# Advice needed on electronics



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

RAM Mount! They make all kinds of bases, arms, balls, plates etc that you can use to mount a GPS to. I have one here in my work truck that holds my laptop and bolts into the passenger seat base. They make great, sturdy products.


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## Pirates_Pride (Mar 26, 2010)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> RAM Mount! They make all kinds of bases, arms, balls, plates etc that you can use to mount a GPS to. I have one here in my work truck that holds my laptop and bolts into the passenger seat base. They make great, sturdy products.


Thanks Smackdaddy53 for the advice!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

https://www.rammount.com/activity/boat-mounts


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## timogleason (Jul 27, 2013)

I have a RAM on my side console. Works fine...


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Yup...RAM Mount all the way. You can buy the pieces needed to customize your install.


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## Pirates_Pride (Mar 26, 2010)

Thanks guys for the ideas! I will check out the Ram choices


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## zthomas (Jan 14, 2014)

I've personally never understood the purpose of big fancy sounder/chartplotters on poling skiffs. On my '98 17T, I went with a little cheap-o Lowrance, which does everything I need and fits nicely just to starboard of the wheel. There'd be plenty of room there for a wider display too -- not some kind of 12" touchscreen monster that costs more than your motor, but certainly a 5" or 7".

Edit to add this: If you haven't already discovered this, there's nowhere on the transom to mount a transducer, so the only real choice is to epoxy it the bottom of your bilge, which means less than stellar performance. Mine reads fine off plane, but loses touch a lot when running. Just something to keep in mind before investing a lot of money in a quality fishfinder that will likely be hamstrung by a shoot-through transducer mount.


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## Pirates_Pride (Mar 26, 2010)

I certainly understand your comments about why would someone want a bigger display on the skiff. I hate to admit it but due to my age, my vision isn’t what it used to be and the smaller screen I had mounted just like yours was not as easy for me to read. I do a lot of running at night in total darkness and easy viewing of my GPS track is a big help. I am also spoiled by the twin 12 inch screens I have in my sportfish boat!


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## zthomas (Jan 14, 2014)

Well, vision is a good reason to run a bigger display. I meant only that a depth sounder isn't much use for navigation when you're running 25 mph in 14" of water nor much use for fishing in shallow water either. And, likewise, in the marshy, sandbar-y, mangrove-y, mutable areas most of run, a chartplotter isn't a whole lot of good either. I tend to use mine almost exclusively to see my speed, keep track of miles traveled (don't have a fuel gauge), and to see the depth in digits.

At any rate, if you have more questions about the boat, there are several guys here that are very familiar with them. I love mine -- quirky, rattly thing but a hell of a boat in its element.

I still bet you can fit a 7" display in basically the same spot as mine, mounted right to the deck.


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## zthomas (Jan 14, 2014)

Here's an interesting thread on another forum with lots of photos. He put a big Garmin unit on with some kind of extension arm, but there's not a great deal of info about it. http://mbgforum.com/topic/1207-new-pics-final-17t-rub-rail-removal-and-re-install/


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## Panama1one (Dec 11, 2014)

X2 on the eyes issue. Started with a 7. Now at a 9. Soon as i save enough money will have a 12.


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## Egrets Landing (Feb 11, 2016)

zthomas said:


> .....And, likewise, in the marshy, sandbar-y, mangrove-y, mutable areas most of run, a chartplotter isn't a whole lot of good either. I tend to use mine almost exclusively to see my speed, keep track of miles traveled (don't have a fuel gauge), and to see the depth in digits.


That is definitely the case running a Garmin/Navionics chart. With an FMT chart in Florida, the opposite is true based on a plethora of actual user written testimonials over the last few years. Bigger screens are better for those running in the challenging areas and with vision concerns.


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## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

I'm looking at a Garmin 74cv for my new-to-me 17T. Going back and forth on the issue of saving the big bucks for other equipment. But the eyes....


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## Egrets Landing (Feb 11, 2016)

Forget the units. Shop the maps first. The units are all equally capable at each price point. The maps running in them are very different. Make the wrong choice it wont matter what your unit is capable of - you will be staring at a mcdonalds quality map all day rendering the unit practically useless. If you are good with your map showing your running on land when your'e floating the 5k garmin or the $500 garmin will work great.


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