Bracket for mounting a handheld CP on pedestal

[TwinRudders]

Thinking about getting a Lowrance H20C handheld C/P - just wondering how best to mount it on the s/s tubing on the pedestal above the compass.. Anyone done that?

Pedestal is a Whitlock 5R Cobra

Thanks J

 

[ditchcrawler]

Look at www.ram-mount-uk.com

 

[jakeroyd]

Hello Twinrudders,
I have just bought an H20C (there are good deals out there at the moment complete with Nauticpath European Charting.)
It's terrific value for money and the charts are very detailed. However I think you will find the screen too small to read clearly if it is mounted at wheel height. You have to do a lot of zooming to get the area you want at the detail you want.
With mine I plan to just use it held in the hand , it fairly durable and has a rubber surrond to absorb bumps.
The connection for external power looks a bit vulnerable to water ingress.
Incidentally if you are considering a lead to supply power and take the position to a DSC radio be advised I have only found these available from the USA at about £50
Note , you get a 12V external supply lead with the unit.

 

[ditchcrawler]

By the way www.jkmax.co.uk are selling it for £225 inc the Nauticpath West chart.I bought a black & white handheld plotter/GPS for £60 from them which I use the Nauticpath chart in as my back up & when I go on other boats.I use a Navionics chart in my main Eagle plotter which I have on a Ram ball mount which clips to the companionway rail to the side of the entrance.

 

[Adamastor]

I used a home-made arrangement for a Magellan which was a SS plate welded to the hoop of the wheelstand with a "cup" of narrow flat-bar on the bottom with two little fingers either side of the keypad, and a pair of pins on the top corners to locate the gps in place. There was a simple velcro strap to retain the top of the unit above the screen, and it worked a treat. The thing to watch out for is the magnetism from the batteries. We had a constantly varying 20-30 degree error that changed east/west with each tack!

 

[TwinRudders]

Thanks for that, I've just bought a Moody 336 with an old Autohelm 600 Navcentr B&W C/P - screen has horizinatal lines across - so prob not worth bothering with. Its located at the chart table.

I'd prefer to have one in the cockpit - so was thinking of a handheld to sort it for now and maybe a new fixed one at a later date.

Do you use yours as a main source or just as a backup. I use charts for most things but like the second opinion of the C/P - and find it reassuring for going up unfamiliar rivers and at night.

The alternative is to ditch the old A/Helm 600 thing - and put a GPS at the C/table and a fixed C/P at the helm - but that's going to be a fairly pricey job and having just bought the boat I need to keep the budget under control!

J

 

[Adamastor]

The Magellan was the main weapon of choice. We had a built-in unit that went out of epoch during a trip up our east coast, but had a standby. One of our crew bashed the bracket up for us PDQ after that, and we used it in conjunction with analogue (paper) nav until we got a new unit below and stopped having to scribble fixes onto a decklog to cart the info below!
FWIW, some mates of mine have a washboard fitted with some ali brackets to take their Navman CP. But they have a 30' skateboard-boat, so dual instruments and proper chartwork is notional... And wet!
They plug their CP into 12V at the foot of the ladder, and the unit slips into rails on a perspex washboard with a hole for the wire and the CP runs on its internal aerial.