Garmin DV45 fitted on my Elling

[Oldman2]

Time to fit the chart plotter, as I still don't know if I am going to be able to see the screen from my seating position well enough I elected to have it mounted so it can be moved fairly easily.
Unintentionally, I have followed pretty close to Fenlanders method (don't reinvent the wheel) for both the unit and the transducer.

The bag is big enough for the battery and the unit plus cables for storage. The 4Ah battery which is well priced at under £10 but not currently in stock at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MRUOEZ4

Its an insulated bag meant for your lunch but seems pretty strong and I lined it with a large ice cream container with a laced cable tie to secure the battery in place.
I paid £6 but they seem to be £9 now a week later. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B088ZQG6R2

The bag handles are a nice tight fit on the ply mounting board, but I also secured everything in place with a bungee cord. Cables all tuck away in the bag.

The transducer only had one place it could go on the transom, so its hard up against the wheel mounting leg, slotted to allow it to be raised enough to be out the way.
45DV battery bag on my elling.jpg
45DV transducer on my elling.jpg

[Brinormeg]

My thinking was down the same line as you guys for positioning the fishfinder/chart until I'm sure where everything will go.
.
Just narrowing down my choices within the budget of £400/£500 .....ish.
Settled to minimum 7 inch screen which does bump up prices, and looking Garmin, Lawrance, Raymarine Simrad.
Originally tried to pick up a Navionics bundled unit, but a seem a bit out of my price range.

How do you find Garmins bundled charts?.... compared to the navionics c_map or others in actual use?

Any experience in uk waters or preference in units tranducers?

With chirp sonar, triple shot, down scan, side scan, structure scan, and god knows what else.....I'm starting to confuse myself the more I look

[Fenlander]

Ahh a familiar setup!

If you are looking at sibbing a chartplotter is a real benefit but having used 2", 4" and 4.5" screens I really think 7" is more than you need. Garmin charts... well I've been using them for over 10yrs now and see no reason to change. Those operating larger, faster craft on longer passages may prefer different but for a sib Garmin are fine.

[Chris Caton]

I fitted a Garmin 45CV on my SR4 a couple of years ago, its great, screen is readable in bright sunlight and big enough for what I want, the standard transducer is fine and gives good information even on the plane. I did upgrade from the standard mapping last year but to be honest I didn't notice that much difference, but the details are slightly better

[Oldman2]

My alternate fixings arrived last week so I got round to finalising the attachment method for the transducer. I superglued 2 stainless penny washers to the eye bolts and so far it seems that its working fine. I also tried superglue ( i cant spell cyanoacrylate) to lock the stud thread and that worked fine too. A bit of shrink sleeve to help the stud be kinder to the silicone coated transom ply hole and a thick neoprene washer glued again onto the outside fabric of the transom so it gets squished by the transducer leg creating a pretty watertight seal against splash while fitted. Also aiding tightening by hand the eye bolts.
I added a safety line back to a D ring just in case.


glue washers on.jpg


transducer mount2.jpg


neoprene washer fixed.jpg


Eybolt and safety.jpg

[Fenlander]

Super neat as usual!

But our bluff is being called by the other Elling newbies... we need to get ours out onto salt water to test both boat and mods... soon be Christmas!