Electronics in a open RIB

kwk56pt · 26 August 2007, 05:31

How if possible do you mount your sounder gps and radio into a open tiller steer RIB. I was looking at a boat around 3.8 metres for portability so dont want a centre or jockey console. I could make a small console near the transom to house this equipment but it would be facing forward and open to the spray. A lot of these boats are aimed at the diving community but I get vague answers when I ask about mounting electronics. I imagine holding onto a hand held GPS in one hand and the tiller in the other while trying to read a small screen in a pitching boat to be less than satisfactory.
Maybe I am looking at the wrong type of RIB or are there solutions out there amongst the active dive community ?

Rogue Wave · 26 August 2007, 05:36

Use a bigger portable GPS on a lanyard how about a Garmin 276

Rogue Wave · 26 August 2007, 05:40

Your going to have some sort of board to mount the device to, In which case cosider fitting it behins a clear paerspex screen. Transom mounting of Electronics is a no no.

Also consider haveing a large portable GPS such as a Garmin 276

I always found and Avon 4.7 m Sea rider very portable by the way.

also embrace Aquapacs range of products

kwk56pt · 26 August 2007, 06:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Your going to have some sort of board to mount the device to, In which case cosider fitting it behins a clear paerspex screen. Transom mounting of Electronics is a no no.

Also consider haveing a large portable GPS such as a Garmin 276

I always found and Avon 4.7 m Sea rider very portable by the way.

also embrace Aquapacs range of products

Ok so I could look at a portable GPS but where do I mount the sounder ? I thought near the transom would be out of the way and viewable while driving the boat. I thought put it in a small console / box here and I suppose try a perspex door to protect it. I would fix the console to the floor against or near the transom. Its not clear to me why this would not be a good idea and where else to mount it ?

Nasher · 26 August 2007, 08:06

I'm currently working on a solution for my kids SIB.
Its a 2.8M SIB with 4.5HP Jonny that rolls up in the bow of the big boat.

Having upgraded all my electronics this year(C120 etc), I have a spare Garmin 240 Fishfinder and a Garmin GPSmap 176C.
Considering the amout of time they spent tearing(Sort of) up and down the beach in it last week in Start Bay I though why not give them some toys to play with, and as well as the good boat handling experiance they can also get some useful experiance on their own using simple electronics. They are 8 and 10 by the way.

So far my plan is to fabricate a Stainless steel detachable bracket that clips over the back of the transom for the transducer, then have the two units mounted into the top surface of a waterproof semi-rigid bag that also contains a small gel filled 12V battery that we can recharge off the car when required. The bag will be mounted to the front board in the bow with a couple of snap clips.

The solution would easier with a combined GPS and Fishfinder unit, and using equipment with internal batteries. The GPSmap 176C does have these, but I found they did not last very long.

Still in the design stage at the moment though, so no pictures yet.

Nasher.

Tomas · 26 August 2007, 18:10

IMHO

GPS = Garmin
VHF = Icom

Both meet military spec for water intrusion.

I get by with a Garmin 60 Cx, small screen but good battery life, good antenna and good chart software. I've got a marine mount for this handheld on top of my console dead center of the helm. I take the ICOM IC-M1V and tuck it into a grab handle on the tube just left of the helm if I want to monitor while operating. My only complaint with the radio is I have "diesel ears" and cannot really hear transmissions well while underway at speed. It does have a plug for an earbud but I don't go that route. My primary use of a VHF is to report either myself or others in trouble or some casual banter with a mate, while on the water.

Waterproof case would be the number one issue on an open boat at sea!

Tomas

chewy · 27 August 2007, 11:03

Humber do a real small console thatdoesn't really get in the way.
The local rescue boat has one fitted, has enough room for gps, radio and a sounder, plus a compass on top, looks ok.

Phill

jyasaki · 27 August 2007, 19:31

I've seen quite a few tiller-steered boats (probably smaller than yours, though) with the electronics mounted on the fuel tank (if it's a removable job) or on a small U-shaped rail that's bolted to the floor, so you simply look towards the boat center and down to see them. For the fuel tank solution, I usually see a small board that holds the mounts and gets strapped to the tank itself (Of course, that only works if the tank is near the transom.)

In either case, you can't be looking forwards and see the electronics, but it's better than having to turn completely around to see them (which, in truth, was how my smaller boat was set up.)

jky

Rogue Wave · 27 August 2007, 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomas

IMHO

GPS = Garmin
VHF = Icom

I'm up for garmins but I really don't think Icoms are that good.

Your VHF is there for you, you use it when you need it you can't really here it when you are popping along anyway. portable VHF\s would have to be a standard horizon and we use em with headsets in te Norf C.

Transom mounting of anything in a small rinb is a bummer cos that's the bit that gets wet/ if you have to then I'd consideer a quick fix using a Lock and seal type Tupperware case and put some U bend vent holes in to lose the heat.

Jon Brooks · 27 August 2007, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomas

IMHO

GPS = Garmin
VHF = Icom

Both meet military spec for water intrusion.

Are you sure?
Not aware of any public marine radio that is Mil Spec!
Whilst Icom units are waterproof and good radio's, their marine kit is not Mil Spec, some of their land based commercial kit is.

genoa · 28 August 2007, 09:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

(Of course, that only works if the tank is near the transom.)

jky

On our 3.8 we strap the fule tank up front to get the weight in the right place. We have a handheld GPS on velcro to the tank (with a lanyard tied on for insurance) as a great solution in front of the driver. VHF is a Silva handheld also on velcro. Sure you could do similar with Depth?

jyasaki · 28 August 2007, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Brooks

Not aware of any public marine radio that is Mil Spec!
Whilst Icom units are waterproof and good radio's, their marine kit is not Mil Spec, some of their land based commercial kit is.

I think most of the products of both those mfgr's are rated to IPX7, which is a commercial spec, rated 30 minutes submergence at 1 meter, as I recall. Usually touted as "waterproof" in literature.

Don't know what the Mil Spec is watertightness, but when I was building military avionics, the waterproofing was at the board level, rather than the box level.

jky

Oh, yeah; Genoa: I had a new mount built for my electronics. It was an expensive custom job, but came with a free hull, motor, and tubes.