Radar versus chartplot

[rodbin]

I am just about to have Chartplotter installed on my boat a Raytheon 530 plus. I have had GPS on my last boat I connected my laptop to GPS via Logbook software. Which worked fine but found it a bit inpractical trying to get the Laptop out whilst pounding about looking for the correct bay. So decided to go for a colour plotter with dayview. But then I thought as thiscan be intergrated to radar why not do that but price doubles and I wonder if I need radar and GPS in the Med. Without fog what use would I get out of Radar?
Rodbin

rodneyb1647

 

[byron]

You can use Radar for a whole host of applications other than fog. I'm too lazy to list them all and whatever I put someone will only add to anyway.

ô¿ô

 

[coliholic]

Funny looking sheep

........Byron. Was that taken on your holiday in Wales?

 

[tcm]

Re: sensible answer

radar is great in fog, so great that i want it front and centre on the dash - no other instrument is so depended upon ...for only a very few times a year. Loads of med boats don't have it. I'm in the med, it's 2 hrs a year out of 150. no use outside that time, only for fun and setup. But when you need it , you need it.

Rest of the time I use a portable garmin 175 chartplotter. Olde worlde gps used to need big batteries and so on, no longer. garmin 175 loses to magellan 6000 on the kit itself. but wind out with greater ptractcaility with nice brackets for use on the boat (option extra) and then fine to take it away. Small screen , but so's a watch. Built-in chart plotters must be the fastest-depreciating item you can buy for a boat - everyone wants something else, only uses the boat for river, only stays inshore in daylight etc etc

 

[hlb]

Re: sensible answer

I'm no Med boater, Just uk and I would not go out the harbour without Radar. Think what Mat is trying to put across. Is, well,Radar is like a life raft. You dont need it, untill. You need it. It's telling you whats actually there. Where as GPS is telling you what was there a few years ago when they did the survey, but not including, boats, super tankers, lobster pot buoys or other sutch movable items. Cant comment on whether it ever rains, gets cloudy, fog or goes dark in the med. But if it ever dose, wellit's to late!!

Haydn

 

[ToMo]

Jest poodlin about agin!
<G>
TôMö

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I take it that it never gets dark in the Med, then. You might say that you will never boat at night but there's always the chance that a loss of an engine makes you later than you thought in which case radar will be indispensable. As Haydn says, its like a liferaft. Radar can also be useful in good vis. For example its much better than the naked eye for determining collision situations with large ships or as a double check with the plotter screen when you're approaching an unfamiliar landfall
Why not save a few bob and go for a good monochrome plotter and spend the saving on a mid price radar

 

[DavidJ]

Rodney
Within the next month I'm having a RL70CRC fitted (combination color radar/chartplotter and will be using the boat (sealine 37) in the Med.
You don't get the cold nasty fog that we get here but you do get regular heat haze which can be as thick as fog (I suppose it's made of the same stuff really!)
No doubt in my mind that a radar in the Med is important.

tcm will have more experience so I hope he can reply

Just as a follow on. There is a lot of hype over the overlay capabilities of the radar and chartplotter. What they don't say is that it will only work with a high speed GPS input which will cost you an additional £600+

David

 

[jfm]

Re: 17vs 6000, round 53

The mag6000 also has a dash mount bracket, optional extra

 

[jfm]

Radar an absolute necessity in fog or dark. You already have the plotter, so the question is whether to buy radar or not. Why not get a freestanding cheap radar, like the JRC (about £700 I think), which according to previous threads here works very well?

 

[JohnR]

If I had to make a choice of radar or chartplotter I would go for radar.

 

[DavidJ]

Correction
I meant to say high speed Active Compass not GPS
David