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Bimini - Electrically Controlled
hurricanejack
Member Posts: 9 ✭
I own a 2006 GS 194 that came with a stainless steel Bimini tubing frame. Anyone that has one of these bimini tops understands how frustrating it is to get the top from its lowest point up to where you can unfold it.
I kept waiting for an electric top to come out for a deck boat and it never did. The stainless bimini frame top is so heavy that you cannot handle it by yourself safely. I made my own electric top that works great with minimal cost using the existing top and frame. It also removed a lot of weight off the top by removing four support bars that were used to lock the top in place for two different positions.
First I had to know what was the measurement at the low position and the measurement at the high position. I found a mini linear industrial actuator with a 12" stroke that fit the low position (17.71") measurement when closed and it fit the high position (30") measurement when extended. The actuator came with a mount that fit my existing connectors from the rods I removed. I mounted the actuators and then purchased a 12V actuator controller with a key fob. I drilled a hole next to the actuator and ran the wires down to the console and wired to a spare switch on the dash and put the key fob on with my boat key and DONE!
The mini industrial linear actuator is good for 600lbs and is aluminum with a stainless steel rod and is IP65 waterproof.
I kept waiting for an electric top to come out for a deck boat and it never did. The stainless bimini frame top is so heavy that you cannot handle it by yourself safely. I made my own electric top that works great with minimal cost using the existing top and frame. It also removed a lot of weight off the top by removing four support bars that were used to lock the top in place for two different positions.
First I had to know what was the measurement at the low position and the measurement at the high position. I found a mini linear industrial actuator with a 12" stroke that fit the low position (17.71") measurement when closed and it fit the high position (30") measurement when extended. The actuator came with a mount that fit my existing connectors from the rods I removed. I mounted the actuators and then purchased a 12V actuator controller with a key fob. I drilled a hole next to the actuator and ran the wires down to the console and wired to a spare switch on the dash and put the key fob on with my boat key and DONE!
The mini industrial linear actuator is good for 600lbs and is aluminum with a stainless steel rod and is IP65 waterproof.