is there a genuine small boat radar system ?

[dunkelly]

having sailed on previous larger boats i really miss a radar more than anything else in the way of modern instruments does anyone know of a genuine small boat radar system with a smallish ( around 200mm ) dome suitable for a 27 foot boat

 

[Sea-Fever]

AIS ? ...bit flippant I know ;-)

 

[dunkelly]

really would like a full radar system if the is one that will fit

 

[greeny]

Furuno used to do one. Think it was the 1600 series. Don't know if they still do it though.

 

[dunkelly]

sadly i don't think they do , i am amazed i would have thought there was sufficient demand for one worldwide

 

[FlyingGoose]

Check e bay for old Furuno Standalone s from the States

 

[Rum Run]

The smallest radome I know of is for the JRC1000, which is 300mm diameter if I remember correctly but had been out of production for years.
I understand that the smaller the antenna the wider the beam, which decreases resolution, but possibly modern solid-state electronics get round that.
Radar marketing seems to make a thing of maximum range, when I would have thought spotting a small object close by was more useful since GPS makes blind navigation simpler

 

[pvb]

sadly i don't think they do , i am amazed i would have thought there was sufficient demand for one worldwide

As most people now have plotters, the market has changed to selling radar scanners which work with the plotter to display the radar image - either on its own or overlaid on to a chart. Furuno still offer a standalone radar, but it has a normal sized radome (18" or so) and it's more expensive than buying a plotter and a scanner.

 

[dunkelly]

do radar scanners pick up everything or are they only for picking up shipping

 

[pvb]

do radar scanners pick up everything or are they only for picking up shipping

They pick up anything which returns a radar echo. So, ships, smaller craft, navigation buoys, coast, buildings, etc. Also rain squalls.

 

[ColinR]

Furuno 1623. I bought one in 2016, don't know if its still available but if it is its a full featured radar, very good.

 

[pvb]

Furuno 1623. I bought one in 2016, don't know if its still available but if it is its a full featured radar, very good.

Discontinued in Europe, I think, although it still seems to be available from some stores in US. The standalone radar now offered by European retailers seems to be the M1815.

 

[rszemeti]

I understand that the smaller the antenna the wider the beam, which decreases resolution, but possibly modern solid-state electronics get round that.

Aye, ye can nay change the laws of physics (as Scottie would have said) ... there have been some (minor) improvements in signal processing, and in pulse formation, but essentially, larger apperture radars work better.

The problem with radars on small boats is not just finding somewhere for the radome, but powering the thing. Modern electronics have improved that somewhat, but they are still fairly thirsty devices.

 

[Boathook]

Furuno 1623. I bought one in 2016, don't know if its still available but if it is its a full featured radar, very good.

That would be ideal as a standalone unit, but if as pvb says it is discontinued that is a great shame as it just works and even picks up pot markers as I have noticed.

 

[Graham376]

They pick up anything which returns a radar echo. So, ships, smaller craft, navigation buoys, coast, buildings, etc. Also rain squalls.

On damp foggy days our Furuno 1712 also shows up danbuoys. There's a 1623 unit, suitable for small boat, on ebay at the moment - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RADAR-FU...701410?hash=item340802cfe2:g:82AAAOSwnklcp4-V

 

[prv]

All the big names have 18” radomes available for comfortably under £1500. As far as I’m concerned that’s a “genuine small boat radar” so I’m not sure what exactly it is you’re looking for. If you’re trying to find a smaller antenna then you’re probably out of luck, but that’s because something with a beam-width like a pizza-slice is not useful anyway, so they’re not made.

Pete

 

[Dockhead]

Radar is an extraordinarily useful device which is not substituted by AIS or anything else, so I totally get the OP's question.

The problem with miniaturizing radar is that bearing discrimination depends geometrically on the length of the antenna. I think this is already marginal with 18" radomes so can't really recommend looking for anything smaller than that.

But an 18" Navico CW radome (like 3G, 4G as they call them) should be feasible for many small boats.

 

[Seajet]

I have a JRC 1000 radar, it came with a 12" radome so doesn't look silly / weigh too much on a 22' boat.

Having been in fog a few times inc mid Channel I fancied this; I never had any ideas of running with it churning around like a fishing boat, but to use in bursts to have a scout round every so often; the standby mode lends itself to this.

I have a 100a/h leisure battery, 30 watt solar panel and trickle charge if required from the outboard ( in a well ).

This works well, not like the movies or bigger radars but still useful - not sold any more but maybe available secondhand.

 

[[70521]]

Garmin and Raymarine both have products that suit your requirements.

 

[Neeves]

A mentioned I would have thought power consumption was a, or the, critical factor on a small yacht, rather than size of the dome.

Current common domes would not be obtrusive on the mast of a 27' yacht, nor on a pylon on the transom. But most small yachts have finite, and small, power resources (unless its a MoBo) and I'd have focussed exclusively at the power needs - as there is obviously little point in radar - if you cannot power it.

Jonathan