12 inch GPS Plotter on a 25?

kaelc · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2020 10:29 pm Post subject: 12 inch GPS Plotter on a 25?

Is a 12 inch GPS Plotter on a 25 cruiser too big? Have the opportunity to upgrade from a 7 to a 12 but I'm concerned about loosing visibility through the main windshield. I would think a 9 inch one would be a happy medium?

Thanks.

hardee · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2020 10:50 pm Post subject:

I don't think so, but then it is a personal preference. It would depend on several things: Where you place it, what your seat position is -- as in the height and forward aft positioning and the primary determining factor, What your eye level is and sight-line is.

I have a 12" in my 22 Cruiser and it works fine for me, but then I like to sit forward and high. That allows me to see over the top of the screen, easily seeing right down to the bow pulpit rail base on the stbd side.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

srbaum · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:28 am Post subject:

Stir-Afloat,

One thing that I did to aid in determining maximum size, was to make a cardboard mockup of the different units that I was interested in. I taped them in place and got the boat underway. I too did not want vision restrictions, from the screen, while at 6 knots and when running at speed.

I had hoped for a big screen, but I ended up with a 7”. When I purchased the chartplotter, there was a special on the larger one, but it would have blocked a lower portion of my view...

As a side note, my boat came with a larger screen, mounter forward of my throttle. I decided to leave it there and use it for my primary radar screen.

Gene Morris · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 10:00 am Post subject:

I have an older 3210 "10 inch" on Reefmadness. Would love to upgrade to a 12 when I need to replace the old one. I considered mounting the plotter on the dash but, decided to mount it over head with a great Ram mount. It is completely out of the way and I have great visibility. If you consider that mounting position you can use the larger screen without having obstructed view. There are some photos in my albums if you would like to see.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album1499&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=1

Gene

Micahbigsur@msn.com · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 1:55 pm Post subject:

I am very happy with our 9" Simrad on our 25, it seems the perfect practical size.

gulfcoast john · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:54 pm Post subject:

We each have our own 12" display, one on a pivoting RAM mount that Eileen can turn towards her in gnarly conditions and pivots out of the way for entering the berth. (These were discontinued 8212s at one third the original list price).

So you can have dual 12 inch displays if you want. If instead you wanted a single Garmin 24 inch display...now THAT would be a challenge!

Happy Displaying!

John

jennykatz · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:20 pm Post subject: Garmin

We are thinking about going to a7-10 inch Garmin gps we have a 23 venture (cape cruiser) and have the Garmin 521 5 in screen Thinking about either putting in dashboard or on top of dash?
The 10 inch wide gps is 6 inches H so it should fit either way

gulfcoast john · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 10:05 pm Post subject:

Jim,
You two have a Great boat.
Agree with Gene that a RAM mount (fancy versions under $100) could multiply your mounting options and be WAY worth it in the long run.

Just consider!

Happy Mounting,
John

kaelc · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2020 12:48 pm Post subject:

Wow Gene, your Tomcat is looking amazing!

Thanks everyone including Harvey for the picture. 12 inches is looking a little too big but I may go down the cardboard route to see how it would fit.

ssobol · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2020 3:50 pm Post subject:

Kind of depends on the plotter. They sell them by screen size. But depending on the size of the bezel, your plotter could be a lot larger than you think. IME it seems that Humminbird tends to have fairly large bezels. Lowrance seems to have narrower ones.

If they can make laptop screens with very small (almost edge to edge) bezels, you'd think they could make chartplotters that way too.

Micahbigsur@msn.com · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2020 5:08 pm Post subject:

My new Simrad is virtually edge to edge with 1/4" bezels. (Lowrance, B&G and Simrad all the same company but have different features for fishing, sailing and powerboats)

hardee · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2020 2:55 am Post subject:

Gene's overhead mount on the RAM mount.

I like the overhead for some things, (you could see I have some VHF overhead and the small plotter type display in the upper right corner, is actually my primary AIS display, and I don't have to do much fiddling with it. I would think that with an actual plotter up high it might get tiring having an arm up there for adjustments, but then I'm kind of a weakling.

I would have been tempted to skip the RAM mount, and find the spot and angle that worked and mount the MFD bracket directly. Would have raised it about 3 inches to get it out of the viewing line. But that is just me.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

journey on · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2020 12:11 pm Post subject:

Hardy, why do you have 3 vhf radios? With the multiple channel monitoring, can't you monitor 3 channels? Is one a ssb radio and I didn't see it? Or do you just want them (the best answer)?

No smart-ass remark, just wondering.

Boris

SnowTexan · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2020 2:09 pm Post subject:

ssobol · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2020 3:51 pm Post subject: