open array radar!

RobWales

RobWales

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 Sep 2006
Messages
1,963
Location
Gran Canaria
www.3ksengineering.com
Is it just me being a nerd (waits for it) or do open array radar's spinning atop a radar arch look much better than a big upturned washing up bowl? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Rob
 
depends on the boat size. a five or six foot open array on the radar arch of my 28 footer would make it look like a wessex hellicopter. ummm I wonder, a flying boat there is a thought.
 
Matter of opinion I suppose but I agree they look better. But igonoring looks, one of the elements needed to make a radar resolve targets well is a narrow beam width (like <2deg), and that requires a wide array, like the 4 footers you often see on on say 15-24m boats. You cant sensibly put a 4 footer in a radome so it has to be open array.

Now if you'd asked in about February I had a brand new 4 foot Raymarine open scanner for sale at about 1/3 new price. Would have looked the biz on the Corniche and given great performance. The guy on the boat next to mine in Essex Boayards shed bought it!
 
The guy on the boat next to mine in Essex Boayards shed bought it!

BUGGER! BUGGER! BUGGER!
That was one of my reasons for posting realy "jfm" I was hoping to get thoughts from the panel as at some time soon I will be looking to upgrade from the aged Furono I have onboard at present!
Is 4ft the smallest available?
Rob.
 
Afaik, 4ft is generally the smallest open array that the big players (Furuno, Raymarine, Garmin etc) currently sell

Alas they are not cheap. I think the Raymarine analogue job is £3k ish and digital about £4k, though I dont have price lists to hand.

A really good radar is a wonderful bit of kit though. I think I rather downgrade to a flimsier plotter than downgrade the radar. It allows you to run at night in confidence, so extends your cruisng range substantially
 
When I had radar fitted to my Broom 42 in 2005 Simrad could not deliver the scanner I had ordered and gave me a free upgrade to an open array system. The performance has always been seriously improved over a similar system in my previous boat - much better at picking up objects, even small ones, at considerable distances. Open array every time now
 
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