Radar choice

[JeremyF]

New (to me) boat arrives soon from the NE, so Ive decided to take advantage of the mast being down to fit a radar. The one I had selected - JRC 1500- is totally sold out in UK, with no stock due here for a short while. The trouble is that the next best value (according to YM) is the Raymarine SL72.

The JRC can be bought as low as £860, and the Raymarine £1200. The difference will still be a few hundred even after paying for mast unstepping later. So, what would this poster community do? Buy a Raymarine now, or wait for the JRC to come into stock?

Jeremy Flynn

 

[DoctorD]

Tough one Jeremy. If it was me it would depend on if I was doing a cross channel soon. I no longer like to cross the channel without a radar.

Otherwise I'd wait for the JRC. Much better value. (I've got a Raytheon btw so no axe to grind)

Graham

 

[billmacfarlane]

Have you compared the specs and bells and whistles of both radars ? If the JRC has everything you require for both now and the immediate future then why not wait ? Unless as the Doc says you've got a more immediate need for it e.g a summer cruise in the offing then go for the Raytheon. I'm also a Raytheon user , I've got the version with the built in chart plotter , but if the JRC meets your needs and you can afford to waut , go for it and spend the money saved on something else.

 

[jimi]

I'm also toying with buying a radar, but perhaps naively had not thought of having to get the mast down to fit it. Can it not be fitted in situ?

 

[JeremyF]

The reason for not waiting was the cost of unstepping the mast. Apparently the Bav 34 is a nightmare to get the cable to behave unless the mast is down.

Jeremy Flynn

 

[jtwebb]

I fitted the JRC to my previous boat, a Westerly Fulmar, with the mast up. Had no trouble with the cable. I have just fitted the Raytheon to my present boat, a Dehler 36, with the mast up and had no trouble with the cable. For me, the Raytheon is worth the extra. Larger screen, better resolution, more bells and whistles which I do use. However, the main point is that I also would not cross the channel now without a radar. There seems to be more fog and more traffic, both boats in the lanes going in wrong directions sometimes and more small boats on the milk (booze) run.

J Webb

 

[Boatman]

Jeremy, I have the same system as Bill and agree with his comments, I have to say am very pleased with my setup. My mast had to come down for the same reasons on fitting, it then took me quite a number of trips to re-tune my rigging.

Best of luck what ever you do.

 

[pvb]

JRC1500 is in stock at...

JRC1500 is in stock at ybw.marinestore, according to the website.

 

[robp]

John, how did you access the cable at the bottom, just drill a hole in the mast?

 

[rogerroger]

Re: JRC1500 is in stock at...

at about 400 quid more than anywhere else though !

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[pvb]

No, that can\'t be right...

Haven't you made a mistake there? The ybw.marinestore site promises "permanently low prices". They also claim "the best quality at the best price". Sure you haven't mis-read the price?

 

[jtwebb]

Yes! I used a thin chaser with a plug chain tied to the end as a flexible weight. I also made sure all ropes were tight as I did not want a wrap round one. I also waited until the boat was very still and heeled her a bit such that the chain ran down the mast. It has worked that way twice for me.

Took a while for my wife to realise the basin plug no longer had a chain!

J Webb

 

[JeremyF]

Compass...permanently low prices

If by Marine store you mean Compass, you are right, they have stock, but they are trying to sell at £1350, compared to 2 on the shopping quay at £859, and the PBO advertisers at £930. I phoned Compass, refered to a call I had from their UK GM after a flare on this forum about their pricing, and said I would buy one if they adjusted their prices to the UK norm. The answer was that it was a German H.O. decision, and they could do nothing to change prices, however rediculous, without H.O. permission.


Jeremy Flynn

 

[Shanty]

Just a thought - If your reason for wanting to fit the radar now is to avoid having to run the cable with the mast stepped, how about fitting the cable now & adding the radar later when a set becomes available.

This depends on being able to find a suitable cable available to purchase as a spare. Might be worth trying Marine Electronic Services - they seem more clued up than most.

This approach might well be cheaper than buying the Raytheon set that wasn't your first choice anyway, or having to unstep and restep the mast at a later date.

 

[JeremyF]

Good thinking, Tim, if it was regular co-ax. But it seems that radar cable is phenominally expensive. Goodness knows why, but that's the situation.

Jeremy Flynn

 

[kgi]

wait for the JRC.... if you can wait even longer Icom will be introducing one later this year

 

[Shanty]

As I recall, radars need screened multi core cables, with fancy connectors, but more than £340 worth? If you bought the spare cable & the radar set from the same company, I wonder if you could do some sort of a deal that left them with the cable that comes with the radar set?

Alternatively, plan B - run a messenger line with the mast down, and then when the radar finally arrives, use this to run the cable. If it works, you've won the prize. If it doesn't, you end up paying for a mast unstep / restep, which you would have had to pay for anyway.

 

[HaraldS]

Have you thought about getting it from the US? West Marine is very good in shipping abroad, and very good if you have problems. And even including shipping cost, that might be the cheapest option. It is listed at West Marine for $1049.99 which translates into about £720.

 

[JeremyF]

Tim,

Thats the right way forward. Great advice! If I can get a JRC in time, then great, if not, get a messenger line done in anticipation

Thanks everyone

Jeremy Flynn

 

[robp]

Nice one, thanks. I'll be waiting for a nice still day, then grumbling for the rest of the summer cos there's no wind!