Anchor Alarm app for iPhone and iPad
4.6 (
1226 ratings )
Travel
Navigation
Developer:
Half8Fish LLC
5.99 USD
Current version:
2.0, last update: 7 years ago
First release : 16 Feb 2009
App size: 5.16 Mb
Anchor Alarm is an easy to use application that lets you set and monitor your position relative to an anchor point. It shows your distance from the point, and bearing to the point. If your current position strays too far from that set point, an alert will sound. The main use for Anchor Alarm is for setting an anchor drag alarm when you are at anchor on a boat. But the app can also be used anytime you want to monitor how far you are from a starting point.
Using Anchor Alarm is very simple... just set your preferences, drop your anchor (or if you are not anchoring, get yourself to your starting point), and press the "Set Alarm" button. Pressing that button will record your current position as the "anchor position", and Anchor Alarm will begin monitoring.
If your current position changes such that you are farther away from the anchor point than the distance you set in preferences, Anchor Alarm will sound an alarm. If the current accuracy of the position information on the iPhone (ie. the GPS in the iPhone) exceeds the accuracy tolerance level you set in preferences, a different alarm will sound. If both the distance and accuracy levels are exceeded at the same time, the accuracy alarm will take precedence. You can choose to have a silent alarm for accuracy so that it wont wake you up if the GPS loses signal once in a while.
Anchor Alarm will remember your settings if you exit, for example to make a phone call or send an email. When you start Anchor Alarm, if you have an alarm set, it will begin on the Monitor tab and if not, it will start on the Set tab. Remember that if you restart Anchor Alarm, it may take a moment or two for the GPS accuracy to improve.
Anchor Alarm includes a setting that will keep your iPhone awake, so that the GPS will continue to have good position data. Since the GPS and CPU will both continue to be active, we recommend that if you run Anchor Alarm for an extended period, that you plug it into a charger or computer so that your iPhones battery will not discharge.
Anchor Alarm requires iPhone software version 6.0 or later. Anchor Alarm does not need to be connected to the internet to function.
New in version 2.0: Anchor Alarm will send a notification when the alarm is triggered.
The app features a dark user interface so that if it wakes you up in the middle of the night, the dark colored interface wont ruin your night vision.
Pros and cons of Anchor Alarm app for iPhone and iPad
Anchor Alarm app good for
Anchor Alarm is a simple, easy to use app for monitoring your position...on water or land. Ive played with its features while underway and moored, and the real-time monitoring works flawlessly. This is a great app for anyone who cant hear the alarms in the pilot house or steering station from the living quarters of their boat, or for someone with a hand-held gps device that doesnt have alarms. Definitely agree the dark background makes for easy nighttime use. Well done!
Great easy to use app. Better than those whimpy Anchor Alarms on some "real" gps units.
- Never crashed once after many use, very reliable.
- Works with backgrounder in a j/b phones, so the app keeps running while you use other applications.
- Set your own alarm distance and sound.
- Anchor drag detection is reliable if alarm distance is set to over 20 meters (you might get false alarm sometimes if alarm distance is set to under 20m due to the inaccuracy of iPhones GPS receiver). 20meter is very good accuracy for typical anchoring situations.
- GPS signal is strong even inside the cuddy cabin of a small boat.
- Well worth the price and makes iPhone more comparable to a full blown GPS chartplotter.
This app keeps in mind the fact that the Anchor Alarm is usually top side while I am asleep. Kudos to the inventor an obvious big time boat CAPTAIN
Anchoring is a bad time to be playing with your phone. There is too much going on, especially if theres wind and current.
This needs a manual set feature for setting the alarm after anchoring is complete.
The location of the anchor can be calculated and set using the GPS position after anchoring, a compass bearing to the anchor, length of road, and depth at the anchor.
I was anchored at night and turned in for the evening after setting the Anchor Alarm. The weather was clear and no anticipation of any change. As it does in the tropics the foul stuff seems to appear out of nowhere. About 3am the horn alert I set for the Anchor Alarm on the iPhone sounded off and I ran up the stairs to the helm. The wind was whipping at 30 to 40 knots and I was about 150 feet from a metal floating dock and heading directly towards it. The anchor was dragging, I powered it up with the windlass while starting the engines. By the time I was making way I was only 50 feet away from some major damage to the boat. I didnt set my chart plotters alarm that night and doubt if it would have awakened me with its poor alert sound. The Anchor Alarm allowed me to set an annoying loud alarm on my iPhone that can wake the dead. As far as Im concerned this App is worth every Penney.
Some bad moments
Accuracy only to 7 yards? Tried setting it for less but got the message satellite data wasnt accurate enough. No tall buildings or clouds to interfere. Not useful for anchoring in rivers. I wonder if theyre even in business anymore or just gave up in support.
This app made my phone reboot spontaneously several times and in the end crashed it completely. Since I relie on my phone heavily for weather routing it was a major deal. Do not take the chance.
I read the reviews before buying the "Anchor Alarm" and this vendor must have had their friends write them, because my experience has been no less than terrible!!! The first time I got it to go off was no less than 3 miles and 10 minutes away from the 200 limit I set. ITS A FRAUD AND DOESNT WORK!! I set it no less than 10 more times and had similar experience. It doesnt go off for miles past the limit you set. Hopefully, this vendor will be sued out of business before someone dies relying on this piece of crap. Have you ever anchored in a location where you could drag anchor for miles in the wrong direction, before you were in trouble? If your answer is no then dont buy it, because thats been my experience.
Very disappointed with this app. Very inaccurate which defeats the purpose. Having a +/- of 100 feet! Give me a break. I would not recommend this app.
