need help location GPS
 

I need some help in knowing the best place for my gps. My wife bought me a Northstar Explore 550 and my parants bought me a compass for our 2005 Baja 275 and I know where the compass should go but now not sure where the best place for the GPS should go. Has anyone put one on ther Baja? Sorry I don't have a picture of my dash and the boat is put away for the winter. This is what it looks like except I have purple bezel.

Dash Photos
 

They are not pic's of your boat, but I hope they help?

XT:cool:

Livorsi has a pretty good deal on those plotters right now, they look nice, and work well, I really like that you can get the face in colors to match gauges. I would "mock" the plotter up on your dash until you find a place that it looks good, and, more importantly, where you can read it, and reach it from the helm, Just my thoughts, good Luck!

Michael

Thamks. I know where the compass goes my problems is going to figure out where the GPS can go. I'm not sure if there will be room by the compass for the gps. My dad asked if I still wanted the compass since I have the gps and I said yes would like to keep both but maybe I should forget the compass and put the gps where the compass should go if there is enough clearance from the windshield. I'm hoping someone has a gps like mine mounted so I can see where it's located.

Personally I would keep the compass, just "in case" the gps ever goes for a crap on you [Pardon my French, lol] I have both and considered the same thing, but, decided to keep it and glad I did.

Just curious what cards, if any? you use, I was told the C-Map Max work well, but, wondered what others where compatable?

Good Luck!
Michael

That's my thinking also about having both also. I haven't been able to play around with the gps since it's not hooked up yet. I was hoping there would be a way to use a battery pack and hook that up to the wires but not sure if that would mess up the gps I sent Livorsi an e-mail asking if there is a way to use it without installling it first in the boat so I'm not sure what lakes are already on it if any. I think those were the two cards mentioned to use. What boat do you have and do you have and how did you mount yours?

Hey Again!

I have a Baja as well, but, its an older 25ft Outlaw, I have mine mounted on the dash about level with the "edge" of the windshield, slightly tilted towards the helm. I used to have a speaker box molded there with four 8" speakers in it, but, I had to move it when I put the GPS there, I didn't like the idea of having the plotter mounted THAT close to the speakers, plus, the plotter blocked most of the center 2 speakers. Did you get the external or internal GPS antenae?

Actually, I emailed Livorsi yesterday and today, but, never heard back, I think they might be shut down til New Years? You probably wouldn't hurt anything by hooking it up to a battery [one of those "booster packs" you use for boosting batteries and stuff would be perfect] but, then again, why bother risking it? I am also pretty sure that if you are any significant distance from the water you won't get much of a reading. There is a huge boat show here in a couple of weeks, so, I am gonna talk to the Jeppensen guys about charts, let me know if you want me to inquire about anything for ya!

Michael

PT2- It would be a bit of work, but, how about moving the compass to the far Right side of the helm [in front of the depth sounder] and then you could put the plotter on top of the dash, where the compass is now?

The other option is to make a nice mount and flush mount it in the hole above the stereo on the passenger side? Might be hard to see from the helm though, just a couple of suggestions from quickly looking at pics, good luck!

Michael

n2omichael that might work putting the compass over by the depth gage I'll have to see the size of compass I'm getting. The one my parants got me they are taking back and going to get one that doesn't sit as high on the dash.

Year I asked Livorsi about the cards and most of my boating is here on Lake Wawasee but we would like to go to Michigan and maybe Erie plus go to Lake Norman in NC. since my wife has family down there and we did the fun run last year and had a blast. That was our first time doing something like that and my wife said this could be addicting and our kids (age 6 & 9)had fun. Do you know if the Great Lakes are on a card by themself or are they grouped by an area of lakes?

The Chart I looked at had the Great Lakes [all 5] as well as the St Lawrence River and a pile of rivers and lakes in the surrounding areas as well. It looked pretty thorough, I boat 90% of the time in St Lawrence River, we have a cottage in the 1000 Islands and its a nice area, there are a couple of good runs there as well, the Alex Bay run is pretty "low key" [in other words FUN!] and, of course there is the 1000 Islands run, which is geared towards the more serious boats and Chequebooks, I go every year though, but, just to watch!

Here is a link to Jeppesen, the company that makes the cards, you can check out what and where the charts cover, pretty good site, and really good customer service. Like I said, I am going to the Boat show "up here" in a couple of weeks, so, if you want me to ask about any specific area or questions, just let me know. Good Talking to you, Glad the kids like boating, make is easier when you try to convince the wife you NEED to get that 42ft Outerlimits! Ha Ha

www.Jeppesen.com/lightmarine

Talk to you later
Michael

Bring this back up for some more help on locating a good place for the antenna. The compass is in and it looks like I can mount the GPS on the flat part left of the compass close to the walk thru of the window. But now I'm trying to figure where would be the best location to mount the puck antenna? Trying to drill hole while the slope of the windshield makes things almost impossible. My dad was thinking just drill the one hole for the cable and use velcro to hold the puck in place. What have other people done to mount the puck on your boat?

Thanks.

I mounted my antenna/puck behind the instrument panel,works great and you dont see it.

Don't they need to be out in the open to get a good signal? How or what did you mount it to?

I used silicone to mount my antenna. FYI, the antenna can "see" through fiberglass if that helps you at all.
The thing can be mounted almost anywhere as long as it is somewhat horizontal.

Thanks. Ok so the windshield wouldn't affect any reception then and what about the compass it's an digital compass would one affect the other and just wanting to make sure it's possible to silicone it behind the dash panel on the underside of the fiberglass. If I can I think I would like that better and have less things on top.

here is mine looks good if you ask me factory look by the compass. redid the dash this past winter
http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/a...ashpainted.jpg

That turned out great I remember seeing the pictures you had about redoing your dash. I'll be mounting my GPS on the stand that came with it. The surface mount would be great but I don't want to go thru all the work of redoing my dash and finding place for any gauges that wouldn't fit on the dash with the GPS.

All I had to do was get a smaller tach and it worked and got rid of the p.o.s. Speedo. It was only off a few mph but kept coming off the transom like to sank me one day water to the middle of the oil pan