Hi all, besides sailing I tend to dabble a bit in electronics every now and again. I decided it would be nice to design and build my own sailing watch / wearable computer.

What type of functions would you like to have integrated into such an appliance if you could design this yourself?

I was thinking along these lines:
- Water and shock proof
- relatively compact but:
- large reflective LCD (matrix) display
- countdown timers for starts
- electronic compass (adjustable)
- Time and Tide info
- USB interface for loading tide data etc

What have you found to come in handy in a good start watch?

Thanks,
Dennis

The count down timer needs a sync up and sync down button so if you missed starting your watch by a few seconds you can sync it exactly at the next signal.

Maybe a GPS logger?

Just a thought, you may want the interface to be bluetooth or some other wireless protocol so the watch/computer could be sealed and water tight. the usb port could introduce moisture into the places you don't want water to be.

I also thought a barometer would be a good addition but of course I'd have to learn how to read and understand it.

Get yourself a Velocitek SC-1 or a Nauteek SC200...

Zander, pardon my ignorance but what good would a barometer do you once out on the water? Wireless sounds nice, its certainly doable (but adds the complexity of an extra receiver and its housing). I could look into induction charging to keep the system water tight (much like an electric toothbrush).

Tony, I think a GPS logger is probably best left to a dedicated GPS unit. Data captures could be synced later in software (if it turns out I actually want to capture data!)

I think for this project I'd like to focus on doing just one task, and doing it really well. (can you tell I like Linux?)

I agree Jake, I always forget exactly how many seconds late I was in reacting to the last signal... re-syncing at the next signal (or maybe even averaging) is an absolute must for me.

Pepin, that's no fun, that's cheating!
Besides, my bank balance is "slightly" off-color at this time, so nice presents like the pro toys are out of the question for me. I'll be sure to read up on the specs though...

Dennis:

Instead of a watch, how about instead of a watch, you work on a wireless instrument system, ala ticktack that is more beachcat/dinghy oriented? (and priced)

It needs to have a variable speed blender on it... optimally, you want high speed for margaritas and low speed for pina coladas... etc

I was thinking more of distance racing. It might be nice to be able to forcast a little. probably not that useful once you're out there just lets you know that in an hour you're gonna need to hang on tight!

Don't make the mistake of limiting the countdown options to whatever the rulebook currently says. I have an expensive watch that can only do 5- and 10-minute sequences. I sail at a club that uses 3- and 6-minute sequences for some events.

I think the old-style Timex Ironman was a nearly perfect sailing watch, with buttons on the face rather than the sides where they could accidently get pressed when tacking. I have three of them, got them all for under $20, and have replaced batteries several times.

My Polar Fitness heartbeat monitor watch has a uniuque data upload/download method...it uses the watch internal speaker to send out tones...you place it next to your PC microphone to download watch data (heartbeat rate log for your exercise). To upload date to the watch, you place it near the PC speaker and the watch picks up the sounds (internal mic or perhaps via the internal speaker acting as a mic).

Pretty cool.

They also have a model of watch that comes with an IR send/recieve system. Comes with a send/recieve IR unit that plugs into the PC USB port. Allows for faster/more reliable data transfers.

BTW, Suunuto makes a series of watchs, some sailracing specialized, that have race countdowns,barometers & e-compass functions.

I typically use my Ironman for starts.

For the Velocitek devices, just ask if you want to know how they work. Velocitek kindly send me a S10, a SC-1 and a SpeedPuck in exchange for me writing an opensource Mac software for those devices.

Undecided, a wireless instrument system sounds nice, but I'd need instruments first... Maybe I'll start out with a watch then add some more stuff as time goes by...

John W, good point there about those programmable start times, I'll definitely do that. I'll have a long hard think about those buttons too.

Tornado: IR sounds doable. That way It could double as a TV remote ;-)

Good on you Pepin for making your solution Open Source! But I really want to get into the hardware side, just for the fun of it. I spend way too much time at the keyboard as it is.

Thanks for the tips guys, I really appreciate them!

John,

what model Timex Ironman is it you use? Pics or a link?

I did not like the Polar audio transfer. I had to be really careful to get a successful handshake so the transfer could start.

Dennis, good initative to build something on your own! I do have a mental image of a Gyro Gearloose creation though
Look forward to seeing pics.

One thing I would like in a sailing watch is a timing function for tacks/gybes and rounding top and bottom mark. On really long courses where you can not see the marks and no distinct landmarks it helps to keep you on the course.
Adjustable countdown timeing is a must have.
Re-sync is nice but not a must have (on a 5 minute sequence I start my watch on the 4 minute signal/flag).
Audio signals for each minute and for the last 15 secs changing every 5 secs is a must have.
Buttons placed where they can not be accidentally operated while sailing is a must have.
A leash that will not open and drop your watch into the ocean is a must have (almost lost my Casio Seapathfinder that way. Lost quite some ground while diving to the reardeck to catch it while gybing).
A leash wide enough to go on your forearm over the drysuit is a must have.
It absolutely have to be waterproof
Looks.. I dont care as long as it functions well and is wearable

Good luck, and keep us informed. Great Blog topic.

Oooh, I thought of something else! I have a hard time hearing some of the watches I have used for starts (probably because of all the yelling). Because of this at one time I purchased a cheap watch that was specifically designed for the hearing impared. It vibrated like your cell phone in time to the countdown sequence. That watch was great but not built well enough to last through the rough treatment. Maybe a vibration feature along with the audible signals?

BTW, I have a Suunto M3. The sailing timer is hard to beat. Large display, loud, sync up/down, and a button lock so you don't accidentally stop or reset while in sequence. It also has a compas rose ring to help determine the favored side of the startline and course but I have never used it. From my results I should.

now that's a cool feature! It can get noisy out there when it's 20+.

i like the idea of being able to mount the device on the boom. one drawback is that it needs to be read on both tacks. i use a garmin foretrex 201 strapped to the boom. When i tack i swivel it around and read it upside down. i suppose i could get 2 but that starts getting a bit expensive. ideally i would love to have a flexible LCD screen attached to both sides of the sail! wouldn't that be cool???

I think that is right around the corner, have you seen how thin the big screens are getting.