Garmin 4210 Plotter & GMR 18 HD

Levity · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:26 pm Post subject: Garmin 4210 Plotter & GMR 18 HD

I installed a Garmin 4210 Plotter with a GMR18 HD Radar and a GSD 22 Sounder on Levity. The installation was simple enough once the Garmin network concept became clear. The 4210, if installed using the mounting bracket supplied, will cover half of the helmsman's field of vision when looking forward out the helm window. Mounting brackets were made out of aluminum flat stock that allow the 4210 to sit lower and further forward. This location drops the 4210 out of the helmsman's field of vision when looking forward out the window. Mounting the dome on the roof has been described by a few folks already but allow me to add that drilling them holes requires some fortitude building. I needed three hands; one to hold the drill, one to hold the template, and one to hold the whisky!

The plotter overlay function is awesome, although I find I prefer the side by side- split screen view. This is my first experience with radar so I do not feel I can give a qualified opinion as to the details of functionalty of the set-up. I can only say that the radar provides a crisp image, gain and clutter control allow the operator to "clean up" the images seen, and the unit picks up very small objects such as crab pot buoys. The display on the 4210 is large enough that I can read depths without reading glasses.
The 188C previously installed on Levity was very, very good. The 4210 is better.
Mike "Levity"

416rigby · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:12 am Post subject:

Thanks for the report. How about some pics of you mounting bracket? We're thinking of upgrading our system eventually to integrate the radar. Our radar is an old CRT JRC2000 that works good but is mounted on the helm shelf. We had a 188C and loved it, too. Now have a 498.

RIck

jlastofka · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:43 am Post subject:

I don't understand your comment about the unit blocking your field of view. I put a 4212 in my CD22 and I used the bracket that came from Garmin. I put it right in front of the steering wheel on top of the console and it doesn't block my view at all. I'm 6'2" tall, which might make a difference, but it doesn't seem like it would be that much.

If I lean back in the helm seat, there's a corner at the upper right of the display that blocks a tiny portion of my view of a useless part of the lower right corner of the window where I could view a little bit of water along side the bow, perhaps, but it's nothing that matters. And I don't lean back like that when driving.

My boat is only a year old. Is the instrument panel different on my boat?

Jeff

Levity · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:48 am Post subject:

Rick- I will take some pics of the brackets and post them in the Levity album.

Jeff- I have not been on a one year old C-Dory 22 to make comparisons of the consoles so I cannot say if they are different or not. What I can say is that before installing the 4210 I tried placing the unit in different locations and different postures. When I sat my 5'8"self on the helm seat with the 4210 attached to the Garmin bracket the top of the unit was equal to about one-half the height of the forward facing helm window. Yes, I could see over it but prefered the unit sit lower to allow a greater percentage of the forward view to be unobstructed. Lowering the unit, tipping the bottom toward the helm-chair and the top toward the forward window reduced the intrusion into my viewing area to about 20%. When I drive the boat I sit on a 2" cushion which helps me see completely over the unit. IMO lowering and tilting the unit also reduced the "visual space" the unit occupies in the cabin.

Mike "Levity"

Chester · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:48 pm Post subject:

Mike, I'm looking foreward to the pictures of the installation. The 4210 seems to have upgrades the 4208 doesn't have. My wife is 5'2" and possibly the 4208 will be a stretch for her.
Did you go with a pedestal or an arch for the radar?
Thank's
Steve

Levity · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject:

Steve & Rick- The pictures did not get posted today. It remains on my to do list for tomorrow.
Steve- The GMR 18 was mounted directly onto the cabin top. Two vinyl stringers were used to accommodate the radius of the cabin top and raise the dome 1" off the surface. This 1" allows room for the cables to turn and connect to the dome.
Mike "Levity"

Levity · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject:

The pictures of the brackets and the dome mount are in the album.
Mike "Levity"

Chester · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject:

Mike, thank's for taking the time to answer my questions and post the pictures. Shifting the moniter to the port side of the dash prolly helped almost as much as lowering it.