Do I need a DataHub Pro to use Man Overboard?
Yes. Man Overboard requires a DataHub Pro and a PredictWind Professional subscription.
The DataHub Pro provides the onboard connection between monitored phones and watches and manages MOB escalation to supported services such as NMEA 2000, email and SMS.
Does Man Overboard need Internet access?
Core onboard monitoring does not require Internet access.
Phones and watches communicate locally with DataHub Pro over the onboard network.
However, some parts of the MOB workflow have additional dependencies:
Local phone/watch alerts: Can operate locally.
NMEA 2000 MOB output: Requires DataHub Pro, an NMEA 2000 network on the boat, a vessel GPS device and a chartplotter / MFD which can display MOB alerts and waypoints.
Email & SMS: Require an Internet connection.
A local MOB alert therefore does not confirm that email or SMS alerts have been sent.
What happens when a monitored device disconnects?
Man Overboard monitors communication between each monitored phone or watch and DataHub Pro. The current default behaviour is:
Immediately: The disconnected device alerts when it detects loss of DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
~ 10 seconds later, other monitored devices still connected to DataHub Pro are alerted.
~ 60 seconds: The MOB event activates, sending MOB alert via NMEA2000 / N2K to the chartplotter.
~120 seconds: Email and SMS MOB alerts are sent.
If the required dependencies remain available, DataHub Pro can then transmit MOB information onto NMEA 2000 and initiate email and SMS alerts. Exact timings may change subject to further testing and development.
Does a disconnection always mean someone has fallen overboard?
No. A device can disconnect for other reasons, including:
Leaving DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Automatically joining another known Wi-Fi network.
A temporary network interruption.
The phone or watch battery going flat.
DataHub Pro losing power.
Operating-system background or network behaviour.
Treat an unexpected alert seriously while you establish why the device disconnected.
Why did my phone switch away from DataHub Pro Wi-Fi?
Phones may automatically join another previously saved Wi-Fi network. During Man Overboard testing, we recommend:
Connect to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Forget other Wi-Fi networks on your device or Disable Auto-Join for other onboard or nearby Wi-Fi networks.
For the most controlled test, temporarily forget other known Wi-Fi networks.
Leaving DataHub Pro Wi-Fi can appear to the system as device separation.
What happens if a phone or watch battery dies?
DataHub Pro detects the loss of communication from that device. Other monitored devices that remain connected can continue to enter the MOB warning and alert state. If the DataHub Pro remains powered, the normal MOB escalation workflow continues.
What happens if DataHub Pro loses power?
Phones and watches can detect the loss of DataHub Pro and alert locally.
However, with DataHub Pro powered off:
No MOB waypoint or MOB messages can be sent to NMEA 2000.
No MOB email is sent through the DataHub Pro workflow.
No MOB SMS is sent through the DataHub Pro workflow.
A local alert on your phone or watch does not mean the complete MOB escalation occurred.
What does tapping the Dismiss button do to a MOB Warning or MOB alert?
Tapping Dismiss stops the audible alarm and device vibration and dismisses the pop-up on that device.
It does not:
Cancel the MOB event.
Reset the complete MOB system.
Acknowledge the alert on other devices.
Confirm that email was sent.
Confirm that SMS was sent.
Confirm that your chartplotter received the MOB event.
How do I cancel or reset a MOB event?
There is no general Cancel or Reset action.
To recover from a test or stop monitoring:
Turn Monitoring OFF on the device which created the alert, or
Use FLUSH MOB in DataHub Pro if one of the monitored devices has a flat battery and cannot reconnect to the DataHub Pro to turn monitoring off.
See MOB - Acknowledge, recover and reset a Man Overboard alert for the full procedure.
What does FLUSH MOB do?
FLUSH MOB is a DataHub Pro troubleshooting and recovery function used when the MOB state on DataHub Pro and connected devices needs to be cleared.
You should not normally need to use it during everyday monitoring.
See MOB - Acknowledge, recover and reset a Man Overboard alert before using this function.
Will Man Overboard create a MOB waypoint on my chartplotter?
DataHub Pro can transmit MOB information onto a correctly configured NMEA 2000 network.
The current MOB output includes:
PGN 129802: AIS Safety Related Broadcast.
PGN 127233: MOB Notification.
PGN 129038: AIS Class A Position while the MOB event is active.
How these messages are displayed depends on the connected chartplotter or MFD.
Do not assume that all chartplotters will display the MOB information in the same way. Man Overboard has been developed in conjunction with and tested on Simrad, Raymarine and B&G MFDs.
Where does the MOB position come from?
DataHub Pro uses the configured vessel GPS source. For the supported NMEA 2000 setup:
Connect to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable plugged into the LAN port.
Open a Chrome or Safari browser and type 10.10.10.1 in the URL bar.
Log in with the default username admin and password admin.
Under the Services menu, click NMEA.
On the NMEA Settings page, click on Advanced.
Tick the checkbox to Enable N2K filters.
Click the drop-down boxes and select the correct GPS address, Heading, Depth and Wind sensors for the DataHub Pro. Leave the drop-down box blank to use all available sensors.
Check the Internal GPS position box below to enable failover to the 1.8m patch GPS antenna connected to the DataHub Pro when your boat instruments are powered off.
Click Save & Apply.
In the example below, N2K Filters for GPS, Wind and Internal GPS are enabled.
The availability and accuracy of the MOB position therefore depend on DataHub Pro receiving suitable GPS information.
Can I use Man Overboard without cellular coverage offshore?
Yes. Local monitoring between supported devices and DataHub Pro does not depend on cellular or satellite data coverage.
NMEA 2000 output is also local to the vessel. Email and SMS require the DataHub Pro to have Internet access.
Why did I receive a local alert but no email or SMS?
The local alert and Internet-dependent notifications are separate parts of the MOB workflow. Check:
DataHub Pro remains powered.
DataHub Pro has working Internet connectivity.
Your email and SMS contacts are configured correctly.
Check your email SPAM folder.
The MOB event progressed to full activation rather than only the warning stage.
Always test each part of the workflow individually.
Why did my phone alert but my chartplotter did not?
A phone alert confirms only that the phone detected a relevant connection or MOB condition. Check:
DataHub Pro remained powered.
DataHub Pro is connected to the NMEA 2000 network.
NMEA2000 on CAN0 is selected.
The required N2K filters are enabled.
The correct GPS Filter is selected.
Your chartplotter supports MOB messages and displays them correctly.
How can I tell which devices DataHub Pro is monitoring?
Open the DataHub Pro > Man Overboard > Status page (top menu).
Use this page to confirm the monitoring state of your connected devices, particularly during setup, testing and troubleshooting.
Should I test Man Overboard before using it underway?
Yes.
Perform an end-to-end test using the same phones, watches, DataHub Pro, network connection, GPS source and chartplotter that you intend to use onboard.
Confirm:
The test device alerts.
Other monitored devices alert.
The MOB event activates.
Email is received.
SMS is received.
Your chartplotter displays the expected MOB waypoint or alert.
Devices recover correctly after the test.
DataHub Pro shows the expected monitoring state.
See Set up and test Man Overboard with DataHub Pro for the complete procedure.
Is Man Overboard a replacement for normal MOB safety equipment?
No. Man Overboard is currently under active development. It is available for customers to test and provide feedback.
Continue to use established MOB procedures and appropriate onboard safety equipment. Man Overboard should not be treated as your vessel's sole MOB safety system.
Still having trouble?
If something does not behave as expected:
Check the DataHub Pro Status page.
Confirm the affected device is connected to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Confirm DataHub Pro is powered.
Check Internet connectivity separately if email or SMS is affected.
Check NMEA 2000 and GPS configuration separately if the chartplotter is affected.
Follow [How to use FLUSH MOB and troubleshoot Man Overboard] if the system appears to be out of sync.
When reporting an issue to support@predictwind.com, include the phone or watch model, operating system version, app version, DataHub Pro firmware version, and which parts of the MOB workflow did not work, and did work.
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You've reached the end of the Man Overboard Help Centre.
If you have not already done so, we recommend completing Set up and test Man Overboard with DataHub Pro and confirming the complete MOB workflow on your own vessel before testing underway.