Eagle GPS Install

Certainly we all should heed the advice to never go wheeling alone, but still there's nothing worse than getting lost in unfamiliar territority or not being able to find favorite trails - even if you are with a group. Brought to the public's attention during the Persian Gulf war, the usefullness of mobile global positioning satellite (GPS) units was highlighted as our troops used them to navigate the deserts during Desert Storm. Prices have continued to drop as improvements in the hardware and software add to the value of these units. The most useful development has been the addition of moving map displays and the ability to upload and download data into a laptop computer. Formally available only on memory chips, high resolution maps of the continental US has become available on a single CD ROM. Having tried several handheld units I was unsatisfied with their small screen size and complexity of use. The AccuMap GPS unit by Eagle/Lowrance is a hardmounted unit with a seperate antenna that has a 4"x4" hi-resolution screen and large  buttons suitable for use in rough environments. This page shows how I adapted the unit for use in JeepThing

First the center dash bezel was removed by first prying up the windshield defroster vent cover and removing two phillips head screws that affix the bezel to the dash. A third screw behind the ashtray was also removed. The bezel can now be pryed off gently at the edges.  Eagle sells a gimble mount for the GPS that would have been useful but far too bulky for use inside the Jeep. I chose instead to directly mount the bracket onto the small coin tray on top of the bezel.

I bought a stout lexan ruler from the textiles section of the local Walmart for use as a backing plate for the bracket. This was trimmed to fit on the underside of the coin tray and was epoxied into place. Four holes were drilled through the tray and ruler using the existing holes in the mounting bracket. When securely mounted the bracket was quite tight and free of flex. The GPS has two plugs in the back for power and the antenna, and can be completely removed from the bracket when not needed.

The GPS kit comes with a hockey-puck antenna that can be attached either to a flat magnetic mount or to a post using the supplied conical adapter. I wanted to mount the antenna at a high unobstructed location using an adjustable post that can be folded back to avoid low hanging branches, etc. Also, the mount should also work with the soft top up. I came across a boat marker light at the Walmart that had a stout hinged base and hollow aluminum post. Unfortunately the post had a smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the cone mount. Two  2 inch long pieces were cut off the end of the post and longitudinally split for use as shims.

The post was then epoxied to the cone mount using the shims. The base was then screwed onto the forward side of the rear crossbar of my custom roll cage and the wires were routed beneath the bar padding. The GPS is hardwired into my accessory fuseblock, and all the wires are concealed beneath the rollcage padding and defroster cover.

The install took only 2 hours and I've been received many compliments about the looks and function of the antenna and GPS mounts. The unit itself has worked flawlessly and has awesome resolution. It's very easy to use and the display is quite sharp and bright.