Buying a radar - advice

[NK_man]

I'm planning to have a radar fitted this winter and I need advice on what to go for. I'm very tempted by the combined radar/GPS plotter from Raymarine (less kit on the chart table so looks less like the deck of the Starship Enterprise) and I reckon the mid-sized screen (C80) should be OK for the plotter but I'm not a regular user of radar. My other concern is the "all-my-eggs-in-one-basket" issue of having a single instrument for both plotter and radar (although I could keep my Garmin 152 installed as a GPS backup since it takes-up very little space). Has anyone got practical experience of the Raymarine C80 as a radar screen? Does the overlay of radar and plotter work well? Does anyone know somewher on the Essex/Suffolk coast where I can see one working (Fox's doesn't seem to have the radar set up whenever I pass by)? All help and opinions gratefully received.

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[nicho]

I've got the RL70CRC, colour radar/plotter, with overlay and with Marpa. Expensive, but a really great bit of kit. Not really used it in anger, but have played with the Marpa quite a bit - it really works, and in my view is really worth having. The C80, being their latest model (?) should be as good or even better. I had mine fitted on the binnacle, far better than having to keep dashing down below in fog, or rely on someone elses interpretation

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[boatmike]

I am not a fan of combined plotters / radars. As far as I am concerned it all gets too complicated at sea when knackered and I can't remember all the right buttons to press.... But thats just preference. What is FACT is that Raymarine daylight colour screens are wonderful. Would not swap my Radar for anything else on the market.

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[robp]

Agreed. Subject to the usual provisos of keeping a manual plot for backup, you have everything covered. Everything that's on the chart, plus with the radar, what isn't! And mounted at the binnacle makes for even more safety.

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[Talbot]

I'm with Boatmike on this . Much better to have the two as seperate equipments. It is also very beneficial to be able to see the displays from the helm

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[Mudplugger]

Have you tried RJ Marine @ Levington... alway's been exceeding helpful...Tony W.

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[malcp]

I've had a Raymarine C70 for several months now and can say that I'm very pleased with it. I have a 2kW radar with it, and use the radar / chart overlay function. Works really well. Thoroughly recommend it.

If you have a pilot I would connect in the flux-gate heading, as I have. The best solution is if the pilot has an integral gyro for fast heading data input which the C series uses for radar stabilisation and the MARPA function. Failing this you can get a separate fast heading sensor. The fast heading data input is really needed for cases where the boat is yawing about considerably in a sea. MARPA may not maintain track of targets otherwise, although no personal experience of this.

I too would suggest keeping the old GPS as backup.

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