Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

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jhnmdahl
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Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by jhnmdahl »

I bought a Garmin chartplotter before taking delivery of my 210, only to find there's no good place to mount the Garmin. I've done some looking around regarding mounting techniques and found a "ram" (http://www.rammount.com/part/RAM-109H):
ram.jpg
and a "pod":
pod.gif
But am wondering of others have come up with clever mounting methods?

John
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by smokymance »

Did you ever figure this out?
Im kinda in the same page w not having available space.
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by JTinMO »

I'm in the same boat, and am going to try the Ram Mount windshield suction cup mount option first. I don't know how I feel about drilling mounts in the Cobalt dash. I have not built up the cojones for that yet.

I really wish there was a small battery powered chart plotter option with a clamp mount as I would roll with it in a heartbeat. Would just remove it and charge it each day.

I used the iPhone (too small for my liking), and my iPad Mini does not have built in GPS. I'm half tempted to just buy a new iPad Mini and go that route with Navionics.
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by Ytmsn »

I use the windshield mount and it works okay, but this fall I'm going to drill it into the dash over on the right.
20180512_202445.jpg
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by JTinMO »

Ytmsn wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:04 pm I use the windshield mount and it works okay, but this fall I'm going to drill it into the dash over on the right.
20180512_202445.jpg
What are the cons to the suction cup mount? And what model Simrad is that? Sound like you have mixed experience with it.

You have the setup I was going to try to use, so very interested in your experience with it.
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by tgrace98 »

After talking with YT and seeing his in action I ended up drilling mine to the dash with the simrad mount. He has the go5 and I went with the 7. Here is how mine looks.

Btw in the picture it looks like my fuel and voltage gauge are blocked. But it’s just the angle of the photo. I can easily see them when driving
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by Ytmsn »

JTinMO wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:31 pm
Ytmsn wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:04 pm I use the windshield mount and it works okay, but this fall I'm going to drill it into the dash over on the right.
20180512_202445.jpg
What are the cons to the suction cup mount? And what model Simrad is that? Sound like you have mixed experience with it.

You have the setup I was going to try to use, so very interested in your experience with it.
Yes, you can see the 7 better. Driller has a 5 too and I think he wishes he would have gotten a 7, but I actually like the 5.
The windshield mount is fine and I like it, but it'll be a cleaner mount to the dash. The unit will go with the boat when I sell it so I'm not worried about screw holes.

My mount has only failed once when it was super hot and I had the cover on. I opened the boat to see it had come loose, but it's never happed since. I cleaned the mount area with alcohol on both the rubber and the glass and it's been stuck like paint ever since.

One of the advantages to this mount is sticking the whole thing up in the air so I can see it while standing underway. But if it was on the dash I'd just roll it back so I could glance down, and I think this is where a 7 would be better! I was just worried about covering up my other gages, but thrace says it isn't an issue.
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by Photo_G »

I used this stuff to mount my RAM base on the windshield glass. It sticks great, even in 111 degree heat, and it's fairly easy to remove when it's time.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Scotch-1-in-x- ... pe/3690666

G
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by tgrace98 »

So here is mine when standing at the steering wheel butt up against the seat
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by JTinMO »

With the simrad units do you need to install a puck or transducer, or is it as simple as run the power cable and good to go? Does it have a built in gps sensor in the head unit? How’s the contours on the maps? I’m used to navionics platinum maps which are very detailed.
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by tgrace98 »

JTinMO wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:20 am With the simrad units do you need to install a puck or transducer, or is it as simple as run the power cable and good to go? Does it have a built in gps sensor in the head unit? How’s the contours on the maps? I’m used to navionics platinum maps which are very detailed.
You only have to do the transducer if you want to use the fish finder or get real time depth. Besides that everything else is in the unit. GPS, chartplotting, etc
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by JTinMO »

Thanks t. Does the unit show depth without a transducer connected? I’m hoping it shows it based on the preloaded chart and position. I’m ok with the built in depth on the dash. I’m hoping there’s a way you can enter a depth offset on the gps unit and it would display from there. Maybe that’s a pipe dream though.

Would really like to not have to install a transducer if I can help it. I’ve done it on two prior boats, and always end up doing it though.
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by tgrace98 »

JTinMO wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:20 am Thanks t. Does the unit show depth without a transducer connected? I’m hoping it shows it based on the preloaded chart and position. I’m ok with the built in depth on the dash. I’m hoping there’s a way you can enter a depth offset on the gps unit and it would display from there. Maybe that’s a pipe dream though.

Would really like to not have to install a transducer if I can help it. I’ve done it on two prior boats, and always end up doing it though.
Yes it shows defined depths that the maps know of. My simrad actually has the navtronics maps. So if that is what you are use to. It is the exact same.
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by JTinMO »

tgrace98 wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:23 am
JTinMO wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:20 am Thanks t. Does the unit show depth without a transducer connected? I’m hoping it shows it based on the preloaded chart and position. I’m ok with the built in depth on the dash. I’m hoping there’s a way you can enter a depth offset on the gps unit and it would display from there. Maybe that’s a pipe dream though.

Would really like to not have to install a transducer if I can help it. I’ve done it on two prior boats, and always end up doing it though.
Yes it shows defined depths that the maps know of. My simrad actually has the navtronics maps. So if that is what you are use to. It is the exact same.
Sweet. Sounds promising. I need to go check these out in person to get a better feel. I’m used to Humminbird and Garmin units.
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Re: Chartplotter mounting in a tight space

Post by JTinMO »

tgrace98 wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:23 am
JTinMO wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:20 am Thanks t. Does the unit show depth without a transducer connected? I’m hoping it shows it based on the preloaded chart and position. I’m ok with the built in depth on the dash. I’m hoping there’s a way you can enter a depth offset on the gps unit and it would display from there. Maybe that’s a pipe dream though.

Would really like to not have to install a transducer if I can help it. I’ve done it on two prior boats, and always end up doing it though.
Yes it shows defined depths that the maps know of. My simrad actually has the navtronics maps. So if that is what you are use to. It is the exact same.
T,
Without transducer connected it displays depth from the built in map of choice. I understand that. Question is can you program an offset for depth, and will the unit then display the depth with offset and update contours accordingly?

I want to be able to go transducerless, and simply program the offset to make the unit match the depth finder on the dash. I’m hoping you do that once, and the simrad would be good to go from that point on with a saved offset. I ran into this problem years ago in California with lakes that would fluctuate greatly. I couldn’t program an offset in the old units and then had to install a transducer to get accurate depth on the navionics.
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