underwater anchor cam with wifi

[madn]

When we anchor we set the anchor gps alarm and go for a dive (if possible) to check if all is ok. This gives us a better feeling and impression how the anchor really is down there.

Instead of this diving, I have looked for an underwater cam system with built in LED and float for the wifi, bluetooth antenna to transmit pictures on demand to a monitor on the boat, but really found nothing.

Has anybody seen or even using an affordable system to check the anchor on the ground this way?

[Pete17C]

google 'underwater drone'

[madn]

yes there are high tech gadgets, but I'm looking for a payable solution

[Pete17C]

Originally Posted by madn

yes there are high tech gadgets, but I'm looking for a payable solution

I can't find any low-tech solution that is "an underwater cam system with built in LED and float for the wifi, bluetooth antenna to transmit pictures on demand to a monitor on the boat"

[Jammer]

Any of the gopro-type devices will do this. I have an Akaso ek7000. They're cheap. The housing is rated for, I think, 15 feet. In practice they will work at greater depths.


The catch is that sea water blocks WiFi and Bluetooth.


The only way around that is to use something that connects with a cable rather than wireless.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Pete17C

I can't find any low-tech solution that is "an underwater cam system with built-in LED and float for the wifi, bluetooth antenna to transmit pictures on demand to a monitor on the boat"

Nor will you. Low cost, low tech comes from expensive R & D, followed by mass adoption by a large target audience.

You have none of that here. If people were kicking down the doors for something like this, Raymarine, B&G, and Garmin would already have product offerings.

people this worried about their anchor, tend to grab moorings or stay in marinas.

[Pete17C]

Not sure how much 'payable' is, but this is US$1000.

230ft tether and can go to 98ft deep, with real time video and pic taking ability 'for the record'

PowerVision Powerray Wizard Underwater Drone

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by madn

Instead of this diving, I have looked for an underwater cam system with built in LED and float for the wifi, bluetooth antenna to transmit pictures on demand to a monitor on the boat, but really found nothing.

How deep? Do you have dinghy? A waterproof plumber's camera (10m, 25m readily available with WiFi to a phone, tablet, or computer) could easily be rigged to look. Maybe $35US from Amazon.

[Pete17C]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Nor will you. Low cost, low tech comes from expensive R & D, followed by mass adoption by a large target audience.

You have none of that here. If people were kicking down the doors for something like this, Raymarine, B&G, and Garmin would already have product offerings.

people this worried about their anchor, tend to grab moorings or stay in marinas.

I was jesting that any solution to OPs query would be decidedly not 'low tech'.

[madn]

Thx for the inputs. Yes dinghi, but like to have it easy ... wireless to smartphone or tablet was the idea. No fiddling with drone or cables ... any inventors online?

[Pete17C]

Originally Posted by madn

Thx for the inputs. Yes dinghi, but like to have it easy ... wireless to smartphone or tablet was the idea. No fiddling with drone or cables ... any inventors online?

How are you envisioning getting the camera in a position to take worthwhile pics of your deployed anchor?

What depth do you need to reach?

What's the lateral distance from operator to anchor?

[Lake-Effect]

Wifi, Bluetooth, and just about all the off-the-shelf, licence-free RF technologies do not travel through water. There are a number of schemes onine for wifi GoPros and clones that use a piece of RF coax with both ends cut like little dipoles at Wifi frequency, but I doubt if they'd be practical at rode length or anchor depth.

What's needed is a simple video camera with lighting that can withstand 200 ft of pressure, and about the same length of video cable (maybe with a USB adaptor at the surface end. There should be some sort of loop or pulley arrangement so that the camera can run down and back up the rode.

Of course, chain rode lies flat near the anchor, so that wouldn't really work.

[senormechanico]

And I thought air conditioning on a boat was frivolous.

[CaptTom]

Yeah, it's science fiction at this point.

The best I can think up is a tether on the anchor, and a floating, waterproof camera housing, with LED light and camera pointing down. This gives you a view of the anchor from directly above. Set the length of the tether wherever you think would work, given the water clarity and how wide a field you want to view.

From that housing, another tether (data cable) to a float on the surface, which transmits the signal. And, what the heck, might as well put a solar cell on the float to power the thing, too.

It's almost possible with off-the-shelf hardware. For the right price, even I might buy one. Probably not, but it's an interesting concept.

[cpisz]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Yeah, it's science fiction at this point.

The best I can think up is a tether on the anchor, and a floating, waterproof camera housing, with LED light and camera pointing down. This gives you a view of the anchor from directly above. Set the length of the tether wherever you think would work, given the water clarity and how wide a field you want to view.

From that housing, another tether (data cable) to a float on the surface, which transmits the signal. And, what the heck, might as well put a solar cell on the float to power the thing, too.

It's almost possible with off-the-shelf hardware. For the right price, even I might buy one. Probably not, but it's an interesting concept.

Yes. This is probably the best you are going to be able to do. Take it from someone that designs commination equipment for a living, you can not transmit a high frequency electro-magnetic signal through seawater. Doesn't the Navy wish you could. Only very short wavelengths will propagate. So you have to cable the data to the surface.

Honestly $1000 for the drone is probably a pretty good deal.