www.iFourWinns.com

Anyone added a TV to their cockpit? I'm looking for something that can be easily removed. We've got a 348 vista with the forward stateroom option. Thus we can't watch the galley TV from the forward berth. So I'm considering adding some sort of mounts that would allow me to use a TV in both locations. I'm figuring something like a 15" widescreen HD-capable unit would be ideal. Perhaps with it's own DVD player built-in. But which TV isn't the question here. How to mount it and it's wires it the question.

The mounting arm is one thing. Then there's the wiring connections. I'd like to make sure both aren't going to gunk up (too soon) due to marine corrosion.

I'd really like to find something for the arch that looked reasonably tidy when the TV wasn't mounted on it. The TV would never be used when we're under way, only while anchored. Some sort of bracket that left as little as possible on the arch would be ideal. One that requires no tools to change would be mandatory.

Has anyone come across gear suitable for this?

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

You actually have some options here...

1) for mounts... just get a low profile type mount. you would basically only see a bracket when the tv is not installed - and you could go as far as making a little starboard cover or something when not in use...

here is a great example:
http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/Pro ... ut/layout/


2) for wires... I am not sure what the arches offer in terms of cavity space for wires, but you could create a bundle that just pulls in and out of the cavity... use a standard electrical housing bell box type of unit - and attach a hinged weatherproof cover.


I am not dealing with the wiring issues, but I am trying to think of how I can mount a little LCD tv with a quick release to the arch of the Horizon 240 that I have on order...

You really have a cool chance to make something way better than OEM would...

Walking around the boat show the other weekend, it amazes me the shear number of tvs now on boats.

Bill, I don't mean to hijack your thread, but for me, I get out on the water and away to other locations to get away from all the craziness, I don't care to bring it with me...like tv.

We use the tv on board, mainly to put a movie in for the kids in the evening to get them settled in for the night. As to the wife and I, we enjoy being away from all the "social static".

Am I crazy..odd...wierd????

_________________
Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

Yup, just like me .

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Actually, I probably would not to use a low profile mount. At least not out in the arch. I'd much rather have something with a fair bit of articulation. Let's say I put it up on the port side arch. I'd want to be able to pivot the screen left/right by a fairly wide amount in order to make it viewable from the whole cockpit. But up in the berth it would need next to no pivot at all. But the mounting location I'd be using in the cabin has enough room to accommodate the same sort of setup as used on the arch.

I want something that's not ugly to look at when the TV isn't present.

This is an interesting mount:


It'd be interesting to use a mount like that if it supported removing the vertical pin holding the swing arm. Removing the arm would leave just the vertical bracket. I'm assuming some sort of 'boot' would be a good idea to keep marine corrosion from wrecking the pin (if it was integral to the mount).

As for wiring, it'd be nice to have some sort of access hatch. But I'm not sure I've seen anything that'll do what I'd want. If I just go with the usual deck plate I'd have to stow the pop-out lid when I pull the wires out. One with a hinged door would probably just get in the way once it's opened. Hmm, I could use a pry-out deck plate and cut a groove in it to allow the wires to come through it.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

To each his own. We use it to watch a Netflix DVD now and then. Broadcast reception is pretty dismal, and so's the programming. But from time to time it's nice to watch a DVD.

The TV location down in the cabin isn't all that comfortable to watch. It's mounted too high. It would a bit more comfortable to be able to relax in the cockpit seating, with the short legs on the table creating the sunpad. Same thing with being able to watch from the berth.

I did manage to solve the poor TV reception that's plagued this boat. Turns out the wire connecting to the antenna itself (up on the arch) was bad. I tested this by bringing a 50' coax cable on board. I ran that temporarily from the antenna directly to the TV. The amp was fine, as was the cabling from the TV back through the gunwale (thankfully). But not the cable up from the engine room through the arch. Up at the antenna itself I stripped it back about 4" and put an actual crimped connector on it (instead of the screw-on type). Lo and behold it now gets several broadcast TV channels. Which are crap, but at least now I know what was keeping it from working properly.

I may actually replace the whole arch cable at some point. I found the better quality, albeit longer, temporary cable provided slightly better picture quality. But that's pretty low on the To Do list.

So if I can rig up a reasonably attractive (or at least "not ugly") mount for it in both locations it's just one more way we'd enjoy the boat. Would I demand this feature be present when shopping for a new boat? No, nor would I go out of my way to order it as an option. But if it was present or part of some other package it wouldn't be something that kept me from buying the boat. Like all distractions in life, you get to choose. Some folks have different choices, and that's fine by me.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Friend of mine 420 Sundancer http://www.earmarkcaraudio.com/install_ ... ancer1.asp

Oh... my... gawd... complete with a disco ball! I'm sure the ragbaggers anchored up near that guy at night just want to fire off a rocket launcher! I'm just gobsmacked by that setup.

That mount is ugly when the TV's not on it. I have no desire to add a rigid bracket with sharp edges sticking out at eye level. I've gotten tossed around by rough weather and it's bad enough with the rounded edges. That one just looks like trouble. But then I'm not guessing that 420 gets used in the same way I'm considering for ours...

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

That boat is on the second biggest party lake in the nation, second to LOTO. So its not a problem. The TV is up anytime anyone is on the boat it only gets taken down when its in its slip. The TV is also linked to the onboard radar, GPS and Dish Network.

TV; Gives so much and asks so little in return- Quote Homer Simpson
But if thats what you gotta have go for it
Ardy

_________________
Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

Hey Bill our dealer had to replace all of our connectors. He said that Four Winns had a batch of bad ones. Made a big difference in the picture after he did this.

As for a mount for your TV in the cockpit. We are looking for something also. But not sure what to use yet. In our stateroom we had a TV in there already. We like to have a TV up top for watching movies on the hook. Also we like to watch football back at the docks.

_________________
348 Vista ( Last Call )
Raystown PA

We've go the forward stateroom wall option. I'm considering a pair of mounts. One in the forward berth and the other out on the arch. With the idea being to move the TV between the two locations as desired. Having a hard mount in the berth would give me a good place to store it underway. But I'm not sure the size would work in both locations.

I might go with something larger on the galley door, on the face of it, not in the door like the factory unit. Perhaps with a slight downward tilt or arm to ease viewing. Then use that TV up in the forward berth.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I'd love to see the radar display on that screen.

_________________
2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

Well, if you've got a chartplotter that has video output, I suppose you could. I've temporarily run the video out from our E-80 chartplotter (upgraded from the factory C-series) to the TV. It looks "ok", but nowhere near as crisp as on the unit itself. After seeing this I'm not sure I'd bother having it hooked up permanently. It's just not all that useful. On a much larger boat, sure, I could imagine it'd be at least of 'some' use, but on boats like these it seems sort of a wasted effort.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista