Radar Problem

[Jim Massey]

I have a problem with my Raymarine Pathfinder radar. Whilst the display seems to be functioning OK, for a period last season it picked up targets perfectly well but intermittently. It no longer picks up any targets. When I manually increase the Gain, the display shows random clutter. Any ideas anyone?

 

[Babylon]

Welcome to the forum Jim!

Questions about practical/technical issues, such as your radar problems, are best asked on the PBO forum next door:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?13-Practical-Boat-Owner-s-Reader-to-Reader

So repeat your post there - you should be pleasantly surprised by the speed with which help is forthcoming.

 

[Roberto]

Not an expert but symptoms suggest a faulty magnetron.
It's usually considered a consumable, the first thing to go especially in heavily used radars (like fishing boats, etc), or also in radars that are switched on/off all the time.

Just an hypothesis

 

[PeterR]

I have a problem with my Raymarine Pathfinder radar. Whilst the display seems to be functioning OK, for a period last season it picked up targets perfectly well but intermittently. It no longer picks up any targets. When I manually increase the Gain, the display shows random clutter. Any ideas anyone?

If you have a joint in the cable from the radar head the first thing to check is the connections at the joint. The most common cause of the symptoms you describe is a non-continuity in the centre wire of the coax cable. This is very fine and easily broken.

 

[J Neeves]

Ours went down about 2 years ago, and Raymarine here said it was irreparable. We were told, by Raymarine, and had no reason to disbelieve, that you cannot buy a new scanner without a new screen (chartplotter) and you cannot buy a new charplotter witjhout a new scanner (the old and new are incompatible). Its an expensive exercise.

We moved to Navico with their NSS (we'ed buy the Zeus now) as we liked the low power usage of their Broadband and instant 'on' No regrets

Jonathan

 

[Piddy]

I have a problem with my Raymarine Pathfinder radar. Whilst the display seems to be functioning OK, for a period last season it picked up targets perfectly well but intermittently. It no longer picks up any targets. When I manually increase the Gain, the display shows random clutter. Any ideas anyone?

After a few minutes of running try turning off the auto tune and then tune manually. My old Raytheon Pathfinder set has this peculiarity. On longer ranges the signal indicator works well to give you a clue.
Piddy.

 

[Jim Massey]

Thanks. Easy to replace?

 

[Jim Massey]

Thanks. Sometimes I think that there is a curious similarity between technicians and salesmen!

 

[Jim Massey]

Actually mine did do this too for a bit. Now it won't cooperate even then.

 

[Roberto]

Thanks. Easy to replace?

yes, they are inside the dome, you simply have to open it up and take the magnetron off, it is bolted and has a couple of wires with a small plug.

It can all be done the mast up, if you have the dome at the spreaders.

Actually, a first test before replacing the magnetron would be to test if the magnetron receives the correct voltage, it involves taking a very basic measrue between two points inside the radome, the manual should specify how to do that.



I have one here at home, it is about 10cm long:

As an example, these are the instructions for measuring the magnetron voltage from my Furuno radar