l'escargot
Well-Known Member
I want to get my GPS antenna and Navtex aerial up off the pushpit out of the way. Who supplies the brackets, poles etc.?
Mounting pole for GPS antenna etc.
- Thread starter l'escargot
- Start date
FWB
N/A
Since boats tend to roll the GPS antenna should be mounted as low down as possible to reduce its movement.
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
http://www.scanstrut.com
Scanstrut make expensive clamps. I looked into a new pole for my wind generator and I noticed that in addition to poles they also have small attachments for antennas etc. Look for the T Bar and T Pole web pages on the Scan Strut site.
Scanstrut make expensive clamps. I looked into a new pole for my wind generator and I noticed that in addition to poles they also have small attachments for antennas etc. Look for the T Bar and T Pole web pages on the Scan Strut site.
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
That's the sort of thing I'm after but Scanstrut prices are eye-watering
Here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SCANSTRUT-T-POLE-1-5M-UPTO-4-GPS-VHF-ANTENNAS-/130854325281
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pvb
Well-Known Member
By "out of the way" I wonder whether you're worried about accidentally damaging them, or that they're intrusive. If the latter, a pole will be worse. However, if the former, something like the Scanstrut pole would be excellent - it's generally good quality, albeit rather pricey. Or, you could get a local stainless fabricator to knock something up to your own specification.
Pinnacle
Well-Known Member
Why not put the GPS aerial behind your plotter under the side deck? It will be dry and out of the way there. My AIS GPS aerial is in this position and it works perfectly well ( much to my surprise and disbelief when it was first suggested to me ).
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
It is damage that concerns me. Where they are they often get knocked and the Navtex antenna gets caught up. A single pole with a T piece will get them up out the way and the pole will be more resilient to the occasional knock. I have seen the set up on another boat recently and it looks better than what I currently have. An AIS antenna and an emergency VHF antenna can also go on it.
prv
Well-Known Member
Will the GPS dome flush-mount on deck? Often the lower part of the thing is just a fairing, and if you remove it you're left with something suitable for deck-mounting. I've always hated the typical pushpit mount, so my Raymarine GPS is stuck down on deck just ahead of the windscreen. It's nestled into a corner next to the dorade where you're unlikely to try to stand, but the dome feels like it would shrug off the occasional misplaced deck shoe anyway.
The other GPSes (for VHF and Yeoman, it's complicated) are mounted under the side deck as suggested above. "Mounted" is a bit grand really - they're just shoved up under the edge of the vinyl headlining in the space behind the chart table panel. They work fine through a foam cored deck.
Pete
Vara
Well-Known Member
In Dover there is a SS fabricator who for not a lot of pounds will knock up a fabrication to your design with clamps to go onto your push pit. Im sure that there must be a similar chap in your area.
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
I expect it would but there is still the navtex antenna which is the whip type so there is nothing to be gained by rerunning the GPS cable and relocating just one antenna. As I said I also want somewhere to mount an AIS antenna and an emergency VHF aerial as well. I've already considered all the alternatives and decided that the best solution for me is a pole mount. I just want to source one at a reasonable cost.
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
In the absence of a suggestion for an "off the shelf" solution, that's what I want, hence my original post.
Pete7
Well-Known Member
Couldn't find anyting either, so picked up a length of SS 1" pole from Luke at Percy M See chandlers in Fareham along with two Platimo blocks which clamp around 1" tube. By mounting the blocks together with longer bolts the vertical pole now connects to the upper horizontal pushpit rail. The bottom of the pole is secured to the deck with another widget from the chanders. Had a mate weld a plate on top of the pole for the light and AIS aerial.
Kyrospruce supplied the chandler so worth having a nose around their catalogue for bits and pieces. the also sell S/S tube.
http://www.kayospruce.com/index.asp...ssories&InBox=Deck Fittings&cct=3&TypeSearch=
Pete
Kyrospruce supplied the chandler so worth having a nose around their catalogue for bits and pieces. the also sell S/S tube.
http://www.kayospruce.com/index.asp...ssories&InBox=Deck Fittings&cct=3&TypeSearch=
Pete
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bert49uk
Well-Known Member
make up sothing like this with 1'' tube
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
That's the sort of thing I'm thinking of. Looks like there's no off the shelf solution.
pvb
Well-Known Member
bert49uk
Well-Known Member
Annual birdman competition, best view from visitors moorings
lw395
Well-Known Member
It will probably work fine until the weather is really rough and there is loads of heavy spray on the deck. Which is when you kind of want it to be beyond reproach.
lw395
Well-Known Member
GPS works fairly well mounted on cars missiles, fighter aircraft, and 100ft up on ships. I don't think raising it five or six feet on a yacht will kill it.
A clearer view of the sky will be a plus point.
I wouldn't go to the extreme of putting it at the masthead.
FWB
N/A
It should really be on the centreline at deck level to stop the boat's rolling adding to the signal.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
My Raymarine gps antenna is mounted on the lower rail of the pushpit it works just as well as the Maplins usb gps dongle stuck in the cabin window
