What is the best way to hold a laptop on a boat? boat shelf with the
right size hardback books to keep it from sliding around? holder arm or
some homemade jig I can copy? A way to see the laptop screen from the
helm in the cockpit on a sail boat? a couple of different attachment
areas maybe?

Does anyone have some brilliant setup? I have an iBook if that matters.

Stephen

"Stephen Trapani" wrote in message

What is the best way to hold a laptop on a boat? boat shelf with the
right size hardback books to keep it from sliding around? holder arm
or some homemade jig I can copy? A way to see the laptop screen from
the helm in the cockpit on a sail boat? a couple of different
attachment areas maybe?

Does anyone have some brilliant setup? I have an iBook if that
matters.

Stephen

If you get a chance, go to a consumer electronics place (Best Buy, Circuit
City etc), they all have laptops on display that are essentially held down
so people can't steal them, but still allow them to be used. Each one has a
local place that makes the "holddowns" for them (Basically a steel bracket
that goes across the laptop and bolts through the display/desk). Since each
laptop is a bit different, there isn't really a generic one for all
(keys/touchpad etc are all in different places), but they can usually make a
custom one for different models.

Stephen Trapani wrote:

What is the best way to hold a laptop on a boat?

Try:

http://www.capjack.com/catalog/Lapto...ems.asp?gr=341

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/

Stephen,

I am doing the same thing that you are. My first thought is to put a shock
cord across the laptop at the hinge and attach it to the bulkhead behind the
nav station on either side of the laptop. I figure that the eyebolts in the
bulkhead will keep it from sliding sideways and the shock cord will keep it
from coming off the nav table. Then when I am not using the laptop there
will only be two small eyebolts left. The only thing that I have not figured
is the serial cable into the back which interfaces with the GPS and
autopilot may mean that I will have to make a small wood "docking station"
to shock cord to rather than pull it back against the bulkhead.

I have also thought about visibility from the helm. We have a Camper
Nicholson ketch and the nav station is at the foot of the companionway and
facing aft so I have thought of putting a separate 12 volt screen in the
cockpit with a cable to the nav station. Then when the laptop is aboard I
can configure it to have two screens.

I welcome any thoughts of yours.

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem

Ansley Sawyer wrote:

Stephen,



I welcome any thoughts of yours.

I'll let you know if I think of something that ends up working well.
Right now I'm having a strange vision of some kind of arm, like the url
from Armond, but maybe with homemade stuff like Peter Pan mentioned...

I'm going to look the next time I get on the boat at the dashboard in
the cockpit. I wonder if I can put a plexiglass window or something in
it so i can just swivel the laptop around inside the cabin and see it
from both areas. If that's too crazy, maybe just a second mount in the
cockpit so I can move it to both locations. Since I have to wire to all
locations no matter what for nmea, might as well run the other wiring
too, but...

I'm not really fond of the idea of not being able to use it during foul
weather and I don't think I can trust a bimini/dodger setup to protect a
laptop in foul weather. But other than seeing it from below, one can
override the autohem stuff from the helm, right? so having it out in the
cockpit isn't really necessary? Being able to see it in all weather from
the helm would be great though...

Maybe just a swivel like the url so it can swivel into the hatch opening
so one can see it even with the hatch covered, but um, then it will have
to be swung out of the way to go below and come out... Maybe that's no
big deal, um wet hands, um...

The laptop screen probably isn't bright enough to see it at all through
a window in the cockpit in brighter weather, so that idea might not work
well....

I'm leaning toward swiveling into the hatch opening like DS's do.

Stephen

"Stephen Trapani" wrote in message

Ansley Sawyer wrote:

Stephen,



I welcome any thoughts of yours.

I'll let you know if I think of something that ends up working well.
Right now I'm having a strange vision of some kind of arm, like the
url from Armond, but maybe with homemade stuff like Peter Pan
mentioned...

I'm going to look the next time I get on the boat at the dashboard in
the cockpit. I wonder if I can put a plexiglass window or something in
it so i can just swivel the laptop around inside the cabin and see it
from both areas. If that's too crazy, maybe just a second mount in the
cockpit so I can move it to both locations. Since I have to wire to
all locations no matter what for nmea, might as well run the other
wiring too, but...

I'm not really fond of the idea of not being able to use it during
foul weather and I don't think I can trust a bimini/dodger setup to
protect a laptop in foul weather. But other than seeing it from
below, one can override the autohem stuff from the helm, right? so
having it out in the cockpit isn't really necessary? Being able to
see it in all weather from the helm would be great though...

Maybe just a swivel like the url so it can swivel into the hatch
opening so one can see it even with the hatch covered, but um, then
it will have to be swung out of the way to go below and come out...
Maybe that's no big deal, um wet hands, um...

The laptop screen probably isn't bright enough to see it at all
through a window in the cockpit in brighter weather, so that idea
might not work well....

I'm leaning toward swiveling into the hatch opening like DS's do.

Stephen

Be aware that laptops are not waterproof at all. There are quite a few
options for using a desktop however, in an enclosed area, with extensions (1
or more than one) to allow remote monitors/keyboards/mouses etc. Not that
big of a stretch, and you can have multiple monitors. That's also the way
they do it now, especially for explosive atmospheres.

Peter Pan wrote:

"Stephen Trapani" wrote in message


Ansley Sawyer wrote:


Stephen,


I welcome any thoughts of yours.

I'll let you know if I think of something that ends up working well.
Right now I'm having a strange vision of some kind of arm, like the
url from Armond, but maybe with homemade stuff like Peter Pan
mentioned...

I'm going to look the next time I get on the boat at the dashboard in
the cockpit. I wonder if I can put a plexiglass window or something in
it so i can just swivel the laptop around inside the cabin and see it
from both areas. If that's too crazy, maybe just a second mount in the
cockpit so I can move it to both locations. Since I have to wire to
all locations no matter what for nmea, might as well run the other
wiring too, but...

I'm not really fond of the idea of not being able to use it during
foul weather and I don't think I can trust a bimini/dodger setup to
protect a laptop in foul weather. But other than seeing it from
below, one can override the autohem stuff from the helm, right? so
having it out in the cockpit isn't really necessary? Being able to
see it in all weather from the helm would be great though...

Maybe just a swivel like the url so it can swivel into the hatch
opening so one can see it even with the hatch covered, but um, then
it will have to be swung out of the way to go below and come out...
Maybe that's no big deal, um wet hands, um...

The laptop screen probably isn't bright enough to see it at all
through a window in the cockpit in brighter weather, so that idea
might not work well....

I'm leaning toward swiveling into the hatch opening like DS's do.

Stephen


Be aware that laptops are not waterproof at all. There are quite a few
options for using a desktop however, in an enclosed area, with extensions (1
or more than one) to allow remote monitors/keyboards/mouses etc. Not that
big of a stretch, and you can have multiple monitors. That's also the way
they do it now, especially for explosive atmospheres.



Hey thanks for the information. :-)

Is there some kind of waterproof laptop monitor one can attach to the
steering pedestal? Maybe this is too expensive?

And it would be nice if the monitor ran off 12 volt, so one could still
have the option of running off 12v with the laptop, since I, um already
have the laptop and all.

Stephen

velcro?

--


Keith
__
I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give
the wrong answers.
"Stephen Trapani" wrote in message
...
What is the best way to hold a laptop on a boat? boat shelf with the
right size hardback books to keep it from sliding around? holder arm or
some homemade jig I can copy? A way to see the laptop screen from the
helm in the cockpit on a sail boat? a couple of different attachment
areas maybe?

Does anyone have some brilliant setup? I have an iBook if that matters.

Stephen

"Stephen Trapani" wrote in message

Peter Pan wrote:

"Stephen Trapani" wrote in message


Ansley Sawyer wrote:


Stephen,


I welcome any thoughts of yours.
trim


Be aware that laptops are not waterproof at all. There are quite a
few options for using a desktop however, in an enclosed area, with
extensions (1 or more than one) to allow remote
monitors/keyboards/mouses etc. Not that big of a stretch, and you
can have multiple monitors. That's also the way they do it now,
especially for explosive atmospheres.



Hey thanks for the information. :-)

Is there some kind of waterproof laptop monitor one can attach to the
steering pedestal? Maybe this is too expensive?

And it would be nice if the monitor ran off 12 volt, so one could
still have the option of running off 12v with the laptop, since I, um
already have the laptop and all.

Stephen

Many of the LCD monitors are extremely lightweight (under 2 LBS, less than
an inch thick, no xrays you can be very close to them), run off 12V
(straight off the batteries, with a power cleaner), can be waterproofed very
easy, mount to various places, and with extensions can be 10-20 ft away from
the computer. They also make weatherproof repeaters (perfect for anyplace
away from the bridge). If your current laptop has a connection for an
external monitor (usually a 15 pin d shell connector), you can hook it right
to it. If you have a USB port on your computer you can also run an extension
to wherever you want the keyboard/mouse at, put a hub extension at the desk
location, and plug unplug them to move em out of the way/replace em etc.
Actually, I have a laptop in a cabinet inside, plug in the cables when on
the boat (using the remote monitors and keyboards etc), and unhook em and
take the laptop with me to shore when I want to use it on the go and for
email etc. then put it back/hook it up again when back on board.

PS, the fun part of the LCD, it has many inputs, I can also use it to watch
TV/DVD's/Videotapes etc.

On Sun, 02 May 2004 15:59:51 -0700, Stephen Trapani
wrote:
Is there some kind of waterproof laptop monitor one can attach to the
steering pedestal? Maybe this is too expensive?

========================================

I've had some success using an inexpensive flat panel display enclosed
in one of those large plastic envelopes that they sell for chart
books. The flat panel is theoretically capable of running from 12
volts DC but since I already had a small 150 watt inverter on the
flybridge, I used that instead. Never any problems with moisture or
power. I used the 3M super duty, velcro-like fasteners to hold it
down, and no problems with that either.

I took an old, inexpensive laptop on the 2002 Bermuda Race wrapped in
saran wrap. It was a farly wet race with lots of spray finding its
way below to the nav station but the laptop survived fine. I was able
to use the mouse pointer and keyboard right through the saran wrap.