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Installing your Orca Display 1
Updated over a week ago

This article covers Orca Display 1 only. For Orca Display 2 owners, see the Display 2 section.

1. What is included in my package?

Your Orca Display 1 package contains:

  • 1x Orca Display 1 with Charging Sleeve

  • 1x Orca Display 1 Charging Connector

  • 1x Orca Cockpit Adapter with sealing gasket

  • 1x RAM mount

  • 3x 14mm M5 screws

  • 3x 60mm M4 screws with locking nuts and washers

  • 1x Information leaflet

Orca Display Kit

Should you miss anything in your package, contact us at hello@getorca.com

2. Where and how should I mount my Orca Display 1?

The Orca Display is designed to be top-mounted on a flat surface using the provided RAM mount and Orca Cockpit Adapter. Typically this will be done at the helm of your boat.

Since the Orca Display offers up to 8 hours of battery life during active navigation, some customers have opted to install the charging mount at alternate locations, such as near the doorway of a sailboat’s cabin or below deck to save space at the helm.

The Orca Display Mount is built upon the RAM mounting system, allowing you to replace the Orca Cockpit Adapter with any other C-size RAM-compatible mounting brackets, such as tubular mounting brackets, should you want this.

Before installing your Orca Display, you should install and set up your Orca Core according to the Orca Core installation instructions.

A1) Top-mounted with Orca Cockpit Adapter

Top Mounted Orca Display

This is the official Orca Display mounting option.

It requires drilling a 20mm diameter hole in a flat surface for the power cable along with three 5mm holes for fastening the mount. The Orca Display Kit contains all necessary parts for this mounting option and the Orca Cockpit Adapter will ensure a watertight seal around the power cable and drill holes.

A2) Tubular-mounted with RAM-compatible mounting bracket

Orca Display Tube mounted

This is an example of an optional mounting option using a RAM-compatible tubular mounting bracket. You can freely replace the provided RAM-mount base and Orca Cockpit Adapter with any C-size RAM-compatible base for a wide range of mounting options.

You will need to provide your own mounting base and route the power cable to the Orca Core in a secure and waterproof manner when following alternative mounting options. This guide will not cover the details of alternative mounting options. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

When deciding how to mount your Orca Display, review the following considerations:

1) Distance to Orca Core

The Orca Core provides charging power to the Orca Charging Mount so you’ll need to position these close enough for the cable to be attached. The available cable distance is about 1.5 mt from the foot of the Display Mount to the base of the Orca Core.

2) Sunlight, glare, and viewability

The Orca Display has a matte high-contrast screen and is sunlight readable, but for best results, install the unit out of direct sunlight. The chosen location should also have minimal glare from windows and bright objects.

The viewing angle influences the viewability of the Display, so ensure you can tilt the display directly towards your intended point of view at the chosen position.

3) Mounting surface and structural integrity

The Orca Cockpit Adapter has a 64 mm diameter circular footprint. This mounting surface needs to be completely flat to ensure a stable and watertight seal between the adapter and your cockpit.

Make also sure that the mounting structure is able to hold the weight of the Orca Display and Charging Mount when exerted to shocks from waves and other vibrations.

4) Compass safe distance

The Orca Display and Charging Mount contain magnets that may affect magnet sensitive equipment aboard. Your Orca Display should be mounted outside Compass Safe Distance from those devices, including that of the Orca Core. Typical compass safe distance is 1 meter for most electronics.

5) Water ingress

While the Orca Display is IP-68-rated, charging will automatically be stopped if the system detects water or moisture in the quick-connect surface of the Charging Connector.

These parts are weather-sealed with gaskets when the Orca Display is docked in the Charging Connector, but we strongly recommend mounting the system in such a way that the risk of water spray is minimal to ensure reliable charging.

3. Which tools and equipment do I need to install the Orca Display?

1) Power drill with a 20mm drill bit and a 5mm drill bit suitable for drilling in your mounting material.

Bring a pencil to mark your drill location, masking tape, and sanding paper to smooth the drill edges if you are drilling in a gelcoat surface.

2) M4 hex screwdriver and 8mm spanner/wrench for fastening screws

3) Zip ties for securing the power cable

4. Step-by-step: How do I install my Orca Display?

Step 1: Turn on your Orca Display and log in

This step requires an active internet connection.

The Orca Display is charged to ~ 40% battery capacity at delivery. Turn it on and log in to your Orca Account.

Should the display lack charge to power on, continue to Step 2, connect the Charging Connector to your Orca Core's power cable, and dock your Display in the Charging Connector. The Orca Display will power on as soon as it receives external power.

Step 2: Connect the Charging Connector to the RAM Mount Head

Fasten the Orca Charging Connector to the head of the RAM Mount using the three supplied 20mm M4 screws. The head of the RAM mount is the side at which the tension spring of the mount arm is located.

Connect charge unit to RAM mount

Loosen the RAM Mount arm by turning the knob on the middle and remove the Charging Connector fully from the arm for easier handling during the next steps.

Loose RAM mount head

Step 3: Drill holes for the Orca Cockpit Adapter

Cover your drill area in masking tape to protect the surface.

The top side of the Cockpit Adapter has a flat surface, while the underside is open.

The underside of the Cockpit Adapter houses a small removable sealing plug. It is highlighted in blue in the illustration below.

Highlighted plug

If you are mounting on a horizontal surface, orient the Cockpit Adapter so that the plug is facing towards the front of your boat. If you are mounting on a vertical surface, orient the plug so it points towards the horizon.

Use the Cockpit Adapter as a guide to mark the center of the cable hole and three fastening holes with a pen and drill the four holes.

Drill plane with cockpit adapter

If you are drilling fiberglass covered in gelcoat, apply light pressure when drilling in the gelcoat to avoid cracking.

Use sandpaper to smooth the perimeter of the holes and create a small chamfer in the gelcoat to avoid gelcoat cracking from vibrations. Remove the masking tape and wash away any dust.

Step 4: Guide the power cable through the Orca Cockpit Adapter’s watertight seal

Remove the Orca Cockpit Adapter’s sealing plug.

Remove sealing plug

Open the sealing plug and insert the Charging Connector’s cable into the groove of the sealing plug as shown below.

Insert plug

Place the sealing plug along the cable about 40 cm away from the Charging Connector.

Re-insert the sealing plug into the Orca Cockpit Adapter with the power cable attached.

Position the gasket on top of the drill hole and guide the loose end of the cable through the center hole. Align the Orca Cockpit Adapter at the mounting location.

Gasket order

Your assembly should now look like the illustration below.

Assembled overview

Step 5: Secure the RAM Mount

Place the RAM mount foot on top of the Orca Cockpit Adapter. Guide the three fastening bolts through the RAM mount foot and Orca Cockpit Adapter.

Fasten RAM mount

Thread washers and the fastening nuts from the underside of the installation and tighten the nuts loosely in case you’ll need to make adjustments to the charging cable length.

Step 6: Reattach the Orca Charging Connector to the RAM Mount

Place the Orca Charging Connector with the RAM head ball into the RAM Mount and fasten loosely. The orientation of the Orca Charging Connector’s unlock button should be on the top of the mount for easy access.

Head attached

Check that the length of the power cable is sufficient for all combinations of tilting and angling of the mounting system that you want.

If you need to adjust the length of the power cable, carefully loosen the fastening nuts, remove the gasket from the Orca Cockpit Adapter and return to Step 4.

Once you’ve found the correct cable length, tightly fasten the fastening nuts on the underside of the mount.

Step 7: Attach the power cable and test the Display

Connect the power cable between the Orca Charging Mount and Orca Core.

Power on the Orca Core and verify that the Orca Display starts charging when it is attached to the mount.

To remove the Orca Display from the Charging Mount, press and hold the unlock button while you remove Orca Display from the Charging Connector.

Secure the power cable with zip ties in such a way that prevents potential water from running down into the connector along the cable.

Step 8: Connect the Orca Display to the Orca Core

Final installation

Well done! You have completed the Orca Display installation. Turn your Display on, connect it to an internet connection, and log in. You will be welcomed to a quick onboarding guide that explains how you use your Display. After you have completed the Onboarding, turn on your Core and pair the Display to your Core if you haven't already.

Got any questions about this guide? Don’t hesitate to reach out at hello@getorca.com

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