AutoAnchor, a PC connection
... written for Panbo by Ben Ellison and posted on Nov 30, 2005
I’m a sucker for anything that connects to a PC. The new AutoAnchor Rodecounter for the PC is an interface box that provides anchoring information for PC based applications. It is designed primarily for large yachts, with glass screen PC displays, but is also generating interest for use on smaller vessels using laptops. It features accurate rope/chain or all-chain rode counting, with pre-set calibrations for specific windlasses, a docking alarm to warn the skipper the anchor is approaching the boat, and “plug and play’ software. The company also produces units with a display. — Jeff Hummel
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Although the PC interface is cool and gadgety, I know my wife would pick the dedicated head option for the anchor counter any day over the complexity of switching over or starting up the right PC app to monitor the anchor deployment.
What kind of redundancy do smaller yachts normally have in their PC systems? I currently have a single PC (Shuttle cube) for coastal voyaging but would certaintly add a secnond/backup system for extended voyaging.
Has anyone reading this (hello!?!) ever retro-fitted a counter to an existing windlass installation? I have a Maxwell VWC-2200 and since Maxwell uses RMSD as their recommended/standard electronic counter I would hope the installation would be fairly straightforward.