Camano Radar

[NCheaven]

I'm planning to replace electronics this winter and need the benefit of experienced Camano radar users.

1. If your radar is forward of the flying bridge steering station, what protection do you have for radiation back into the steering station? Do you ever use the radar in a forward mounted location when you are on the flying bridge? (I'm planning on buying the newer, low powered pulse compression Fantom Garmon radar, 40 watts, supposedly much safer.)

2. How do you manage to search behind your boat with forward mounted radar - do you turn the vessel around to look back, or can forward mounted radar somehow see behind the vessel?

3. Does your radar connect by any means to both the flybridge MFD and to the main cabine MFD, or just one or the other?

4. What is ideal new electronics package for a Camano in your opinion?

5. Would you install a new Auto Pilot, too, compatable with your new MFDs, or stick with your old Auto Pilot. (I get along well with my old Raymarine, simply inputting new headings at each intended course change, don't feel a need to load multiple waypoints.)

Thank you for your input! Can't wait to see the array of good ideas from this group!

 

[DavidM]

Here are my thoughts below:

I'm planning to replace electronics this winter and need the benefit of experienced Camano radar users.

1. If your radar is forward of the flying bridge steering station, what protection do you have for radiation back into the steering station? Do you ever use the radar in a forward mounted location when you are on the flying bridge? (I'm planning on buying the newer, low powered pulse compression Fantom Garmon radar, 40 watts, supposedly much safer)


The new radars are much safer. But if I had one mounted forward of the helm station I would tape a sheet of heavy aluminum foil underneath the helm and behind the radar and ground it somewhere. That would block all radiation from the back, but it might make the display look wierd. Not sure if a grounded plate would absorb all of the signal or reflect some.


2. How do you manage to search behind your boat with forward mounted radar - do you turn the vessel around to look back, or can forward mounted radar somehow see behind the vessel?


With the aluminum foil behind as above, no signal. Without you may get a decent signal except right behind your body


3. Does your radar connect by any means to both the flybridge MFD and to the main cabine MFD, or just one or the other?



I think modern Raymarines, Garmins, etc connect digitally by daisy chaining.


4. What is ideal new electronics package for a Camano in your opinion?



I think any of the integrated low power systems from Raymarine, Garmin, Simrad, Furuno would work fine.


5. Would you install a new Auto Pilot, too, compatable with your new MFDs, or stick with your old Auto Pilot. (I get along well with my old Raymarine, simply inputting new headings at each intended course change, don't feel a need to load multiple waypoints.)


I have had integrated and independent systems. Got along fine with independent ones as I usually just follow the boat direction pointer. Sometimes I scroll forward and get the heading to curser value and enter that into the autopilot and then after a few minutes adjust to match course made good value.


Thank you for your input! Can't wait to see the array of good ideas from this group!

 

[psneeld]

Most newer radars have a dead zone feature where the raday does not transmit in the sector you define.

At least the Furuno and Raymarine ones I have used do. Pretty sure the Simrad line did, but cant say for sure.

Cant imagine they all dont with the state of electronics.

If blocking the aft look, ether with objects or electronically....you have a bling spot where you have turn a bit or just look visually.

Modern Radomes are so light, why not mount it above everything to solve both problems? Make it fold easy for bridges.

 

[jhance]

1. The newer radars supposedly don't have this as a concern, at least not most. I have the Raymarine Quantum 2 Doppler, and this is supposed to be safe for use with a person within 2' I believe. I'll be honest though... on a Camano, having a radar right between my legs is a little unsettling. I still don't use the radar when on the flybridge.

2. My Quantum 2 can see behind me for the most part. It would be best to mount it higher though if you can. If you want the best, consider a radar arch or mast.

3. Mine connects to both upper and lower MFDs via wifi. You can also hardwire to each MFD as well.

4. Happy with the Raymarine Axiom and Quantum 2. The doppler is awesome.

5. I stuck with my old autopilot. We were able to get it so that I can set waypoints on the MFDs to navigate to, but I rarely use that function. There are some functions that won't work with the old autopilot, but I didn't really care about those.

 

[NCheaven]

Three replies, all with good information in roughly 15 hours! Wow! Thanks to all who have responded so far!

 

[porman]

 

[twistedtree]

You might want to check out a bunch of the other threads on electronics outfitting. Most of the questions you have would be applicable to any boat, so there should be some good and applicable information in those other threads too.

As for the radar placement on your boat, it’s published in the installation manuals, but the safe distance from small, models radars is no more than 2’. In many instances, you would have to give it a bear hug to get close enough, and that’s for all types of radar, not just solid state radars.

Worst case, block out the sector behind the radar where you sit.

All that said, you will get better performance all around, quite literally, if you can mount it up on a mast or stack.

 

[Comodave]

On a previous boat the radome was mounted on the front of the flybridge brow. We had a significant blind spot behind us. I mounted an aluminum mast and put the new radome on the mast, much better. I would not mount one on the brow.

 

[Fish53]

The microwave in your kitchen is way more dangerous than your marine radar.