Ruuvi

Getting the most from wireless sensor tags

Ruuvi tags work over Bluetooth rather than a wired network, which makes them straightforward to fit in places a cabled sensor would be awkward to reach, such as a bilge, a fridge compartment or an engine bay. On their own, each tag only reports within Bluetooth range of a phone running the app, so anyone wanting to check readings while away from the boat needs a Ruuvi Gateway to relay data to the cloud over Wi-Fi, at which point alerts can reach a phone regardless of distance from the boat.

Placement affects what the readings actually tell you: a tag mounted too close to a through-hull or hull skin will read closer to sea temperature than cabin temperature, and one left in direct sun will show a misleadingly high reading. Battery life runs into years rather than months at typical reporting intervals, but check the tag periodically rather than assuming it is still reporting correctly.