I just purchased a Raymarine E80 and I'm trying to decide where/how to mount the display. I would really like to mount it at the helm on the pedestal guard. I've talked to Chuck at Edson regarding their "Vision Series" pods and he told me that the 10x14 pod which is for the C80 was not deep enough for the E80. The E80 is ~1" deeper than the C80 and from the measurements, it looks like it really won't work. Chuck went on to say that the larger pod (13x15) would work for the E80 and he thought that I could get 1 or 2 ST60 instruments in there as well. From the specs, it looks like that might just work. Has anyone seen or actually done this? I'd like to get my Autohelm ST4000+ and maybe an ST60 close hauled wind head in there, if it will go. I'm also kind of concerned about the compass. Raymarine says that the display should be kept at least 1 meter from a compass. However, I've seen many pictures of these displays mounted on the pedestal guards and they're definitely closer than 1 meter to the compass. Will this really screw the compass up? And finally, my Radar (24" 2KW) is on a Questus backstay mount. That puts the scanner about 8-9' above the display and a few feet aft of it. Will this be okay, or is the scanner going to be too close to the display? My understanding is that the display will be well below the radar beam and therefore, this is okay, but I'd really like to have that confirmed. Thanks, in advance for any help on this. -Smitty
Mounting an E80
- Thread starter Smitty
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Are you intending on daysailing or bluewater?
Putting the radar at the helm is OK if you are just doing day sailing and don't use the autopilot much. If you are bluewater sailing then I'd opt for the nav station mount. You will let the autopilot/windvane pilot do the steering 99% of the time and who wants to go up on deck just to check the radar in the middle of a dark rainy night. There is also the issue of salt water and weather exposure to consider. I feel there are "helm's men" instriments and navigation instriments. The helm needs to know am I on course (say compass) and is the water deep enough (say depth finder) and possably the wind angle/speed if the (possably forein crew) helmsman is not the salty sailor and can't read the sails. The navigator needs to know all the above plus position (gps/loran/sextant w/books), radar, forward looking sonar,....every other aid to navigation they can afford and have a place to work out their DR plot and reduce sights. You do do a DR plot while at sea RIGHT. And while I'm on a rant, having an autopilot that I can adjust the course while I'm up the mast looking for a passage through the coral is a real marrage saver!!!! It just depend on what kind of sailing you are gong to do. Opt for the worst (Id say best) case set up.
Putting the radar at the helm is OK if you are just doing day sailing and don't use the autopilot much. If you are bluewater sailing then I'd opt for the nav station mount. You will let the autopilot/windvane pilot do the steering 99% of the time and who wants to go up on deck just to check the radar in the middle of a dark rainy night. There is also the issue of salt water and weather exposure to consider. I feel there are "helm's men" instriments and navigation instriments. The helm needs to know am I on course (say compass) and is the water deep enough (say depth finder) and possably the wind angle/speed if the (possably forein crew) helmsman is not the salty sailor and can't read the sails. The navigator needs to know all the above plus position (gps/loran/sextant w/books), radar, forward looking sonar,....every other aid to navigation they can afford and have a place to work out their DR plot and reduce sights. You do do a DR plot while at sea RIGHT. And while I'm on a rant, having an autopilot that I can adjust the course while I'm up the mast looking for a passage through the coral is a real marrage saver!!!! It just depend on what kind of sailing you are gong to do. Opt for the worst (Id say best) case set up.
Mounting a E-80
Smitty- A option that you do have, yes its expensive. Mount one at the helm and place a second down at the Nav Station. Rob
Smitty- A option that you do have, yes its expensive. Mount one at the helm and place a second down at the Nav Station. Rob
Thanks for the responses ...
but, asuuming I'm stubborn and still want to go with the helm location and a PC down at the nav-station, networked and running Raytech 6 software, will the E80 really screw up the compass? This issue seems to be ignored in all the adds for both Edson and Navpod pods. Raymarine is pretty adamant about staying at least a full meter from the compass. However, I'm pretty sure in all the adds and pictures of installations that the pod/display ain't that far from the compass. It still seems like having the chart plotter/Radar/sounder at the helm when piloting in a crowded harbor or entrance is worth while. I don't use the auto pilot much except when on long single points of sail. I still get too much thrill out of "driving". Even when I do use the auto, I'm usually in the cockpit watching and ready to apply my superior piloting skills
. -Smitty
but, asuuming I'm stubborn and still want to go with the helm location and a PC down at the nav-station, networked and running Raytech 6 software, will the E80 really screw up the compass? This issue seems to be ignored in all the adds for both Edson and Navpod pods. Raymarine is pretty adamant about staying at least a full meter from the compass. However, I'm pretty sure in all the adds and pictures of installations that the pod/display ain't that far from the compass. It still seems like having the chart plotter/Radar/sounder at the helm when piloting in a crowded harbor or entrance is worth while. I don't use the auto pilot much except when on long single points of sail. I still get too much thrill out of "driving". Even when I do use the auto, I'm usually in the cockpit watching and ready to apply my superior piloting skills
. -Smitty- Status