Frank Hagan Posted August 20, 2004 Posted August 20, 2004 Its a long story, but the visiting weiner dogs ... there are three of them staying with us for three months ... have given me a barely-used Garmin 176C Chartplotter GPS. Very nice unit, and I intend to install it on my Potter 19 named, appropriately enough, messing-about. Any advice on this? I'm thinking I'll install the removable mount on the companion way bulkhead, below the existing knotmeter, and away from the compass. I'm concerned that if I mount it under the compass I may interfere with its operation. At first, I was thinking of using the hard-wire harness for the power, but now I'm thinking I'll install a 12v recepticle on the cockpit seatfront and just use the 12v "cigarette lighter cord" to power it when underway. Makes it more portable for use in the Weekender without a permanent wire hanging out into the cockpit. Quote
Bill Posted August 20, 2004 Posted August 20, 2004 Its a long story, but the visiting weiner dogs ... there are three of them staying with us for three months ... I know, I don't get on the forum as much these days, due to work, but I must be missing something good... weiner dogs? The closest I can come to that, is an old picture of my brother on the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile we took in the 60's..(I'll have to dig it up!)..and you would have thought he was at Disney!! anyway... To be honest I can't think of a reason on why not to use a 12 volt lighter attachment to serve the purpose. If you were keeping the boat moored(on salt water all the time) , Id probably think of a way that was more corrosion resistant than a plug of that type. I just purchased a Standard Horizon 175C and it comes with nothing but hardwire. We rigged up a lighter style power cord, just to give it juice. The "Head" attaches to the mount, via a slide-on routine, so you can just slip off the expensive part and go home. If you can't remove the head or want to leave your wiring alone except for the head, think about 'trailor connectors'...usually 4 -6 wires in a nice jacket already to be hooked and unhooked as you need. We purchased a Standard Horizon Quantum Radio, that had to be run to the same buss* as the Chart plotter (for DSC purposes), and also wanted to be able to remove the radio when mooring for a long time. I haven't hooked it up yet(removeable), but I think the trailor wiring might be the same route here. I would check all the equipment, power/on power/off next to the compass to see if you have any swing, when you fire it up, and don't forget about those magnetic speakers. It's interesting, once you start putting electronics on board, by the time you have them separated with enough room, you find you need a 30 foot boat, just to please the electron man. It's funny, Iv'e had a great time with the electronics, but after we fooled around trying to situate everything, and hope it all works well..I went out and bought a top of the line Hand Held Bearing compass, I could keep away from all the modern stuff....Dead Reckoning RuleZ!! *Bus box: This equipment is temp. located on a power boat, for a bus box I used a "tupperware" box with holes drilled in it for hard lines in (waterproof silicone around the holes and lines) attached to the bus,on the other side of the box, drilled holes and siliconed, the out lines.. Duct tape (Maines official tool) to secure the cover, but gives us access to fix/repair/add-on! So far, works like a charm... b. Quote
Frank Hagan Posted August 21, 2004 Author Posted August 21, 2004 The marine articulated mount for this thing puts it about 5" away from what its mounted to, or can be used flush mount. I think I'll do it flush mount ... it looks like I can see it from any angle in the cockpit, and flush mount would keep me from banging it up too much. I'll take pictures when I get around to actually mounting it. We're watching 3 dachsunds for a friend of my sister in law, for three months while they pass their doggie-medical tests for moving to Hawai'i. My wife, who quit her job a few months ago, told me she was going to do it, and I looked at her and said "are you out of your mind?" Then she told me how much the lady was going to pay us to watch them. I just looked at her and blinked a couple of times, and then said "You know, those dogs have always cracked me up." And they do. They are really great little dogs. The woman had a boat rental business that was sold, and they are moving to Hawai'i, where they are buying a tourist-excursion shop. She insisted I take the GPS that was intended for one of their boats before they sold the business; its been used in their motorhome a few times. I refused, then I found it on the counter with a note from the three dogs that they insisted I take it. Who can refuse weiner dogs? Quote
Frank Hagan Posted August 22, 2004 Author Posted August 22, 2004 I found out they were bred to hunt badgers, which is why they have the short legs but stout and mighty front legs and paws. And I guess its worked: I haven't seen a badger around here since they came. Quote
Stump Posted August 22, 2004 Posted August 22, 2004 badgers...badgers?...we don't need no stinken' badgers!!!! :wink: Quote
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