Published:  15.4.2021

Springtime marks the start of the cottage season for many people. The Etävahti remote monitoring service developed by the Finnish company Pindora guards your cottage even when no one is there.

When you arrive at the cottage after winter, you check the grounds and spring-clean. You should also check the cottage for any uninvited guests. However, mouse droppings or ants scuttling in the corners are not the only signs of unwanted guests. When you arrive at the cottage yard after a long winter break, you may also find yourself the victim of vandalism or theft.

Thieves can visit the cottage already early in the autumn when the cottage season has ended. Boat thefts in particular are an annual problem in many cottage locations.

For summer cottage owners, regular visits to the cottage throughout the year increase the sense of security. Knowing that everything is ok at the cottage dispels anxieties.

You can install various alarm systems and camera surveillance at the cottage, but such purchases may feel too expensive and excessive. In addition, not many summer cottages have a fixed internet connection, which may be required for an alarm system to function.

Etävahti remote monitoring brings smart home technology to all summer cottages

The remote monitoring service Etävahti, developed by the Finnish technology company Pindora, monitors conditions remotely from anywhere and at any time. Etävahti is ideal for summer cottages, as the device can be taken into use in no time. For example, Etävahti does not require a separate mains power source or fixed internet connection.

“I have a summer cottage myself and felt that there was no easy-to-use, low-threshold solution on the market for remote monitoring of the conditions at the cottage. Surveillance camera solutions feel too heavy and the thought of getting an internet connection to a summer cottage can be difficult for many,” says Juha Häkkinen, CEO and co-founder of Pindora.

Etävahti is a device the size of a smoke alarm, with its sensors measuring humidity, motion, temperature and brightness in real time. The device sends an SMS alert to a phone for any deviations, such as detected motion, lights that were left on or a decrease in indoor temperature due to a broken window.

“For example, if basic heat is maintained at the summer cottage throughout the year, it can be easily monitored with Etävahti. On the other hand, motion detection is one of the most important things in terms of burglary protection at the cottage, as it immediately provides information on any suspicious motion. It is important to monitor humidity in case of water damage, and brightness can indicate, for example, that lights that have been left on.”

Etävahti is also suitable for being used for cottage and boat rental

An Etävahti device can be attached, for example, to the interior wall of a cottage, boat or tool shed. The device is intended for indoor use in temperatures between 0 °C and 50 °C. Etävahti can be taken into use quickly and it requires no special technical skills. The location of the device can also be easily changed at any time.

Read more about the Etävahti service

“No tools are required for installation. In practice, the Etävahti device is simply attached to a suitable place and that is it.”

Due to the travel restrictions in the past year, various domestic cottage and boat rental services have become more common. Etävahti is also suitable for boat and cottage renting, as the device can be set to send an alert when a tenant arrives. Unlike many camera surveillance-based alarm systems, Etävahti only monitors the changes in conditions.

“Midsummer can be spent in peace at the cottage without camera surveillance. With Etävahti, surveillance is anonymous and respects privacy,” Häkkinen adds.

Pindora specialises in smart home devices and especially on smart locks with remote access. The Etävahti service can be connected to an existing ecosystem, allowing all functions to be managed through the same dashboard.

LoRaWAN network enables fast data transfer requiring low power

Etävahti utilises Digita’s LoRaWAN network. Etävahti requires no separate SIM card, internet connection or power source to work. Therefore, the device can be easily taken into use, for example, at a cottage with no fixed broadband connection.

“The data transfer for Etävahti takes place on our LoRaWAN network, which enables low power consumption and wireless operation. The network coverage is exceptionally extensive on the Finnish scale,” says Mika Flinck, Head of Sales, IoT Services at Digita.

Check the coverage of Digita’s LoRaWAN network at your cottage location.

Etävahti operates on a battery, with low power consumption enabling an operating time of up to 10 years. The solution is completely maintenance-free.

“We had our first experiments on Digita’s LoRaWAN network a few years ago, and we found the technology extremely interesting from the very beginning. We are a new, small start-up that Digita has welcomed enthusiastically and openly,” Häkkinen says.

According to Häkkinen, the LoRaWAN network is excellent for applications such as the Etävahti service, where data transfer volumes are low and deployment must be as easy as possible.

Digita’s LoRaWAN network

• A national network that can be used for IoT (Internet of Things) solutions
• Designed for wireless and energy-efficient data transfer
• Based on LoRa (Long Range) technology, which is especially well suited for sending and receiving small amounts of data over long distances
• Key features of LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) technology include two-way data communication, portability, tracking solutions and easy deployment
• The sensors used to collect data are lightweight and easy to install wirelessly
• A wide range of sensor solutions available

This article was originally published on the mtvuutiset.fi website as part of a commercial partnership.