showed him where he'd been - where he stopped overnight etc etc...the whole 9 yards, trip details!

So - big brother is everywhere people, hidden camera's, tracking devices, you name it, immobilisers, they have it!

Be interesting to see how this unit goes - could take a while to get it installed tho - a lot of wires to run in such a way that they aren't visible or easily accessed!

Hire boat co's are looking at putting them inside hire boats - to shut down engines when clients take them outside their 3 or 5 mile survey limits!

Couple guys in Mandurah copped $300 fine from Transport / Fisheries, when caught 20 miles out fishing for dhui's in a hire boat with a 3 Nmile survey in recent weeks!

Transport are threatening to fine the boat hire co's if they don't stop clients exceeding survey limits...so they are looking at remote tracking/ disable technology for their boats!

Interesting times we live in!!

Will report more when I've had a play with it!

Cheers!


Posts: 485

Date Joined: 04/02/06

What it looks like!

Sun, 2006-04-02 17:04

For anyone interested - this is what it looks like when you get it!

Lottsa bits n pieces in here - GPS antenna, GSM antenna, BlackBox, Backup Battery, Float switch, Door n Hatch switches,Manuals and so on!

You do need to buy a data enabled sim card from your mobile phone carrier!

Anyone wants it - you can download for free a GPS Charting sotware package called SOB (No it don't stand for Sonofabitch!) 'Software On Board' at this link:

http://www.digiboat.com.au/

With this software (and a CC type card reader) you can download/copy your CMap Nt+ Nav chart data onto your laptop or home PC.

You can then recieve the signal from your Boat Bandit, via modem inot your PC /Laptop and track in real time - your vessel if it has been stolen!

If you want to you can log into the internet with a internate capable mobile phone,to Boat Bandits web site, and then display moving road maps (if you have a trailerable boat with boat bandit in it, that has been stolen) on your mobile phone - with the boats waypoint location remaining in the centre of your mobile phone screen!

When I get this installed, I'll get some photo's of it in operation!
(With Laptop / Charts, and Mobile Phone tracking!).

Cheers!

Andy Mac's picture

Posts: 4779

Date Joined: 03/02/06

Hey Flywest

Sun, 2006-04-02 17:26

If you give me your code, I will happily watch out for your boat for you........ (now all I need is a laptop and I can score all your GPS spots by stealth) Hehehehe.

Nah,only kidding.

Looks like a top idea and something that we should all consider in this day and age.

Cheers

Andy Mac

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Cheers

Andy Mac (Fishwrecked Reeltime Editor & Forum Moderator)

Youngest member of the Fishwrecked Old Farts Club

Posts: 485

Date Joined: 04/02/06

Good thinking Andy!

Sun, 2006-04-02 19:18

But it'd just be easier to ask me for my waypoints! ;o)

I don'ty catch much at them anyway so watching you haul giant Dhui's up from spots I get nada zippo zilch might be worth the effort!

Best way to get them gps marks is to sail past and ping all the charter boats with your radar and mark there GPS spots from that! ;o)
(but you didn't hear that from me - oK?) ;o)

You know - the 'funny thing' with these alarms are sold to people who've ALREADY lost their boat / bike / car, and install a unit in the replacement car etc.

I know one guy in recent weks lost a $78,000 Mustang Bobcat he paid CASH for...and which wasn't insured! :shock:

So now he has 4 Bandits units - two for each of his bobcats and two in each truck! He also has insurance now!

You would think people would shut the Barn door BEFORE the horse has bolted not after - but experience so far is indicating its the other way round! ;o)

Anyone wants a bandit unit from me, and is a Fishwrecked member gets 10% off.. (thats a $150 saving!)

Cheers!

Adam Gallash's picture

Posts: 15607

Date Joined: 29/11/05

Bandits

Mon, 2006-04-03 09:59

Sounds very interesting Flywest, look foward to seeing a few photo's when theyre installed and in action.

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Posts: 485

Date Joined: 04/02/06

No Worries

Mon, 2006-04-03 18:33

Will get into it in comming days Adam.

Will also finish the next how to thread about water pump etc. Have the photo's just have to find a few quiet hours - been a little busy!

Hey out of interest - whered the heading for the simple prop maintenance 101 thread go?

It's not in the list on boating questions but does show in the right hand column "New Forum Topics" list?

Just so we don't lose it is all! ;o)

Cheers!

Adam Gallash's picture

Posts: 15607

Date Joined: 29/11/05

Its back

Mon, 2006-04-03 23:09

I put it up on the frontpage, but it removed it from the forums. I have taken it off the frontpage now so should re-appear. Just have to figure a way to make a new revision, shouldn't be too hard. Look foward to the next installment.

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Site Admin - Just ask if you need assistance