GPS for Smart Boat (Home)

Devices
1

Im am building a Smart Boat system with Homey Pro. It is not a stationary “home” it is sailing. So I am looking for some sort of GPS device for Homey. I know it not very useful in a home, but on a boat it would be very useful to know the position of the boat.
I am going to use the gps position as an anchor watch and as a general “where am I”. I have found Teactive dog XL but it don’t work with Homey as my use case - but if my boat ran away it would work .-) I have WIFI on the boat.

Any one know a device I can use?

2

Maybe with a phone with GPS?
But i am not a proframmer.

3

Per, not sure if Homey is the best platform. I suggest you look into Openplotter, SignalK, and the MacArthur HAT on a Raspberry Pi. See https://openmarine.net

1 Like
4

Could be useful for RVs also.

One thing now that comes to mind is that you would need to change the homey’s location manually depending where you are. There is no action flow card for changing it from flows.

As for Tractive, the app for Homey already exists Tractive App for Homey | Homey. And as such, that just might work for you.

I am using the amateur radio way of doing it with APRS, though have not connected that to Homey, yet. Would need to add the ability first to the app.

5

I guess you are right, but Homey is a very good choice for all the other automaticons on the boat.
so I was hoping to find a solution on the GPS problem with this system.

6

yes I think, Tractive could do the job. It just have an expensive sim-card subscription in Denmark, and I have WIFI on the boat, så all I really need is a GPS antenne that could talk to Homey.

7

I think you beter go to something like ESP-Easy but the maintainer @Joolee off the app is not active on this momment. But with App and the maintainer he could add a GPS puck as sensore to it.
Jou can see his work at his github pages and maby bid him a few beers :slight_smile:
I’m allso intresting to get more stuff connecting with a ESP board incl a GPS Puck.

1 Like
8

This is a very nice update from Openplotter:

OpenPlotter IoB app released!!!.
Internet Of Boats - OpenPlotter 4.x.x.

You can now basically push and control every ‘boat-item’ via LoRa to an MQTT instance.

9

I have a Homey Pro in our boat. We use Victron CERBO GX and a GPS USB Dongle. Then we use Modbus App, MapMyLocation App, Device Capabilities App.

Position tracking3
Position tracking31056×1758 71.2 KB

Position tracking2
Position tracking21068×1784 111 KB

Position tracking
Position tracking646×488 17.4 KB

Victron Modbus
Victron Modbus894×698 33 KB

1 Like
10

Thanks
I think I have found a solution with the Tractive device and the tractive app. It has an integration with Homey Pro. You can start “live” mode from Homey and keep it going for more then 60 minutes, and you can receive data from the tractive app to Homey. Including GPS coordinates and the area-fencing from the tractive app.

Your solution with the Cerbo GX and GPS dongle - and the integration with Homey, many is a better solution. Because the Tractive has a subscription.