Radar - Do You Really Need a Complex One

I learnt to use radar when all they told you was the range and rough bearing of the target and one got through a fair ammount of chinagraph pencil. Mind you even with some pretyy basic radars I managed to navigate a submarine through the Norwegian Inner Leads when the cliff walls dissapeared in the dead range.

I can see the potential convenience of a single display with everything overlaid, but I think separate displays are better because often you want different settings on radar, plotter and AIS. I currently have a radar display and a plotter with an AIS overlay, I would like a small extra display for AIS ship data but at present this for me is not practical
 
I have a Furono 1623 and a mast mount sitting in my shed from new - never been fitted, which I could probably be persuaded to part with at a reasonable price. I will just need to arrange for its return to UK
 
my koden is brilliant but too many features to confuse you. it came off a war ship! get the most basic that especially has erbl.
 
Barry Jones said:
It seems to me that with the plethora of navigational equipment available to the leisure boater these days, a radar is still useful in bad visibility and for position fixing, but you don't really need a complex one.

There are lots of radars out there at different prices, but does anybody really use all the bells and whistles ??
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Personally, the more complex the better, dosens of buttons on the front panel, two different types of gain controlls, and if at all possible, the buttons should be labelled using obviscated language such as "Re calabrate resolution - actuate focus" insteed of "zoom in"

costal sailing dosent strictly need a radar, impressing friends on your boat however. requires two.
 
chriscoreline said:
Personally, the more complex the better, dosens of buttons on the front panel, two different types of gain controlls, and if at all possible, the buttons should be labelled using obviscated language such as "Re calabrate resolution - actuate focus" insteed of "zoom in"

costal sailing dosent strictly need a radar, impressing friends on your boat however. requires two.
Click to expand...

I am old enough to remember radar displays that did have 2 gain controls, a clipper and one or two other things too. You needed a couiple of weeks training just to switch it on.
 
Furuno

After one foggy delivery using a Furuno 1623, I equipped our boat with their larger-display version, the 1715. Razor Sharp and easy to see.
We have a separate small Garmin chart plotter of dubious quality and build.
(When we someday win a lottery I will buy a quality Furuno radar/plotter combo. Someday.)

Nowadays our separate "big screen" plotter is an old 14" iBook running GPSNavX, down on the nav table. Great program, lovely screen, but it has to stay dry and safe inside the boat...

LB
 
One major point regarding the radar system is the ability to read it, at a glance in conditions which are not ideal.
I have a modern JRC LCD radar, which works, is virtually unreadable in daylight, and is therefore next to useless. I have seen Furuno units which are much better to read and at the same price. make sure you test the unit in different light conditions before you shell out hundreds of beer tokens
 
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