POWER HUNGRY

The complexity of some monitoring systems makes them more energy hungry than others. Nautic Alert’s basic Insight monitor, for example, draws just 80 milliamps (mA). However, each pump monitor requires another 20 mA, and a fully loaded sensor unit can draw 500 mA. With all the bells and whistles, your security system could therefore easily munch through 24 amp hours (Ah) per day, enough to drain a battery bank within the week.

So beware when a manufacturer tells you the system can be run off the DC battery bank with no shore power. If you have backup solar or wind generators, that may be so, but even then there’s always the risk of a still, overcast few days causing trouble.

Happily, most units also include a voltage alarm, so you be alerted if your battery is taking a hammering. Of course, you can also opt for a simpler tracker unit that consumes less power by only providing the basics.