Broadband Radar

[AlanM]

Just returned from the London Boat Show where I was looking for a Chartplotter / Radar for our Maxi 1000. I am now thoroughly confused......... Broadband / HD / 3G / 4G ..... I have a sneeking suspicion that High Definition radar is in a relatively early phase of product development and the various manufacturers have their own products doing largely the same thing but with different technologies. Does anyone have any views as to the relative merits of Simrad Broadband vs Garmin HD vs Raymarine HD?

Grateful for useful links or input.

Thanks

 

[aluijten]

I was in the same position as you a few months ago.
In the end I decided to go for the Raymarine HD toy.
Having looked at several magazine stories it became clear to me that although broadband has some distinct advantages (lower radiation levels, less energy consumption and more detailed at short range) the main problem is that the penetrating capacity of the system is not as good. By penetration I mean fog and rain.
Especially at larger ranges the puls-radar outperforms broadband.
Neither system is very new by the way, it's only now we see the technology enter the consumer-range area.
Do bear in mind the broadband domes are also quite big from height point of view.
To me the main points were:
When do you need radar at most? During heavy rain and fog.
Also I'm biased about the user-friendlyness of the Simrad equipment. It doesn't match my way of thinking I'm afraid.

Cheers,

Arno

 

[Billjratt]

How long are your arms?
How deep are your pockets?
I'm in the throws of getting used to a Garmin HD setup after having had greentube sets, and it's a slightly disconcerting process.
If I had the wherewithall I'd have gone Furuno, but I recon Garmin is top of your quoted list.

 

[lenseman]

. . . . I'm in the throws of getting used to a Garmin HD setup after having had greentube sets, and it's a slightly disconcerting process. . .

In what way are you "getting used to the HD setup"? Are you running NMEA200 and linking the 18/24HD to the chart-plotter? I will probably be binning the fully functioning green-tube Furuno but the only problem with that idea is if the 100Mbyte bus goes down.

I am going down the route and will be buying from the States as even after paying all import dues, it will still work out cheaper than the cheapest UK supplier at about £1600 for the Garmin 18HD which will feed into the 6012.

I just bought a new SPOT Messenger 2 for £70 +p&p plus import fees of £25.85.

 

[Billjratt]

Hi Lensman.
No, the scanner talks to the plotter (4008) by dedicated ethernet. The 2000 lan only talks to the GPS aerial in my setup. Everything else is 183.
I'm still getting used to gold and blue targets and the menu control system. I do miss proper knobs and range buttons, especially for sensitivity.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I was in the same position as you a few months ago.
In the end I decided to go for the Raymarine HD toy.
Having looked at several magazine stories it became clear to me that although broadband has some distinct advantages (lower radiation levels, less energy consumption and more detailed at short range) the main problem is that the penetrating capacity of the system is not as good. By penetration I mean fog and rain.
Especially at larger ranges the puls-radar outperforms broadband.
Neither system is very new by the way, it's only now we see the technology enter the consumer-range area.
Do bear in mind the broadband domes are also quite big from height point of view.
To me the main points were:
When do you need radar at most? During heavy rain and fog.
Also I'm biased about the user-friendlyness of the Simrad equipment. It doesn't match my way of thinking I'm afraid.

Cheers,

Arno

I replied to Alan's post on Scuttlebutt (naughty cross-poster that he is) - not sure I'd agree 100% though, especially now that the 4G BB radar is out. I've used the original 2G Broadband (one of the first Lowrance sets I think) and got returns at over 6 miles in absolutely horrendous conditions of mist/drizzle and heavy rain. I've never looked for a return beyond that range but I'm told to expect them at 9 miles and now 12 miles on the latest. Broadband, like any FMCW simply is better at close range - at longer ranges the difference is less visible but you'd need to be out beyond 10 miles to spot pulse radar being noticeably better. That extra definition at close range more than outweighs any advantage at 10 miles out for me.

I know what you mean about the Simrad menus although the NSE, etc look to be a lot more user-friendly, very nice in fact. I'd use Lowrance anyway - I can't see that the extra money for Simrad is worth it in the leisure market. It's all whatever you happen like though as you say.

Although the radome is slightly higher I like the fact that it's also narrower - I'm always uncomfortable taking foresails past mast-mounted radomes so the less sticking out the better to me.

At the end of the day though I'd simply go for the latest of whatever matched my current system unless I was having to replace the MFD as well. The pulse radars have got better at close range and the FMCW at longer range.

 

[mobing]

I am going down the route and will be buying from the States as even after paying all import dues, it will still work out cheaper than the cheapest UK supplier at about £1600 for the Garmin 18HD which will feed into the 6012.

surprise me !