Fitting Compass, GPS/Sounder and VHF to Ribeye 500

[alexm]

Been busy this weekend... I'd already threaded two lots of coax from the A-frame, under the floor to the console and mounted the VHF and GPS antennae and also put an inspection hatch and shoot thru transducer in the stern so this weekend was cutting/fitting/wiring the instruments!

This was the first one of these I've done so it took a while but I'm quite pleased with how it went!

I printed out the cutting templates onto A4 size laser printer stickers which meant I could stick the whole template onto the console, no marking/tracing etc and no masking tape required!

Because the GPS needed a fairly complicated shape I used a grit edged jigsaw blade which seems to allow a great deal of precision. You can actually use it to nibble away at tricky corners as it kind of works like a file both forwards and sideways!

The VHF says 'compass safe 1m' on it ... kind of a tall order to get the compass 1m away on a RIB and there is no top mounting position on this console so I experimented by holding it in various positions trying to find the best compromise between viewing position and interference... it seems largely unaffected by the instruments where it is

Anyway, here is the result...

[GuyP]

Those templates printed on sticky paper are a good idea. I need to fit some new instrumentation in the near future and I think I'll use that method

Is that a plastimo compass you have there?

p.s. - I notice you're from Portishead. I used to live on Nore Road and went to School at St Joseph's (left in '89).

[alexm]

Originally Posted by GuyP

Those templates printed on sticky paper are a good idea. I need to fit some new instrumentation in the near future and I think I'll use that method

Is that a plastimo compass you have there?

p.s. - I notice you're from Portishead. I used to live on Nore Road and went to School at St Joseph's (left in '89).

Hey, small world, I'm not far from Nore Road!

Yes its a Plastimo Offshore 75, the 'dash' mount version.

[Jizm]

That yam control looks to be a wee bit awkward... or is it just the pic?

[alexm]

I know what you mean, the picture is a little misleading though. It's the way it came from the factory and probably isn't quite where I'd have it by choice but once the throttle is in the operating rev range it's ok!