My unfinished email was sent accidently.. What I was trying to say is it is often best to sort out how and where you want to mount the plotter before investing in a housing. Most standard height pedestal guards (44”) are not tall enough to mount an 8” screen MFD without obstructing the compass. So, in order to mount the pod, you need to change the guard. All well and good, except most extended height guards are now either 1 1/8” or 1 ¼” diameter to allow multiple electrical cables to be run inside the guard tubing. Bigger diameter guards won’t pass through the pedestal feet or guard top plate on your pedestal, although most guard upgrade kits include these components to facilitate mounting. You’ll have a choice of straight, angled or offset guards. If you sail most of the time standing behind the wheel, the angle guard generally offers the best view of the instrument. If you sit behind the wheel, look at the offset guard.
What I like to do, is to make a cardboard template of the instrument and hold or tape it in place where you want it to go. Will you be mounting other instruments (wind, speed, depth, AP) at the helm too? Where will those go? The other thing to consider is the bend radius of the plug on the back of the instrument. You’ll need a deep enough housing to allow any electrical connectors to exit the instrument and then run down the guard legs without overly stressing the connector and wires. At the end of the day, your sleek new Garmin instrument that looks so tidy in the store, becomes a jumbo box at the helm when you factor all the various aspects of mounting it. Most of these displays get flush mounted into the dashboard of center console power boats so not much thought is given to the depth of all the wiring and such. Finally, there are merits to purchasing a housing that has an interchangeable face plate. As quickly as electronics technology gets updated, purchasing a “pre-cut” housing specific to the instrument you now have, may mean that when you upgrade next time (believe me, you will…) you may find yourself in the same place trying to source an inexpensive “box” for your super fantastic new gadget. If you want to send me an email off line with a photo of your current helm station, I could make some recommendations on housings.. Cheers, Chuck Gilchrest S/V Half Magic 1983 Landfall 35 Padanaram, MA From: CnC-List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Chuck Gilchrest via CnC-List Sent: Monday, May 29, 2017 9:07 AM To: [email protected] Cc: Chuck Gilchrest <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Stus-List Garmin nav pod Fred, Simply mounting a MFD at the helm can be a challenge as there are a myriad of configurations, options, clearance issues, etc. With that said, there’s no such thing as a Universal Pod that will allow for any instrument to be mounted at any helm. There are really only 3 manufacturers of instrument housings, NavPod, Edson, and SeaView From: CnC-List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Fred Hazzard via CnC-List Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2017 11:38 PM To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Cc: Fred Hazzard <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: Stus-List Garmin nav pod I just got a deal on a Garmin 5208 plotter. When I look to find a pod to use at the binacle I find prices much higher than I paid for the plotter. Looking for suggestions where to find something reasonable, Fred Hazzard S/V Fury C&C 44 Portland, Or
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