Flat screen TV mounted on bulkhead. Safe?

[simonpickard]

Hello all,

More and more boat photos I see have a nice flatscreen TV mounted on neatly on the bulkhead. Avoiding the debate of if we should be watching TV when there's a whole world out there to explore I was wondering how people mount these, and also how safe they are?

I know flatscreen TV's are pretty thin & light these days but would they stand up to getting thrown around in a storm? Or once mounted are they safe?

Any advice would be most welcomed, thanks in advance.

Regards,
Simon

[Boracay]

I have a flat screen mounted on the bulkhead in Boracay and I really only have two concerns.

First water (and especially salt water) may come in contact with the TV, whether it's from an open hatch or porthole or some other source or cause.

Second the available mounts and the one I used are for stopping the TV from going down. If the boat were to go seriously on it's side then the TV could well fall out of it's mount. Having a block screwed on top to stop this is on my distant to do list but at the moment it's easier to avoid storms.

Other considerations are the antenna selection and installation and the power supply, but they're threads in themselves.

[smac999]

some of the mounts don't lock in place. and the tv can lift up and out of the mount. most are defiantly not too solid and you can wiggle the tv around a bit.

if it doesn't need to move, and you have access to the other side of the wall you can just bolt it right though with 4 long bolts going into the back of the tv with no mount. I have done this on a few boats. like if the back is inside a closet etc.

[Red Sky]

This is what I used to mount mine on the bulkhead in the saloon. http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/t...FdKTfgodOjgApg

[simonpickard]

I've seen the direct screw in method as well on a boat a chartered.
Excuse my ignorance but what are most bulkheads made from? I guess if it's solid wood then screwing directly to this would be fine.

Regards,
Simon

[Red Sky]

Mine's 3/4" teak faced marine plywood. The mount should be through bolted with some type of backing plate.

[Emmalina]

Depends on the size of the tv I have a 32" LED Screen bolted through the bulkhead with washers on the bolts. It aint going anywhere !!! Only weighs 5kg

I did by a cheap no make model as i don't expect it to last more than 3 years

[jkindredpdx]

I use an LED 24" Flat Panel Monitor with external AC/DC brick so I could hook up to DC. It is very thin and lightweight. My speakers are mounted separately.

[Hillbillylad]

I have a 26 inch mounted to my bulkhead so it is visible from the cockpit. Once the Laptop is connected it makes an easily viewable chartplotter protected from the weather. Netflix once the anchor is down.

[AnchorageGuy]

On both of our boats we have had bulkhead mounted TVs, one 24 inch and the current one 32 inch. In our past gulf stream crossings, the boat has been tossed around more than any storm will ever do, and the TV stays put. We bought the mounts from Best buy and they have knobs at the joints to tighten so the mount does not move. Chuck

[Snore]

Originally Posted by Hillbillylad

I have a 26 inch mounted to my bulkhead so it is visible from the cockpit. Once the Laptop is connected it makes an easily viewable chartplotter protected from the weather. Netflix once the anchor is down.

That sounds SWEET! Have you calculated the draw on the 26?

[delmarrey]

I've had a flat screen mounted for 10 years now. (Yeah I know, I need to upgrade to digital now) And it's held up very well. It's used for playing DVD's from a portable player. TV was always a bummer on the hook the boat would swing and the signal would change.

Mine has a stand so it is mounted on a shelf with screws.

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by Hillbillylad

I have a 26 inch mounted to my bulkhead so it is visible from the cockpit. Once the Laptop is connected it makes an easily viewable chartplotter protected from the weather. Netflix once the anchor is down.

Very logical and practical. Ours sits above a central, forward-facing chart table so it is seen from the cockpit. No bulkhead, it just sits on a pedestal and the fruit hammock stops it falling. It can spin 360 for using the computer or watching TV from the salon.

[nimblemotors]

Is anyone using a projection display? The new ones are much more power efficient,
and very small, but with a very large screen display. Been thinking this is perfect for a boat with limited space and desire for minimal weight.

[Aussiesuede]

Securely mounting ain't a hard one to master: