Raymarine suncovers

stiknstring

stiknstring

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Due to a combination of winter winds and petty theft, I now have to replace several sun covers on instruments. I am appalled at the Raymarine price at £27.50 each. This looks like just a simple plastic moulding - there must be alternatives at a reasonable cost...? Any suggestions for alternative sun covers welcomed - thanks!
 
stiknstring said:
Any suggestions for alternative sun covers welcomed - thanks!
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When I eventually get round to making it, I plan to replace my set of eight fiddly separate sun-covers with a tailored canvas cover that drops over the whole lot and is held in place with a couple of press-studs. This will be quicker to fit and remove, and can roll up for stowage along with the binnacle cover and the "horse rug" for the stackpack. Maybe you could make something similar?

Pete
 
I bought a new multifunction display in the Autumn. It had (note the past tense) a flexible rubber sun cover. This was not there by the Spring. It was probably blown off as the grip does not seem as good as the rigid plastic covers that are on my other instruments.
€50 for a new one! Now in the habit of leaving a velcro strap around it. I also remove the tiny mini-SD card when not on board as they are easily stolen!

TudorSailor
 
stiknstring said:
Due to a combination of winter winds and petty theft, I now have to replace several sun covers on instruments. I am appalled at the Raymarine price at £27.50 each. This looks like just a simple plastic moulding - there must be alternatives at a reasonable cost...? Any suggestions for alternative sun covers welcomed - thanks!
Click to expand...

What about a 3D printer- not that I would recognise one if it fell out of the sky and hit me on my head- but I gather they can make anything using them now!!
 
I have a 3D printer! To make a cover for a small display would be easy in theory. However one would need to scan a cover first as I doubt Raymarine would give out the digital drawing. Scanning a part would cost about £100. Once scanned, the cost of the print would be less than £1

The cover for my new MFD is too big to print on my home printer as the print bed is about 10" square. Since the current cover is very flexible rubber, it would be difficult to scan. If Raymarine gave out the digital file, one might be able to get the cover printed by one of the many companies that offer the service online. But I bet the cost would be greater than €50!

TudorSailor aka TudorNerd
 
tudorsailor said:
I have a 3D printer! To make a cover for a small display would be easy in theory. However one would need to scan a cover first as I doubt Raymarine would give out the digital drawing. Scanning a part would cost about £100.
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Surely an instrument cover is simple enough to be designed "by hand"? It needn't be a perfect replica, just stay in place and keep the sun off.

Pete
 
prv said:
Surely an instrument cover is simple enough to be designed "by hand"? It needn't be a perfect replica, just stay in place and keep the sun off.

Pete
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I have been using the printer to print models of fractured bones, so have now cracked the software to do this

However I have no expertise in CAD. For that I would need the help of my engineering son! The key to replacing the instrument cover is making in a nice snug fit, so the tolerance would be very fine. Too loose and it would be useless, too tight and it would not go on.

A handheld scanner is soon to be released, so I am really looking for a justification for getting one!


TudorSailor
 
tudorsailor said:
The key to replacing the instrument cover is making in a nice snug fit, so the tolerance would be very fine. Too loose and it would be useless, too tight and it would not go on.

TudorSailor
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Good point, well made. However, it presumes that the cover needs to stay on with friction ie is a tight fit. What about something slightly looser/less exact, but with a velcro tab or something similar. The original bloody things blow off in the wind in any case, if they didn't we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place!!
 
Gypsy said:
There is a company in Melbourne (AUS) which makes 'after market' covers for the ST instruments:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sun-Cove...e48c38&pid=100010&rk=3&rkt=24&sd=121634137506

They also make the rounded corners version for 60+ instruments. If you need more than 1 then the postage will be defrayed.

No connection to seller, just saw them in passing some months back.
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Thanks for that but little if any price advantage.

I have 3-two small ones and a larger one for the autopilot readout. If I lose a small one the NASA ones are the way to go-perhaps with a little grey flexible paint.
 
tudorsailor said:
I bought a new multifunction display in the Autumn. It had (note the past tense) a flexible rubber sun cover.....
Click to expand...
Our cover for the new C125 kept falling off or blowing off so we covered it with a shopping bag, and tied that down - but in a gale it still blew away one night.

I contacted Raymarine and said the cover was "not fit for purpose" - and they of course said they hadn't had problems with them. They did however replace it free of charge!
 
Gypsy said:
There is a company in Melbourne (AUS) which makes 'after market' covers for the ST instruments:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sun-Cove...e48c38&pid=100010&rk=3&rkt=24&sd=121634137506

They also make the rounded corners version for 60+ instruments. If you need more than 1 then the postage will be defrayed.

No connection to seller, just saw them in passing some months back.
Click to expand...
Shame they don't seem to sell covers for Raymarine's MFD devices. The flexible one that came with my e7 was only on the boat 3 days before it fell off. I must find some what to hold it in place before I lose it for good...

Boo2
 
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