Dual Mounts, aka Combination Mounts are a style of marine electronic mount allows you to mount a combination of radars, satdomes, or cameras onto a single mount. The most common combination is the closed dome radar and satdome arrangement.
Image showing the radar clearance of a Dual Mount
What is a Dual Mount?
A Dual Mount or commonly known as Combination Mount is used to mount multiple marine electronics on the same mount. For instance if you wanted to mount an open array radar and a satdome onto the same mount. Typically dual mounts would mount onto an arch or on a hardtop, and gives your radar or satdome extra height clearance to tower above anything that could obstruct its view, while still maintaining a small footprint. This also allows for all electronic cables to pass through one hole for cleaner installation.
How Do You Build A Dual Mount?
In the past year Seaview has revamped their product line to a modular setup. No longer are the days of having the top plate that your marine radar mounts to be welded onto the mount. With this new modular design you purchase the mount style and height. Once that is determined you select the appropriate bolt on top plate for your satdome, camera or search light.
Lets run through this, and for the sake of this blog lets take one of Seaview’s popular dual mounts, the PMA-DM1-M2. All of Seaview’s dual mounts are designed so that the lower platform is for either closed dome radars or open array radars. And in the case of this PMA-DM1-M2 it’s designed for a closed dome radar. If you want to mount a open array radar you would have to look into one of our other dual mounts with a longer platform to be able to mount that, we’ll dive more into this later.
So now that you’ve established which mount you want you are going to need a top plate to be able to mount a satdome or thermal camera. Lets say you have a KVH M2 and want to mount this on the PMA-DM1-M2, the correct top plate to use is the ADA-S1. Now, you are probably thinking, wait how did he figure that out. If you take a look at PMA-DM1-M2 on Seaview’s web page you’ll notice it says “Build Your Dual Mount”. Now look at Step 1: Choose A Top Plate, simply select the manufacture and model of your satdome or camera. Then select the appropriate top plate in the next drop down. Bam! There you have it. But now what if you are like, "but Eric I haven’t purchased a satdome or camera yet and I am just looking into how I mount one". Well then head on over to Seaview’s download web page and download the 2013 Seaview Catalog. Then simply turn to page 5 and it lists just about all the manufactures and models of radars or satdomes with the correct top plate needed. If you do not see your manufacture or model give Seaview a call and they’ll be able to tell you what you need.
Lower platform on a PMA-DM1-M2 dual mount
One of Seaview's Top Plates
The Components of a Dual Mount
As stated earlier all Seaview dual mounts have two mounting points to mount satdomes, radars or cameras. The lower platform is welded onto the main body of the mount. This platform comes pre-drilled for just about all open and closed dome radars. The above image shows a lower platform on a dual mount that’s for a closed dome radar. When selecting a Seaview dual mount be sure to check to make sure that the particular one you are looking at is for a closed dome radar or a open array radar. The dual mounts that are for an open array radar have an extended lower platform so that the antenna clears the main body of the mount.
The top platform is where you bolt the Top Plate to. Top Plates are something new that Seaview has developed to make product selection easier for the customer and to enhance the look of these mounts. Long gone are the days of top plates with a bunch of holes in them.
Top Plates and the dual mount itself are required, however there are numerous accessories you can add on as well. These include different types of light bars and lights, spreader kits, flood light kits, and base wedges. You can even add a hinged base to the smaller dual mount!
Optional Accessories?
The light bars go into the back side of the top platform where the satdome or thermal camera would go onto. Seaview offers two different light bars that go behind satdomes. The LTB-S is for any satdome that is 18” in diameter or smaller. Any satdome that is larger than that you want to use the LTB-S24. The reason being is you’ll need a taller light bar to clear the larger satdome. What’s also unique with these Seaview light bars is that they are able to fold over 90 degrees. This gives you extra height clearance in certain situations such as when you are storing your boat. If you have a camera or search light in combination with a satdome ad radar you can use the LTB-SF.
The light bar can fold over to the right or left
The LTB-SF is a light bar just for cameras
A new accessory by Seaview was developed when the modular mounts became available. The Seaview Spreader Kit attaches to the top of the top platform on a dual mount, with the Top Plate going on top of the Spreader Kit.
If you need to compensate for the beam angle of your radar and planning attitude then you may want to take a look at getting a wedge for your dual mount. This wedge is a 10” square and has a 4 degree slope. Made from a marine grade polymer these will last forever. Installation is quite simple and quick!
The Seaview Dual Mount is a great solution for when you have multiple marine electronics that you need to mount while keeping the footprint small. And what’s also great about these mounts is the ability to configure them to best fit your needs with all the optional accessories. Be sure to check out Seaview’s Dual Mount web page to see the different styles of dual mounts.
-Eric Young
