WaveRunner
Well-Known Member
Hello, all.
I got tired of other boats surprising me by coming around me in my blind sides fast and close, and found I was wearing myself out swiveling my head all around all the time. Oh, I'll still look around with this new mirror, but it's going to be a great addition to the boat, both for safety and for looks.
So, I did a lot of research and finally decided to pull the trigger on a PTM Edge Mirror, the PXR-100 Pontoon Mirror System shown here: http://ptmedge.com/pxr-100-pontoon-mirror-system/ I looked at a lot of different mirrors and came away feeling like you get what you pay for, so I forked over the money for what is probably one of the best (and sturdiest and well-built) mirror systems out there.
I got mine from Amazon, but there are other places that sell them as well. I couldn't find many places that sold them for less than MSRP, and the one that offered this at the cheapest price made me nervous. You can tell a little from the websites out there, as I've found out the hard way a time or two. Anymore, if I can get no tax and free shipping and pay close to retail for something like this, I'll seriously consider it.
I decided on the smaller of the two mirror sizes offered by PTM, and I'm glad I did. I got the 4" x 8" model, as I felt like the 6" x 14" mirror would take up too much of my forward view. To each his own there, but now that I've used the mirror I'm glad I went with the smaller one, as it does take up a fair amount of your 1 to 2 o'clock viewing area. Plus, I saved $60 on the unit - a price I personally felt was too steep for a mirror upgrade alone.
You can see where I mounted the mirror in the photos below. The clamping system is easy enough to mount, just add the supplied red thread locker to the two 1/2" hex head screws underneath the clamp, pull the film from the 3M adhesive tape on the top of the inside clamp, and then attach it. Be sure to temporarily set your mirror up (with the bimini top UP!) before removing that adhesive tape. You can remove the unit after pulling that film, but you'll ruin it, so be sure you like where it's at before making the final install!
I mounted the clamp within 3" or less of the forward bimini clamp. Why so close to it? Because for me, mounting it any further forward meant the front-most vertical bimini top support would show up in the mirror and block some of your rear view. I was using a very wide-angle lens when I took the bottom photo, and as you can see, the vertical bimini support does not show in the mirror. This of course is personal preference, but it works for me and I can still raise and lower the bimini top with ease.
As it stands now, from the captain's chair, I can see from around 4 o'clock to 8 o'clock behind me with this mirror, an area that was previously difficult to see at all without turning around. Plus now I can tow my wife on the tube legally without having a spotter, and I can also see what's going on in the back of the boat all the time. I feel a lot safer with this mirror showing me what's behind me now. Note that in the bottom photo, the mirror looks like it's pretty high up, but that's only an effect of the lens and how I was sitting to take the picture. The mirror is roughly at eye height for me when sitting normally. Also note that the mirror can be swiveled 180 degrees so it rides a little lower in your view, so test out looking at it both ways if you get one.
There is a knurled knob at the base of the unit that when loosened allows you to lay the mirror support arm down when putting the playpen cover on, or while towing the boat at highway speeds.
For $239 delivered, the price of admission is steep. But the mirror is well built, having been machined from a long block of aluminum, and if it's vibrating while we're out on the water, I can't tell. I believe that the weakest link in this particular mirror is the plastic clamp that serves as the clamping mechanism for the mirror to the arm. The clamp's tightness is adjusted with two small phillips head screws, and I'm wondering how long it will last and/or hold tightly. I suppose that's why PTM called this mirror the "import" version, while touting the $60 upgrade mirror as the "USA" version. At 6" wider and 2" taller, that USA mirror takes up a lot of forward viewing real estate, and I wasn't sure I'd like that. I'm sure I'll get lots of nay-sayers to that thought, but again, this is merely personal preference and certainly no slam on those who own and love the larger mirror.
If you're in the market for a mirror, I hope this post helps.
Cheers!
All in all, it's a very classy looking setup, a worthy addition to your Benny.
I got tired of other boats surprising me by coming around me in my blind sides fast and close, and found I was wearing myself out swiveling my head all around all the time. Oh, I'll still look around with this new mirror, but it's going to be a great addition to the boat, both for safety and for looks.
So, I did a lot of research and finally decided to pull the trigger on a PTM Edge Mirror, the PXR-100 Pontoon Mirror System shown here: http://ptmedge.com/pxr-100-pontoon-mirror-system/ I looked at a lot of different mirrors and came away feeling like you get what you pay for, so I forked over the money for what is probably one of the best (and sturdiest and well-built) mirror systems out there.
I got mine from Amazon, but there are other places that sell them as well. I couldn't find many places that sold them for less than MSRP, and the one that offered this at the cheapest price made me nervous. You can tell a little from the websites out there, as I've found out the hard way a time or two. Anymore, if I can get no tax and free shipping and pay close to retail for something like this, I'll seriously consider it.
I decided on the smaller of the two mirror sizes offered by PTM, and I'm glad I did. I got the 4" x 8" model, as I felt like the 6" x 14" mirror would take up too much of my forward view. To each his own there, but now that I've used the mirror I'm glad I went with the smaller one, as it does take up a fair amount of your 1 to 2 o'clock viewing area. Plus, I saved $60 on the unit - a price I personally felt was too steep for a mirror upgrade alone.
You can see where I mounted the mirror in the photos below. The clamping system is easy enough to mount, just add the supplied red thread locker to the two 1/2" hex head screws underneath the clamp, pull the film from the 3M adhesive tape on the top of the inside clamp, and then attach it. Be sure to temporarily set your mirror up (with the bimini top UP!) before removing that adhesive tape. You can remove the unit after pulling that film, but you'll ruin it, so be sure you like where it's at before making the final install!
I mounted the clamp within 3" or less of the forward bimini clamp. Why so close to it? Because for me, mounting it any further forward meant the front-most vertical bimini top support would show up in the mirror and block some of your rear view. I was using a very wide-angle lens when I took the bottom photo, and as you can see, the vertical bimini support does not show in the mirror. This of course is personal preference, but it works for me and I can still raise and lower the bimini top with ease.
As it stands now, from the captain's chair, I can see from around 4 o'clock to 8 o'clock behind me with this mirror, an area that was previously difficult to see at all without turning around. Plus now I can tow my wife on the tube legally without having a spotter, and I can also see what's going on in the back of the boat all the time. I feel a lot safer with this mirror showing me what's behind me now. Note that in the bottom photo, the mirror looks like it's pretty high up, but that's only an effect of the lens and how I was sitting to take the picture. The mirror is roughly at eye height for me when sitting normally. Also note that the mirror can be swiveled 180 degrees so it rides a little lower in your view, so test out looking at it both ways if you get one.
There is a knurled knob at the base of the unit that when loosened allows you to lay the mirror support arm down when putting the playpen cover on, or while towing the boat at highway speeds.
For $239 delivered, the price of admission is steep. But the mirror is well built, having been machined from a long block of aluminum, and if it's vibrating while we're out on the water, I can't tell. I believe that the weakest link in this particular mirror is the plastic clamp that serves as the clamping mechanism for the mirror to the arm. The clamp's tightness is adjusted with two small phillips head screws, and I'm wondering how long it will last and/or hold tightly. I suppose that's why PTM called this mirror the "import" version, while touting the $60 upgrade mirror as the "USA" version. At 6" wider and 2" taller, that USA mirror takes up a lot of forward viewing real estate, and I wasn't sure I'd like that. I'm sure I'll get lots of nay-sayers to that thought, but again, this is merely personal preference and certainly no slam on those who own and love the larger mirror.
If you're in the market for a mirror, I hope this post helps.
Cheers!
All in all, it's a very classy looking setup, a worthy addition to your Benny.
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