Any alternative to NavPods?

[Rohan]

Besides the high price, I am not happy with how big they are. I have a Raymarine Axiom 9, and the only Navpod that can hold it is the same bulky beast I already have at my helmstation with a lot of white space all around. I would really like one more streamlined.

What do they use in Europe? Australia? There must be another company somewhere making something similar.

[Bellinghamster]

I couldn't find anything I liked either. Doesn't help you much, but I just finished printing one in ABS for my 7" Garmin MFD. It's about 1/4" larger than the display, fits around and clamps to the top arch of the binnacle grab bar and angles the display nicely, high enough above my compass to not screw with the heading tooo much and leaves room to grab the bar below.

The 3d printer (a Prusa Mk3) cost a little more than a Navpod, but I've made all sorts of other boat bits with it so far. Custom heater vents, flexible bumper feet for the boarding ladder, bump stops for the mainsheet traveler, throttle cable friction-increaser, etc.

I nearly maxed out the build size envelope with this one (only the backshell shown. The front face cover and clamps were printed separately.

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by Bellinghamster

I couldn't find anything I liked either. Doesn't help you much, but I just finished printing one in ABS for my 7" Garmin MFD.

I know there are homemade options, but if it's at the helmstation, that's as prominent as it gets. It has to look professional.

I am aware a 3D printer would be so useful in other applications though. I am considering getting one.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Rohan

I know there are homemade options, but if it's at the helmstation, that's as prominent as it gets. It has to look professional.

I am aware a 3D printer would be so useful in other applications though. I am considering getting one.

If it needs to look top notch then use the 3D printer to print a mold and make it out of fiberglass. Doesn’t get better than that!

[mlydon]

You can skip the navpod altogether - it doesn’t get more streamlined than that ;-)
My axiom 9 sits on a couple of flat tabs welded to my binacle guard - they protrude about 2” aft of the guard, and I have a couple of rubber washers between the tabs and the unit, a couple of metric bolts go through the tabs into the regular trunion mount holes. The attached pic of my guard was the tab placement for an e7 - I had to cut them off and have them re-welded further up the ‘hill’ of the tubes, more towards the outside, as the new axiom 9 was a bit wider than the e7.

Overall very compact - I used security screws so it can’t be easily stolen, and keep the binnacle covered with a sunbrella cover.

Matt

[wholybee]

If you are just looking for another brand for more size options:
Seaview:
https://www.seaviewglobal.com/collec...nstrument-pods
Scanstrut:
https://www.scanstrut.com/marine/sai...mount/scanpods

[Ixium]

Been looking into this a lot. I have 2 displays that I want one on each side that I can turn and face the companionway. The prices of these pods are insane for basically just plastic enclosure.

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by mlydon

You can skip the navpod altogether - it doesn’t get more streamlined than that ;-)

Interesting - aren't you worried about water intrusion? Also - it looks like you don't have a bimini. Can you see that screen well during the day?

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by wholybee

If you are just looking for another brand for more size options:
Seaview:
https://www.seaviewglobal.com/collec...nstrument-pods
Scanstrut:
https://www.scanstrut.com/marine/sai...mount/scanpods

Thank you! It's odd I couldn't find these even through multiple google searches. Their pricing is similar to NavPods, but still it's good to know there are alternatives.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Ixium

Been looking into this a lot. I have 2 displays that I want one on each side that I can turn and face the companionway. The prices of these pods are insane for basically just plastic enclosure.

Agreed. I actually imported a second hand one from the US for the single auto pilot P70 control head.

Think the original C80 Navpod was second hand from ebay too. When we changed the C80 to a RM Element 9" the hole was a different size and whilst RM do conversion kits our option wasn't available.

Ended up buying a HDPE type chopping board from ASDA (Walmart) and cutting to size.

Pete