Have you rigged an 1198c SI on a full windshield?

I have an Alumacraft 185 Tournament Sport with a wrap around windshield. I currently have a Lowrance LM522c that is on a JohnyRay with a quick disconnect. The mount fails to hold the unit in place when I hit BIG waves. I will replace the Jonny Ray mount and was wondering what mount any of you have used and has proved to HOLD the GPS in place even when hitting BIG waves. Also have any of you managed to mount it with a mount that can swivel which would also you to see the 1198 from the bow of the boat? I guess I am justifying purchasing the 1198 if I can use is for the entire boat. The 998 looks good but the problem is there side by side in the store and the 1198 stands out. BUT if mounting the 1198 is an issue the 998 might be the way I have to go.
PLEASE do not turn this into a Humminbird VS a Lowrance issue.
I have made up my mind and am sticking to it.
If anyone has EXPERIENCE mounting these please let me know I would rather pay you than the dealer, however if I can’t find someone to do it do any of you know a dealer that does exceptional work?
I guess there are three issues…
1. Mounting the unit head
2. Mounting the transducer as I have read that the SI can be negatively impacted by the transducer not being level and have a clear path.
3. What mount/RAM to buy to hold this in place and perhaps be able to rotate.
Lastly…
I will have a Lowrance LM522c for sale, make an offer, please note I cannot sell it until I have the 1198 mounted.

Thank you,
TJB
TJBAUER19 @ Hotmail DOT com

I used a Ram mount and have been very happy with it’s preformance. I can move it to any angle that I care to.

The unit sits partly inside my windshield and I have no issue with anything having it mounted there or I can move it to the bow.

I was concerned about mounting the transducer by myself due to it having the SI. I followed the directions that were in the box and used a level to mount it.

I was told it was very hard to get the ducer set right and the first time to the lake, the ducer worked perfect. I believe if you follow the directions to a T, you can do it.

It was way easier than I thought it would be.

Thank you, would you happen to know the model number of the RAM mount? I am assuming you do have the 1198
If you could send me a picture or post. Also did you do it yourself?
Thx
TJB

My phone rang while I was posting and I added to the original post.

My boat is in storage at our ranch in North Dakota so I cannot take a photo.

Let me look at the Ram mounts online for sale and see if I can find the one I purchased.

Like I said in my first post, I was going to have a marine dealer install mine as I was very concerned about getting the ducer mounted correctly.

I followed the directions and did use a level and angle finder and nailed it the first try.

Maybe luck for me but I did not want to pay a dealer to mount it if I could do it myself.

Yes, I have 1198. I also have a 898SI on the bow. I can interchange them if I want to.

Your initial instincts are right on this one, I would be very careful when mounting that unit in the dash for a couple of reasons. I just purchased a new Alumacraft 185 with a full windshield and I mounted my HDS 10 on the dash. After the first time out I repositioned the graf because of poor visibility and when I drilled a wave the unit would bounce on the windshield at times. So I moved it to the gunnel rail just ahead of my shifter/throttle. The location was easier for me to reach, gave me better visibility, and being on a ram it still allowed me to completely move it behind the winshield if the water was really rough or when in tow. After moving the HDS to a better location I still wasn’t totally comfortable with the 1.5 inch Ram so I upgraded to the biggest 2.5 inch Ram. The 1.5 did a good job but it just wasn’t worth messing around with, I would be sick if the HDS went for a drink. Another draw back to being on the dash was trying to get hooked up and tightened down, when you put those big units in the dash it makes it hard to get hooked up and you can barely get your hand in there to crank the ram down. Just by moving to the new location I was able to get a better grip on the Ram and the 1.5 didn’t flex, but like I said before just didn’t want to learn the hard way.

I went with the 2.5″ ball right away as I had those same concerns.

As far as mounting it to a ram, I would at least go with the 2 1/2″ ball. If your not opposed to the having a solid mount that and still spin and pivot I would strongly recommend the solid arm ram mount. I would not use anything smaller than the 2 1/2 ball as they can bounce around and break windshields.

As for mounting the transducer, if you think there may be any chance you may need to reposition it I would put a transducer board on the transom so you don’t have a bunch of extra holes in the boat. Past that follow instructions and look online for pictures.

Depending on the boat and how the windshield is I’m not sure you will be able to swing the whole unit around to be able to view it from the bow. Be sure to check that before screwing down the ram mount so you don’t have any extra holes than necessary.

I have a 2″ mount and it would still tilt down when I hit big waves. I ended up drilling two holes through the mount and the ball and put small bolts in them so it can’t tip towards me anymore. That seems to work well. I can still tilt the screen up or down with the screws on each side of the locator, and it will still move left ot right because the lower ball doesn’t have bolts through it.

People have been using thes with good results http://www.stabil-mount.com/Home_Page.php, I used the BIG ram on my 1197 and it still moved.

I am going to give the Stabil Mount a try this year on my HDS 8 units

This is the 2 1/2″ ball mount, and this is the solid swing arm mount.

Hope that helps!!

i have a 1197 on the dash. but I would mount the gps antenna on the transom or where ever the transducer is located, that way your way points are always marked on top of what you were seeing.

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People have been using thes with good results http://www.stabil-mount.com/Home_Page.php, I used the BIG ram on my 1197 and it still moved.

I am going to give the Stabil Mount a try this year on my HDS 8 units

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I plan on making the change to Stabil Mounts so my graph isn’t laying down every time there is white caps also. Good reviews from everyone who has tried them, and look better. Have a good rigger help you with transducer placement & unit will perform much better I’ve heard. PM me about the 522 as I know someone who would be interested in buying that.

I would highly recommend an Adjustable Electronics Mount from STABIL-MOUNT. They will not move no matter how big of a locator you have. They put the RAM mounts shame in my opinion. They cost less than the big Ram mount, it is very quick and easy to take your units off they also have a lifetime warranty. Worth a look

All good information THANK YOU!
I went to the RAM site and saw an interesting picture. The mount was on the passenger side of the walk through. From that picture it looks like you would be able to view it from BOTH the front and rear. Anyone try this configuration? Or have pictures of you mount with the full windshield?

Even with me never having an issue with my Ram mount, that baby does look rock solid.

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I would highly recommend an Adjustable Electronics Mount from STABIL-MOUNT. They will not move no matter how big of a locator you have. They put the RAM mounts shame in my opinion. They cost less than the big Ram mount, it is very quick and easy to take your units off they also have a lifetime warranty. Worth a look

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I used the Ram mount and it just wouldn’t hold that big SOB in place while bouncing across the water. This STABIL-MOUNT was the answer and I have a 195 Alumacraft with the same setup as you. I did beef up the underside of the dash though. Spend the extra $$$ cuz you don’t want that 1198 crashing into the dash. If you want the Ram Mount I have one sitting around here somewhere Oh I have to add, these guys are great to work with. They sent me the unit and asked that I send them a check. Thanks Again

Mark

Thank you Smackem. By chance could you post or send a photo? Thank you!

You betcha, maybe at noon I’ll swing by the house and take a shot of it for ya

What are you guys paying for these units?
1198c SI combo (I am assuming this means the unit head, trans and external GPS)
998c SI combo (I am assuming this means the unit head, trans and external GPS)

Thanks again,
TJB

Sorry the pic turned out a bit dark and you can’t see the windshield but it does fit. All you have to do is spin off the wing nut and your cables and it comes right off. This unit stays in place if I’m running 50 mph across the water or 75 mph down the road. The only time it comes off is if we are staying out of town for the night and I don’t feel like giving someone a 5 finger discount. I removed the windshield for pictures of the back of it. As far as the beefing, I added another layer of plywood under the dash so the weight of the unit would have more surface area and not crack my dash.
And note to self, locate the wiring harness before drilling holes

smackem, what is the size of the bottom base plate?

Not sure I’ll have to measure. Thinking about 2 x 3 1/2″ maybe

Thanks, heard today there 2×3.

The rig has been pulled out of the garage and is now at Grampa Joe’s Marine. I will have pictures up as soon as I get it back.

Thanks to all for the information,

TJB

Grampa Joe’s Marine Hooked Me Up…
1198 and Ram Mount added another set of speakers for tunes when trolling LL and bought BOTH map chips. PLEASE NOTE By default the right SD card is primary. Remove the right side and the left reads. Insert the right side and it loads the right side. Just an FYI
The 1198 is on a Y connect and I have 2 transducers, high speed mounted about 6 inches below the SI. This will auto switch depending on speed and wont spray a roster tail