Well actually got it as a gift......Anyway, I will be installing a Garmin GPSMAP 440 this week. I also ordered a mounting kit from Ram-mount that will allow me to fasten the GPS to my windshield stanchion.
Any suggestions on routing the wires? I really am cringing on the thought of having to drill through my helm area

I drilled a 3.5" diameter hole in my helm to put in a depth finder and then 4 holes for the bolts to hold it in place. Then there's the three bolts for the GPS and three more for the mic for the VHF. It's not that hard to do. Run the drill backwards firs and drill a small diameter pilot hole too.

You've seen this, Sea Ray Guy

Yeah.....I imagine once you drill the first hole the rest are gravy.

Man this is gonna be tough though. Any things to think about when wiring?

Just "weave" the wires behind the helm, and fasten them out of the way.

There's 13 14 small holes, one 1" diameter and one 3.5" diameter in there that I've drilled in my helm. If you look closely, there is one for the data/power cable to the lower left right of the GPS. Congrats on the new GPS, BTW.

I wired mine to the circuit that feeds the depth sounder and it turns off and on with the factory switch that operates the fish finder (which is hooked up to the same circuit). These don't draw much current and the fuses in the panel under the dash are more than adequate to serve both, especially if they have a separate in-line fuse.

What Capn Morgan said... You don't want them to get tangled up with the steering track behind the helm.

Good point...I am pretty anal when it comes to those type of things. I am shooting for the neatest cleanest instalation. Not only am I nervous about drilling through the top of the helm, but I dont want to drill in the wrong spot....Some posts I have seen showed a rubber grommet type of thing around the hole to prevent chaffing the wires....any idea where to get something like that?

Get some 3m marine sealant (4000?) so you can seal up anywhere a cable goes through the fiberglass. The white sealant will dress things up nice. If the hole is big enough, and the sealant goes through both ends, it will be like a nice custom grommet. I used the stuff when mounting the fishfinder as well as bringing the VHF antenna cable through the hull. Maybe someone else has some suggestions on using the 3M marine sealant?

Here are a couple of options for a feed through:

(this first one, you can buy for $20ea at West Marine or $2 from Mouser)



I have been using these feed-throughs on the cables that exit the tubes on my radar arch.

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/635/1778.pdf



http://www.mouser.com/catalog/635/1780.pdf



http://www.mouser.com/catalog/635/2363.pdf

or if you make a mistak'a...



http://www.mouser.com/catalog/635/1780.pdf

Perfect AL!
Thanks.......Do you they also carry the clamshell type?

You mean clamshell, like these:




http://www.mouser.com/catalog/634/2185.pdf

Go to this website:

http://www.heyco.com/products/prod_overview.html

Find the one you like, then do a google search on its part number. I bet either Mouser, Allied, or Digi-Key will have it.

Thanks Al but I can't seem to find it...There was a thread tat had it but I can't find that either...may have been another forum.
It is verry similar to a corved air intake.....round base that covers the hole and curves to a 90 such that it won't allow water in.......reminds me of what a lot of people use when they have a transducer cable coming out of the transom.

Hope that made sense!

Here is another option. To have a more compact install I didn't use Garmin's bracket. Instead I screwed the RAM Mount to the helm and use 3M double sided tape to hold the GPS to the RAM. I didn't drill a hole for the wire. My dash finishes right below the mount so I 3M the wire neatly. I also got the RAM Mount locking knob. Since I'm not using the Garmin's bracket the only way to steal it is to rip it out. Prevents me from removing it if where just going for a bite on shore.

Close-up.


Further away.