Suggestions for installing chartplotter on the binnacle

[MarkSF]

I'd love to hear any suggestions on installing a chartplotter in my boat. I've ordered a Lowrance HDS 5M and want to fix it above and forward of the compass, to the stainless steel frame that the cupholder fits over.



I've thought of :

1) Fabricating a wooden piece that slides over, like the cupholder does. The chartplotter's bracket then bolts to the wood.

2) Similar but the wooden piece is bolted to the S/S with U bolts or the like.

The handheld that is visible right now will be removed of course. (and I get a cupholder back! Woohoo!)

Any suggestions or, even better, pics of your setup would be most welcome.

[padean]

I attached (bolted) a small stainless steel 2 in wide "shelf" that sticks out on the port side off the tubing. Mine is just below the level of the compass. Be careful that there is no compass interference with the wiring or hardware. I also found that a smaller unit works better than a larger unit at that location.

[Tempest]

Mark, I have a garmin 546 ( 5" unit). I purchased the edson swing arm mount that attached

to my binnacle. Ran the wires up the leg and out with a grommet. I don't remember it costing this much..from defender..but, here's the edson link

Stainless GPS Mount - 5 Mounting Base [831ST-5-100] - $172.00 : Edson Marine Store

Just checked defender...it might have been this unit...but mine came with a round black base that screws into those threads. http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?...20738&id=28803

I did not run the wires through the swing arm. I came out the leg of the binnacle, with some slack. I can move the swing arm up or down or even switch sides if I wanted to.

One thing, I like is that I can unscrew the plotter and take it below or home..when not in use.
I can't tell if your unit has a hole in the bracket base for the screw that goes into the swing arm, but it would be easy enough to drill one.

the other nice feature is that I can swing the plotter away and do some routing or check tides and currents while sitting forward in the cockpit , while someone else is at the helm....then swing it back.

[Faster]

I think you might prefer to have that unit centered near the top of the support bar.. you could make a F/G 'shelf' similar to the bracket below (sized for your situation) and bolt it onto the forward side of the tube frame, drilled to accept the mounting bracket for the plotter, similar to what I've done with the SH model.

This was a pretty easy job, laid up oversized using an empty shoebox lined with wax paper for the '90 degree' mold.. added the gusset (likely overkill) and then trimmed it to size and painted it. I used 6 oz cloth and West epoxy.

[MarkSF]

Thanks for the suggestions, I notice that the Edson site has quite a few different options for attaching to the guard bar. Yes, I think it'll have to be centered and attached near the top of the bar, just to clear the compass.

That's a nice bit of fibreglassing, not sure I could do it that well.

[Faster]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

That's a nice bit of fibreglassing, not sure I could do it that well.

Thanks, but it's really not that difficult. You get to trim it to size, file and sand the edges afterwards so there's plenty of opportunity to make it 'pretty'...

Along the same lines as one of my favourite (industrial) expressions:

"A grinder and paint make a welder what he ain't"

[Tempest]

Mark,

Yes, edson has top rail mounts too. I think you just need a disc size to match the width of your bracket. I was afraid that guests would grab the GPS instead of the rail, if they lost balance....so I opted for the swing arm lower, keeping the top rail free.

Faster, that is very nice...filing and sanding work!

[BarryL]

Hey,

If you want cheap and easy, look for a ram mount. They have ball mounts, arm mounts, etc.. High quality And they work great

Barry

[mikefossl]

I second the RAM mount. Very versatile. Shown is an HDS8.

[PaulfromNWOnt]

There was an awesome write up in Good Old Boat that went through the process of building the exact item you're looking for. Surprisingly, it looked very professional for the apparent simplicity of construction.