How to keep radar shut?

[peterjaw]

Good Day, Captains,
I have a Simrad NSS EVO 3 chart plotter and Simrad 3G radar.
I notice that whenever I turn on the plotter, the radar is in "Standby" mode. Even I power off the radar, but next time when I use my boat, the radar will be in "Standby" mode again.

Does anyone know how to keep my radar shut? I can turn it on whenever I need it.

Thank you very much.

 

[macd]

I can only comment from experience with a Lowrance 3G radar (identical scanner to yours but somewhat different and probably older plotter interface).

I'm assuming you know how to turn the radar off, but would like that to be the default status? The handbook doesn't seem specifically to show any way of achieving this other than manually. (The default on ours is off.)

The radar only draws 2W in standby, anyway, so I wouldn't be too worried.

 

[peterjaw]

I can only comment from experience with a Lowrance 3G radar (identical scanner to yours but somewhat different and probably older plotter interface).

I'm assuming you know how to turn the radar off, but would like that to be the default status? The handbook doesn't seem specifically to show any way of achieving this other than manually. (The default on ours is off.)

The radar only draws 2W in standby, anyway, so I wouldn't be too worried.

Hi Macd,
Yes, I know how to turn the radar off from plotter interface. I just don't know how to set "power off" as its default.
Even the radar draws 2W only in standby mode, but I would like to save my battery power as much as possible when fishing or mooring.
(I have neither generator nor shore power.)

Since your Lowrance 3G has default "off", I guess my Simrad 3G can do that, too, but I need to find out how.

 

[sarabande]

PJ

Simrad have a decent customer service dept, with a good selection of manuals available for download.

http://ww2.simrad-yachting.com/en-CA/Support/Downloads/

Worth an email to them, though one of the questions on their customer forum gets an answer that the stand=by mode enables instant move to working status.

I suppose that if the software won't allow a full switch off, you could take the fuse out of the power line ?

 

[Ric]

I always install radar with a separate switch to the other instruments for the reason you have observed.

 

[Neeves]

I always install radar with a separate switch to the other instruments for the reason you have observed.

We have exactly the same - simple switch, at the chart table, that turns power off to the radar.

I recall, perhaps incorrectly, it was part of the recommended installation, NSS AND G3 (all self installed - no issues).

Jonathan

 

[neil1967]

From memory, On my B&G radar there is a yellow wire that is used to sense power at the radar interface unit. - if you connect it to the plotter power, then whenever the plotter is powered up the radar comes on. I believe if it is left unconnected then you have to manually switch on the radar. It would be worth checking your manuals and wiring

 

[macd]

I would like to save my battery power as much as possible when fishing or mooring.

Then why not turn the plotter off and the radar with it?

 

[johnalison]

My old B&W Raytheon radar-plotter did the same thing. I just got into the habit of powering down the radar when I switched on the plotter.

 

[PaulRainbow]

The only way to do what you want is to install a switch in the yellow power wire. You should also fit a 5a fuse to the yellow wire.

I would connect two wires to the plotter switch, each wire having a fuse, then one wire goes to the plotter, the other goes to a second switch, which then goes to the radar yellow wire. This way, both switches have to be on for the radar to work, but you cannot accidentally leave the radar on without the plotter being on.

 

[Lucky Duck]

My old B&W Raytheon radar-plotter did the same thing. I just got into the habit of powering down the radar when I switched on the plotter.

Waiting thirty or so seconds for the radar to power up before being able to power down again used to be part of the pre-departure routine.

Rather worryingly before this thread I didn't realise there was an 'off' rather than standby setting for my '4G' radar, although the manual for my plotter isn't partly clear on how to do that.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Waiting thirty or so seconds for the radar to power up before being able to power down again used to be part of the pre-departure routine.

Rather worryingly before this thread I didn't realise there was an 'off' rather than standby setting for my '4G' radar, although the manual for my plotter isn't partly clear on how to do that.

The procedure is exactly the same as i described for the 3G Simrad radar.

 

[Lucky Duck]

I'd be happy enough to go with switching the radar off via the plotter's software as soon as I have worked out how to that rather than re-wiring the power supply.

 

[peterjaw]

Then why not turn the plotter off and the radar with it?

Well, I need the plotter to check the fish underneath. So I leave the transducer and plotter on.
But, I do turn all of them off though, if I know there are fish.

 

[macd]

Waiting thirty or so seconds for the radar to power up before being able to power down again used to be part of the pre-departure routine.

Rather worryingly before this thread I didn't realise there was an 'off' rather than standby setting for my '4G' radar, although the manual for my plotter isn't partly clear on how to do that.

Your magnetron device (presumably) would draw significant power on standby, so all the more reason to be able to switch it off. Typical standby consumption's maybe 10 to 15 times greater than "broadband"/3G/4G radar.

 

[peterjaw]

Thank you very much, guys.

It seems that the only walk-around is through "hardware", the "software" solution is not there.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I'd be happy enough to go with switching the radar off via the plotter's software as soon as I have worked out how to that rather than re-wiring the power supply.

Thank you very much, guys.

It seems that the only walk-around is through "hardware", the "software" solution is not there.

The radar needs +12v on the yellow wire, this can be done by three different methods.

1) Connect the yellow wire in parallel with the plotter +12v. When you turn the plotter power supply on (by the switch at the panel) the radar will come on in standby, as described in post #1. If you power the plotter down by using the power button on the plotter, the radar will still have power at the yellow wire. It's impossible for the plotter to be able to turn the radar completely off, you've hard wired it.

2) Connect the yellow wire to the plotter. The radar will come on in standby when the plotter display is powered up. You cannot completely power the radar down, it can only be put into standby.

3) Connect the yellow wire to a switch. If the switch is off the radar is off, rather than in standby, although it will still draw a very tiny amount of power. Turning the plotter power switch off at the panel will fully power down both the plotter and the radar.

There is no way to turn the radar off via software settings

 

[Lucky Duck]

Your magnetron device (presumably) would draw significant power on standby, so all the more reason to be able to switch it off. Typical standby consumption's maybe 10 to 15 times greater than "broadband"/3G/4G radar.

I have had the 'pleasure' of three radar sets ups;

The first was a Raymarine Pathfinder radar linked to a C Series 'classic' plotter. Switching on the plotter then started the power up sequence for the radar which took around thirty seconds before it could be powered down again.

The Pathfinder died and by then Raymarine has stopped supporting analogue radars so this required a switch to digital radar and a new edition of the C series plotters. This had a separate switch for the radar's power supply.

A while later I moved to a B&G set up with Zeus plotters and a 4G radar which I'd been switching between standby and transmit using the plotter's software. When I get to the boat next I will try and investigate which switch is powering the radar and how/if it can be switched off rather than standby using the plotter

 

[Lucky Duck]

There is no way to turn the radar off via software settings

From the manual;

The radar's operation modes are controlled from the Zeus2 unit. The following modes are available:

Off - The power to the radar scanner is turned off

Standby - The power to the radar scanner is on but the radar is not transmitting

Transmit - The scanner is on and transmitting

 

[PaulRainbow]

From the manual;

Yes, but it still comes on in standby and has to be turned off every time, as stated in post #1. The OP wants a way to stop it coming on every time and only power up when he needs it. There is no software setting for this option.

Perhaps i should have said "There is no way to stop the radar coming on via software settings"