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Posts: 691
Location: nationwide | I need to mount an external GPS antennae on an Esox Magnum with a tiller. Does anybody have suggestions for a good mounting area? The boat is a 1997 and has the black plastic corner caps at the transom, not the larger fiberglass caps. I was thinking of mounting it to one of the caps but am not sure if this will work. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Corey Meyer |
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| I am waiting on my 520c set with an external antenna, and am too curious as to where to put it. I'd like it on the bow. It is going to get crowded up there. PD55, light, antenna and the 520c. Probably going to make a stand for da puck. My luck doesnt allow me to mount it in the rear, it would be knocked in the water soon enough. |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | My Humminbird 997SI instructions said to mount it where it has a unobstructed view of the horizon, i.e., so it can aquire as many satelites as possible. The more satelites, the better the degree of accuracy and easier to lock in! Be careful that it's not blocked by the motor! Probably better toward the bow of the boat. Mines about 2/3's the way up on the gunnell.
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 5/24/2008 12:35 PM
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| The word 'horizon'was what I was looking for in the replies. Makes me wonder how internal antenna units even function, but they prolly dont recieve ALL sats. May not be as accurate. Thanks. I will mount mine high. |
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Posts: 691
Location: nationwide | Thanks guys, I think I will try it on the back corner in a temporary mount of some kind for a day and see how it works. If it does not work I will move it around. I have a genesis trolling motor on the front and think that would obstruct the horizon worse than Suzi in the back. Am worried about how I might block the signal as well . . .not built too petite.
Corey Meyer |
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Posts: 5874
| Even though you might acquire many sattelites, the GPS only uses a few of them. The closest, or those with the strongest signals. A 12 stalellite receiver doesn't use all 12 it can acquire for accurate postioning.
I have mine on my front cap and I get great accuracy. I have a Terrova that blocks alot of the horizon, and I always have plenty of satellites available. Last boat, I had the receiver mounte on the dash, right behingd the X-15, and also had great reception and accuracy. Heck, mine locks in through the windows of my garage! I wouldn't woory about placement so much. I'd be more concerned that it is in a spot where it is protected from damage. Its really not that big of a deal.
Edited by Shep 5/29/2008 11:23 AM
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Posts: 157
| I believe RAM Mounts makes a bracket that holds the graph and the GPS puck right behind the unit on the same bracket.
I saw this on Tanner Wildes old boat a 618T Ranger and he had a 480 Graph/GPS mount on the bow.
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Posts: 157
| The part number for the "adapter plate" is RAM-338U
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | I agree with protecting the antenna. However, I don't think anyone can say that GPS antenna location doesn't affect the ability to acquire satelites.
Given the size of the earth & the fact there are only 24 satelites, you are almost never going to see 12 satelites. But, you need to acquire 4 for best accuracy. I believe mounting the antenna in an unobstructed area is a good idea. Beside's why else would Humminbird include it in their instruction's?
Yesterday, I saw a Triton with the GPS antenna puck mounted on the gunnel, right beside the driver's console. The antenna had a 180 horizontal and 90 deg vertical view of the sky (50%). I wonder how his unit performs? BTW- it was a Lowrance.
The sat's are only transmitting at 50W, so it doesn't take much to block or severely attenuate the signal. Tree's & foilage can do it. Also bridges, buildings, or anything with enough mass, even the driver's console on a boat.....
http://www.pdhonline.org/courses/l116/l116content.pdf
Al |
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Posts: 691
Location: nationwide | I ended up rubber mounting it on the black plastic transom corner cap and in playing around Saturday and Sunday it seems to work good, no problems with signal at all.
Thanks for the help.
Corey Meyer |
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GPS external antennae mounting