GPS: surface or rail mount?

[laika]

Having recently acquired a right angle drill attachment there's no longer an excuse for me to delay drilling holes under the pushpit to install the dedicated GPS for my AIS unit. I've already acquired a deck gland and a rail mount bracket but I'm wondering whether surface mounting might be a better idea. Yes it would have the pushpit and liferaft canister above it but OTOH it would be more stable and secure than on the rail. What does anyone else think?

 

[ianj99]

Having recently acquired a right angle drill attachment there's no longer an excuse for me to delay drilling holes under the pushpit to install the dedicated GPS for my AIS unit. I've already acquired a deck gland and a rail mount bracket but I'm wondering whether surface mounting might be a better idea. Yes it would have the pushpit and liferaft canister above it but OTOH it would be more stable and secure than on the rail. What does anyone else think?

I mounted a backup Garmin GPS module on my whouse roof with Mastic - it works as well as the plotter's gps with its aerial on the pushpit.

GPS receivers are more sensitive these days so the placement is not as critical as it was 10years ago.

Ian

 

[Sandyman]

I would go for surface mount everytime but as your intended mounting position is under the pushpit & liferaft, would this not blind the receiver to the sat signal to some extent ?

 

[macd]

Laika: there was a recent thread on where to mount GPS aerials, sensitivity etc.:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298987

It would probably be fine below decks. If you have a hand-held GPS you should be able to check out the strength of signal anywhere on the boat

 

[laika]

I would go for surface mount everytime but as your intended mounting position is under the pushpit & liferaft, would this not blind the receiver to the sat signal to some extent ?

That was my concern. It's the place which works best for cable run and not being trodden on. Strictly speaking it's not directly under the liferaft. I was wondering how important that was (from Ianj99's reply perhaps not as important as I thought)

 

[laika]

Laika: there was a recent thread on where to mount GPS aerials, sensitivity etc.:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298987

Rats...and despite me searching on "gps surface mount +ybw" to check I wasn't repeating anything...