Advise on GPS Chartplotter Mounting

[spadaforaj]

Hi - I'm a new big boatowner (Hunter 33 - that is large for me) and just picked up a Garmin GPS chartplotter with an external antenna system - anyone have any good advise as to where and how to mount this unit as to be most useful during sailing (Nav station inside, somehow on the pedestal - etc ?) I am hopping not to clutter the cockpit with too many wires !

Thanks

Jim

 

[Tim R.]

Buy a navpod for it and run the wiring down the pedestal guard or the pedestal itself.

 

[sailingdog]

If you do decide to buy a Navpod and mount it on the pedestal, make sure to twist the power and ground wires together to help prevent magnetic interference with the compass. Also, check the position and make sure it doesn't interfere with the compass with the unit off and powered up.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Mounting Chartplotter.

My Garmin was a poor fit for the Navpod. So I just mounted it on the helm guard as seen in the picture. Most of my wires run inside the helm guard or pedestal to a wiring block underneath. But you really do want the chartplotter at the helm.

Best feature of mounting the way you see it is that I can easily remove it. It goes home with me or is locked away inside the boat.

By the way, that "Navpod" is a section of eight foot fence rail from Lowes. The whole thing with end caps was less than $10. And I still have over six foot left.

 

[Maine Sail]

Lots of ways to skin the cat but at the helm is the most user friendly.

You can buy mounts that bolt directly to the pedestal guard but then the back of the unit/connections are exposed to salt & water or you can buy a Navpod or build your own.

I made my own custom designed pedestal mounted "nav table" out of Starboard and put two NavPods at the helm..

This was our previous boat (I prefer the design above as it does not add height to my view and I can turn the NavPods 180 degrees):

 

[seadaddler]

I agree At Helm

You did not mention which size unit you have,but no matter it does need to be
at the helm while sailing.
This is where my Chartplotter is on my Hunter 2007 36 and yes I agree llower is better so not to block your view.
Nick

 

[kloudie1]

Chartplotter Mounting

I agree .. At the helm is the best place.. VERY convenient when sailing singlehanded! The mount is a stainless arm available from Edson.

 

[gettinthere]

my pedistal is very old design and way too short for a navpod. did not want to pull the whole thing out and replace it with a taller version. lots of work and lots of money.

I went on-line and found an extensive array of RAM mount hardware to make a custom fit mount for my large plotter (Garmin 3210).

there are other makers of mounts for all kinds of electronics.

if you can make a navpod work for you, that is a good solution. otherwise there are plenty of other mounts out there.

at the helm does seem to be a much better solution than at the nav station below. These units are easy to read in daylight and provide lots of info at your fingertips while taking up relatively small space.

to me the bigger problem was fishing the GPS mushroom wiring up the pedistal

 

[Rich (P303)]

Hi - I'm a new big boatowner (Hunter 33 - that is large for me) and just picked up a Garmin GPS chartplotter with an external antenna system - anyone have any good advise as to where and how to mount this unit as to be most useful during sailing (Nav station inside, somehow on the pedestal - etc ?) I am hopping not to clutter the cockpit with too many wires !

Thanks

Jim

What unit do you have? If it is a smaller Garmin... you might be able to purchase a bracket that fits around the 1" pedestal guard (I assume you have one)... you could mount it anywhere and run the wire inside the guard. You would want to take unit off when not attended.

I have a mid size Garmin (can't recall the model). I was able to re--use an existing Edson bracket (that held an old nav-pod). Trashed the nav-pod... spun the Edson base 180 degrees... and mounted the bracket that came with the Gamin on that Edson piece of hardware. Looks professional.

I remove the chart plotter when left unattended. It is a plug and play deal that you can hook all sorts of goodies up to... like radar.

I would post a picture... however Atari can't handle it.

 

[Taylor]

RAM Mounting brackets

Like gettinthere, I also had a larger (10") display and used a RAM mount. I started out thinking this was a short term fix until I figured out a more elegant way, but I think this is the elegant solution. Mine mounts such that it is right behind the wheel to port, it tucks in between the wheel and the pedestal and it never gets in anyone's way. Plus I can rotate it to any part of the cockpit, and the wheel cover slips right over it when not in use. I've mounted a binocular holder the same way on startboard side of the wheel.

I used something like RAM-109V after realizing the the bottom bracket can be replaced simple hole I drilled in the plate that runs from the pedestal to the crash bar.

See http://products.ram-mount.com/rammount/productdetail.aspx?partnumber=RAM-109V-1, but the beauty is in the range of solutions that offer.
http://products.ram-mount.com/rammount/productdetail.aspx?partnumber=RAM-109V-1

 

[Ed Schenck]

Hey Rich,. . .

you are joking about the Atari, right? Geez, I haven't even heard the word for like twenty years. Here's a guy with a sailboat and a chartplotter and doesn't have a real computer? Maybe there is some other kind of Atari.

 

[Rich (P303)]

you are joking about the Atari, right? Geez, I haven't even heard the word for like twenty years. Here's a guy with a sailboat and a chartplotter and doesn't have a real computer? Maybe there is some other kind of Atari.

Yes... I am joking Ed. But I am running Windows 98. Quite a difference between "Pong" and "Grand Theft Auto".

 

[tweitz]

I also strongly agree with mounting at the helm. My Raymarine chartpolotter came with a bracket, and instead of flush mounting it in the pod, I mounted it on the bracket. This has two benefits -- it is easily removable so it does not become an attractive target for thieves, and it can be adjusted to a comfortable angle depending on whether I am sitting or standing and whether there is sun glare.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Behind the helm is a very limiting position

As suggested, find somewhere that you can do BOTH, without HAVING to be BEHIND the helm.

A friend, who's done the CA coast up and down, suggests that the best place is just behind the companionway, for balance.

Don't tie yourself into anything that makes you go to the far end of the boat.

This "mount it at the helm" leaves a LOT to be desired in the real world.

 

[paulj]

Ram mount


paulj :troll:

 

[Rich (P303)]

You will need it where you use it. The Garmin's require a lot of button pushing... I can't see how it would do you any good at the companionway... unless you had a long stick.
If you have the plug and play Garmin... you could interface with another unit down below.

That RAM thingy looks like it might do the job of both.

 

[spadaforaj]

Thanks - Ed - How did you mount the swivel mount to the helmguard ?

Hi Ed - How did you mount the swivel mount to the helmguard ?

Jim

My Garmin was a poor fit for the Navpod. So I just mounted it on the helm guard as seen in the picture. Most of my wires run inside the helm guard or pedestal to a wiring block underneath. But you really do want the chartplotter at the helm.

Best feature of mounting the way you see it is that I can easily remove it. It goes home with me or is locked away inside the boat.

By the way, that "Navpod" is a section of eight foot fence rail from Lowes. The whole thing with end caps was less than $10. And I still have over six foot left.