A very sharp iPad flush mount

I've been researching nav lately and plan to us Navionics on an iPad or two (in addition to the existing radar & depth sounder)

I also hope to modernize the navigation and helm at some point (I'm not a fan of the various 80's and 90's boxes bolted all over the helm today.

Note: this all assumes the boat we're under agreement on closes but almost all of the 80's trawlers we've look at have similar helms with lots of bolted on electronics.

In any case in searching for a sleek, flush mount system for a modern helm installation I came across this aircraft mount from Guardian Avionics:

Pretty sleek and I like that you can remove the iPad very easily.

That looks great and much better than the "mounts" for ipads and tablets commonly available. Thanks for sharing.

How do you shut it off? Camera can keep an eye on what is happening behind the panel!

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. We also rigged a general clamp mount from harbor freight. It worked great for the price. We use the feature within the Navionics app that prevents the screen from turning off while tracking (Settings, Screen On) .

This is our modernized 1972 helm.

Great as that install looks - is there any decrease in GPS signal reception caused by having the ipad 'in' the wood of the cabinet/dash?

Good question re: gps reception

The in dash plotter has an external antenna, the one on the dash is internal and the iPad can be connected via Bluetooth. All (2 chart plotters, Radio, AIS, wind instrument) but the iPad are connected via N2K.

Airstream345 said:

I've been researching nav lately and plan to us Navionics on an iPad or two (in addition to the existing radar & depth sounder)

I also hope to modernize the navigation and helm at some point (I'm not a fan of the various 80's and 90's boxes bolted all over the helm today.

Note: this all assumes the boat we're under agreement on closes but almost all of the 80's trawlers we've look at have similar helms with lots of bolted on electronics.

In any case in searching for a sleek, flush mount system for a modern helm installation I came across this aircraft mount from Guardian Avionics:

Pretty sleek and I like that you can remove the iPad very easily.

Click to expand...

I like it, thanks.

Unless you get an iPad with cellular, you won't get a GPS internal to the iPad. A metal plate might affect the GPS but wood or plastic won't change the signal strength.

Most ipad users would use an external GPS with probably higher accuracy than the built in one even though mine have been pretty accurate.

I was surprised to see the open soldered wires on the back of the DB-9 connector, with no shell protecting them from shorts and a strain relief.

I use an ipad every day, for hours. Work, fun...

You NEED access to the buttons, that fluch mount, while looking nice does not do that, rendering it pretty worthless in my opinion

Which DB-9 connector?

the DB-9 connector for power to the USB power supply, on the back of the mount, in the video..

ksanders said:

I use an ipad every day, for hours. Work, fun...

You NEED access to the buttons, that fluch mount, while looking nice does not do that, rendering it pretty worthless in my opinion

Click to expand...

Not sure if I use any side buttons for navigation purposes? Side buttons are for on \ off and volume. Am I missing something?

ksanders said:

I use an ipad every day, for hours. Work, fun...

You NEED access to the buttons, that fluch mount, while looking nice does not do that, rendering it pretty worthless in my opinion

Click to expand...

The Ipad appears to be mounted up side down with the home button on the left. If so, the power switch is located on the right bottom corner unseen but should be accessible.

I like the mounting! I can get another back for my 9+" Ipad Pro from E bay for about $20, glue or screw it to a support and stick my Ipad into it. Next season, I might consider this mounting for my Ipad someplace on our boat for navigation.

stubones99 said:

Unless you get an iPad with cellular, you won't get a GPS internal to the iPad. A metal plate might affect the GPS but wood or plastic won't change the signal strength ----

Click to expand...

much.

Nice!

CapRob said:

View attachment 70231View attachment 70232View attachment 70233

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A few years back my wife bought be a kind of decorative iPad charging stand that lets you cycle pictures. It was pretty neat and worked well. When we bought the boat I was looking for the same thing you are doing now so I could run my navionics alongside my Garmin. I found out that for about $100 I could buy a LaunchPort wall mount. Works great with navionics and am in process of installing an engine room camera to call up on it as well.

Hope this helps.

CapRob who makes your mount?

Pura Vida said:

CapRob who makes your mount?

Click to expand...

It’s made by LaunchPort.

airstream; love that flush mount, its about the only way i would want an ipad at the helm... but obviously this is a personal choice and depends on your tolerance for bolted/scabbed on or loose equipment at the helm.....

I'm not sure I would 'flush mount' an ipad. It seems like a lot of intrusive work to your helm that you might want to change out or upgrade in a short amount of time (less than 5 years). I'd be more inclined to mount an ipad on a Ram mount that I could change out easily. https://www.rammount.com/brand/apple/ipad-mounts

Having limited space a small GPS unit is perfect. I purchased a note pad and installed two free apps. Then purchased the following mount:

https://www.ebay.com/p/Desktop-Wall...18007493130?iid=391909590852&var=660880914532

This mount allows the notepad to be located front and center yet allows for slipping off to the side given the need.

Al-Ketchikan

So I'm trying to figure out a direction to go. Furuno First Watch goes to an iPad. Navionics apparently does as well. Doesn't the gps need to have cellular to work? Like if I'm in an area with no coverage does the GPS still feed the Navionics? I hate spending money for Systems I only occasionally use but I don't want to get a system that's not reliable. A few of the manufacturers had more traditional systems with head units that then also broadcast to devices in addition to displaying on the head device. Appreciate any thoughts.

Jbear said:

Doesn't the gps need to have cellular to work

Click to expand...

No, but it does need to have the cellular hardware in the case of the iPad. The GPS hardware is part of the cellular hardware in the iPad, but they can operate independent of one another.

Jbear said:

Like if I'm in an area with no coverage does the GPS still feed the Navionics?

Click to expand...

Yes, it will.

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You can also use an external wired or Bluetooth GPS "puck" with a non-GPS enabled (iPad) tablet.

Jbear said:

So I'm trying to figure out a direction to go. Furuno First Watch goes to an iPad. Navionics apparently does as well. Doesn't the gps need to have cellular to work? Like if I'm in an area with no coverage does the GPS still feed the Navionics? I hate spending money for Systems I only occasionally use but I don't want to get a system that's not reliable. A few of the manufacturers had more traditional systems with head units that then also broadcast to devices in addition to displaying on the head device. Appreciate any thoughts.

Click to expand...

I have Nobeltec Time Zero loaded on my cellular IPad. When using on the boat, regardless of the cellular or WiFi being turned on or off, I have excellent GPS capability. Frankly I was surprised at the level of GPS reception. Even when the IPad is down below I am getting GPS reception without the aid of cellular or WiFi. Never drops. My Garmin is collecting dust.

I think the iPad in conjunction with vessel system is great. I typically plot out auto route on IPad Navionics then do it manually on Garmin Blue Chart on iPad. I then sync the blue chart plot to the onboard Garmin and run both side by side. It’s interesting what inconsistencies you see between the two depending on the body of water you are on. You definitely get a better picture of what you are looking for and where. I am currently in process of trying to also link the iPad to other onboard systems as well. Seems like a nice redundancy to have. Anyway, I’m happy with it.

We are currently in the process of installing the Gardian Avionics flush mount in the pilothouse of our Meridan 490. Planning to mount a 12.9 iPad in place of an old Furuno MDF, while keeping the other Furuno in place for redundancy, radar, and depth information.

Future upgrades will likely involve moving to current generation Furuno MDF, which will allow the iPad to be used for accessing MDF functions/data as well as Navionics app.

The way things seem to be moving in the marine electronics industry, and iPad seems like it will only become more and more useful as another device in the electronics array.

For the moment, I will be using a N2K to Wifi box to broadcast GPS and AIS signals from our Standard Horizon radio, which the iPad can then use to supplement internal GPS and display AIS targets. Basically, the iPad and Radio combination provide a completely separate redundant system (minus radar) to the original Furuno electronics - all for less than $2k (even after spending almost $500 mounting the iPad, which admittedly is unnecessarily high).