Thoughts on MFDs and Radar?

[ranger58sb]

Chart plotter was old as well, basically a picture of charts ("navnet"), some of which had little detail, and the depth sounder was not working well either.

Maybe one of their NavNET 3D (NN3D) MFDs with TimeZero display? If so, would have been your choice of NOAA raster charts (pictures of paper charts), NOAA vector charts, C-Map vector charts, and Navionics vector charts up 'til I guess Garmin ended that.

-Chris

 

[Iggy]

My 2 cents. I had Garmin for years and it served me well. I bought my new boat thinking that I would ripe out the old. Than go with Furuno, my 1st choice. But the boat came with all Simrad that was 3 years old.

Simrad vs Garmin for me was easier to use. The menus and pull down are very intuitive over Garmin and I would never go back.

 

[capran]

Maybe one of their NavNET 3D (NN3D) MFDs with TimeZero display? If so, would have been your choice of NOAA raster charts (pictures of paper charts), NOAA vector charts, C-Map vector charts, and Navionics vector charts up 'til I guess Garmin ended that.

-Chris

I threw out all the navnet info so not really sure. The PO showed me his raster charts that looked interesting, but he didn't remember how to down load them and I gave up on that ideas and went with Navionics on a tablet, which I thought was pretty good for the second year. I was pretty old school. In the 80's I spent 18 moths out cruising the Bahamas with a sextant and hand held compass, and a chip log and sounding lead. In the mid 90's got a lat long magellan handheld and thought it was the cats meow. I didn't get a charting handheld until about 2010. I still carry paper charts and except for two small areas of the new garmin where the fishing bottom contours were yellowed out, was pretty pleased with it. (and glad I still had the navionics on the tablet for those two areas. (here's a pic of the yellow at Portland Island. that should be contours and soundings.

 

[SteveK]

Radar is nice to have, but I do not understand the fascination for it.
I find a chartplotter to be more useful. The difference is having detailed information where I am as opposed to where a radar target is. AP course keeping is my favorite.
Mostly I just look around at the scenery.

 

[capran]

Radar is nice to have, but I do not understand the fascination for it.
I find a chartplotter to be more useful. The difference is having detailed information where I am as opposed to where a radar target is. AP course keeping is my favorite.
Mostly I just look around at the scenery.

in "Fogust" it's pretty nice to have. I turn it on in some crossing situations. Had to alter course early this year as I watched the approach of a newer American tug that should have been the give way vessel, but I slowed and altered course, and watched from a boat length away as he crossed. (no one at the helm or in the main helm cabin.)

 

[ranger58sb]

threw out all the navnet info so not really sure. The PO showed me his raster charts that looked interesting, but he didn't remember how to down load them and I gave up on that ideas

Maybe too bad. The process was dead simple. Download. Unzip to SD. Insert card into MFD. Turn on machine. Answer Yes (agree to update). Done.

Radar is nice to have, but I do not understand the fascination for it.
I find a chartplotter to be more useful. The difference is having detailed information where I am as opposed to where a radar target is. AP course keeping is my favorite.

In case you didn't see:

What does radar do that my eyes can't?

I'm going to preface this so that you all understand my circumstances. First, cruising offshore is basically never going to happen. Second, we have no lower helm, so I'm ALWAYS at the very top of the boat driving. Third, we have no auto pilot, so I'm ALWAYS at the wheel. Fourth, I cannot foresee...

www.trawlerforum.com

Chart plotter obviously useful, but in our case, we also like to not run into stuff the RADAR sees... that aren't on the charts. Like other boats and so forth.

-Chris

 

[Sababa]

A modern chart plotter can use radar to identify and track MARPA targets and show CPA (closest point of approach) and TCPA (time to closest point of approach). I find this quite useful even in clear visibility situations when navigating around vessels that don't have AIS.

 

[mvweebles]

Radar is nice to have, but I do not understand the fascination for it.
I find a chartplotter to be more useful. The difference is having detailed information where I am as opposed to where a radar target is. AP course keeping is my favorite.
Mostly I just look around at the scenery.

Depends on how the boat is used. I have a friend with a 21-foot center console with essentially the same Simrad plotter/radar as I have. Neither are very useful. We are actively cruising and run at night. If I had to toss one function overboard - plotter or radar, I'd keep the radar as I have multiple backups for a plotter (navionics, Coastal Explorer). Once Weebles makes it to Florida, doubt the radar will go into transmit mode much at all.

Peter

 

[Iggy]

I would not leave port without it!

In the past, we went out on nice sunny days in the morning. Late afternoon coming back, we hit fog that was not in the forecast. Most of the time we where hitting patch fog of different types. Some was very patchy to thick fog. Radar come in very handy on those days!

Plus being in the lower helm, I cant see every angel behind me. But the radar can.

 

[SteveK]

A few years ago I asked if anyone has radar on the bridge as that is where I mostly drive, including at night. I was looking for whether it affected night vision. No replies. I think it does.

I have travelled at night in the fog with chartplotter keeping me off the rocks. Sound signals are easier to hear as well.
Cannot imagine using radar for other boats in the pilothouse and not seeing the log ahead through the windshield.

Visibility is always better without a windshield to look through.

 

[ranger58sb]

A few years ago I asked if anyone has radar on the bridge as that is where I mostly drive, including at night. I was looking for whether it affected night vision. No replies. I think it does.

I have travelled at night in the fog with chartplotter keeping me off the rocks. Sound signals are easier to hear as well.
Cannot imagine using radar for other boats in the pilothouse and not seeing the log ahead through the windshield.

Visibility is always better without a windshield to look through.

I think it can affect night vision. As can a plotter, a VHF display, etc.

But we've been able to dim our various displays enough so vision is at least OK. Our most recent fog event needed RADAR, plotter, and two crew in the cockpit acting as spotters... night vision was of secondary importance... 'cause I couldn't see the bow from the helm, anyway (which is on the flybridge, with full enclosure).

Open water but skinny channel, with those pesky ATONs in the way... and a line of crab pots along one side of the channel. ATONs were mostly charted, but it helped to have RADAR confirmation when we were actually close to one -- since we usually couldn't actually see it until we were along side. I could usually see ATONs on the RADAR before my spotted could see them. Even when we finally arrived at our next marina on that leg, I couldn't see the dock even when the dock hands told us they had hold of our rails. They'd had to talk me in, a few feet at a time.

We were one of four boats in a row, same destination. We could hear sound signals, but couldn't ever tell which boat we were hearing, or whether the sound was from ahead or behind. That likely caused in part by our enclosure.

Had we known in advance, we'd have stayed in the last port, but... it was fine when we set out... fog didn't settle in 'til afternoon. We ended up arriving about 4 hours after our target time.

-Chris

 

[capran]

Depends on how the boat is used. I have a friend with a 21-foot center console with essentially the same Simrad plotter/radar as I have. Neither are very useful. We are actively cruising and run at night. If I had to toss one function overboard - plotter or radar, I'd keep the radar as I have multiple backups for a plotter (navionics, Coastal Explorer). Once Weebles makes it to Florida, doubt the radar will go into transmit mode much at all.

Peter

Hi Peter, Hope your house repairs are proceeding and we'll once again see your Weebles travels pics! In the 80's I remember being invited aboard a trawler with radar and they used it to track thunderstorms. Of course, that was in summer when it was pretty active, but with summers off, that was our boating time.

 

[mvweebles]

Hi Peter, Hope your house repairs are proceeding and we'll once again see your Weebles travels pics! In the 80's I remember being invited aboard a trawler with radar and they used it to track thunderstorms. Of course, that was in summer when it was pretty active, but with summers off, that was our boating time.

Thanks for the kind words. We're doing fine - heading into permitting process for repairs. Dealing with government is more frustrating than the storms themselves.

My basic 24" some digital Simrad radar isn't great for storm tracking. I've used stronger open array radar on bigger boats (read: more expensive). If I had it to do over, I'd spend more on the antenna.

For those unfamiliar with cruising in the tropics, tracking storm cells is pretty handy - sometimes the storms are very strong so best to avoid. You can pick them up well over 10-miles away so plenty of time to divert slightly.

Peter