Radar recommendation?

Burner · 09-07-2003, 03:45 AM

After venturing out to the Rockpile in the fog last Friday with SoftPlastic, I've decided I need a radar for my boat. I like the ready made radar archs from Atlantic Towers, but what to stick on top of it.......hmmmmmmm. Anyone have a favorite? I'd like to keep it under 300 boat bucks ($1500). No Dear it wasn't expensive at all, the tower and radar were only 500 (under breath: "boat") bucks

. Also, do rods in the rocket launchers interfere with the signal. I know the GPS ant needs to be well above or below the magnetron (so you don't end up on the rocks), but I've always been curious about the rocket launchers. Most towers seem to have them level with the array.

Thanks,
James

[ 09-07-2003, 05:51 AM: Message edited by: Burner ]

Sensei-san · 09-07-2003, 06:09 AM

Burner, You're on the right track thinking about radar. Radar like VHF radio is line of sight. On a small boat where the radar is mounted only a couple of feet above the water, the useful line of sight for detection is about eight miles. Most of the time it is actually about three. Doesn't matter how powerful the radar is.

I would definately look at the various radars that are about a grand. JRC, Furuno, or Raytheon (rebranded JRC). The low cost radars are usually LCD models. JRC does make a CRT model but it costs more. CRT's are usually brighter in direct sunlight but most of the time people are using it for night or fog navigation where the lighting level is lower.

Actually a real boat buck is a thousand.

BOAT= Break Out Another Thousand....

Burner · 09-07-2003, 06:32 AM

I don't think my wife would believe me if I told her the new system and tower was only $2.50. You have make the boat bucks relative to the person and conversation :grin: . Range isn't too much of a concern to me, colliding with another boat or a buoy in the fog is though. :shocked: Anyone know who makes the unit with the highest rotations per minute in my price range. I've checked some different manufactures out on the web, but hardly any give info about refresh rates.

[ 09-07-2003, 07:39 AM: Message edited by: Burner ]

graybeard · 09-07-2003, 08:44 AM

I don't know about the rotations per minute of the radar, but Raymarine makes it's unit so that the radar overlays on the chart/plotter gps. That way you know just exactly where the boats and buoy's are. It also let's you eliminate a separate viewer screen. I'm having one installed right now for my new boat.

gb

Sensei-san · 09-07-2003, 09:16 AM

Greybeard, It is nice that a lot of the electronics companies have gone to integration of their units. I suspect it is more to sell more of their units than really making things easier to use.

Let me give an example of a simple thing that had has happened to me. On some boats that I have worked on they have had both chartplotters, GPS, SAT nav, radar, LORAN in the old days. Most people will use the radar to plot a course and also for collision detection and the other instruments to verify the course. Assuming that the radar is giving the fastest and newest real time position.

On several occasions there has been an electrical spike or brownout from some other source occur on the boat. Be it turning on a microwave oven, starting up a freezer, or main engines. Well the radar head will keep spinning and the electronics will brownout. This often causes the bearing line to shift. On one occasion the bearing line was only slightly off true. The captain caught it only minutes before going aground. He caught it because the bearing line was not showing the course that he recognized on the radar and on the chartplotter.

The moral of the story is that this captain will never buy a totally integrated unit. He will always buy separate units. He figures that the human brain is the best integrator of information from multiple sources not a computer. Besides if one fails you have a backup unit.

graybeard · 09-07-2003, 09:48 AM

Sensai-San

I respectfully disaggree. If the human brain is the best integrator of information from multiple sources, there would be no reason or use for computers. Computers can process information much faster and more accrurately than we humans can. I plan on having a full backup system when I can afford it. It will also be integrated.
When the going gets tough, (low visibility, rough or shallow water, debris) I want all the help I can get and I want it fast. Welcome to the future.

gb

8knots · 09-07-2003, 08:57 PM

I have had Raytheon and Furuno. I am now a big fan of Furuno. It's the KW's that give you the power and in that price range, you want to get a minimum of 2KW. I seldom use mine set at more than three miles and that is when I am offshore in low visibility or nighttime conditions. Use it all the time so that when you really need it you are comfortable relying on it.

Mr. Fisherman · 09-07-2003, 11:24 PM

I'm no expert but I will offer this. I like the redundancy in seperate units. I have Furuno and I like it so far. I am still learning the ins and outs of navigating with radar and recommend that you use it all the time as 8knots mentioned. You will be surprised what shows up and what doesn't when you use it when you can see.
I purchased the cable that connects the radar to my GPS so they can share data. I am looking forward to the capabilities that this will offer.
Look at the units out there and try a few on the bench. They may or may not be intuitive. Ask questions and shop around. I bought a 16 mile unit for under $800.
Good luck and safe boating...

Fishplay · 09-08-2003, 02:49 PM

Mr. F,

What is the power rating of your $800.00 Furuno?

Everything I've seen at that price is 1KW.

I have read product reviews that claim you can't see a log or other dead-head with those low wattage units.

Tell us what you can and can't see with your machine.