Small Furuno radar good value?

pugwash

pugwash

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 May 2001
Messages
985
Location
SW London
Visit site
I'm looking at the Furuno 1623 stand-alone radar for £799 incl. It's small, it's only black and white, but it seems to be a good deal. Is it? I do gentle sailing from Plymouth along the South Coast and down to Brittany, so this is for crossing shipping lanes and for emergency back-up in fog etc. I hope to get a chart-plotter and AIS as well. Any comments welcome. Thanks.
 
The Furuno 1623 is an excellent basic radar, but don't pay £799 for it! It's available for £729 inc UK delivery from JG Technologies. You don't say how much you're thinking of spending on a chartplotter, but one thing you might bear in mind is that most mid-range plotters can also function as radars with the addition of a radome, and that most radomes cost around the same as the Furuno 1623. So if you were going to spend £600-700 on a plotter, you'd be better off getting a radar/plotter - especially if it allows radar/chart overlay.
 
Excellent radar... had one and think that they are great value... easy to use...not as good target definition as the Raytheon... but cheaper.

A nice bit of kit... I would spec it if I didnt have the Raytheon.

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
As a nice basic radar it fits the bill perfectly.
Very reliable and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out.
Had one for years - very pleased.

£799 seems expensive - Cactus have been advertising it for £749 for some time now. Now doubt other cheap(er) suppliers will be suggested.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm looking at the Furuno 1623 stand-alone radar for £799 incl. It's small, it's only black and white, but it seems to be a good deal. Is it? I do gentle sailing from Plymouth along the South Coast and down to Brittany, so this is for crossing shipping lanes and for emergency back-up in fog etc. I hope to get a chart-plotter and AIS as well. Any comments welcome. Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope so, I got one in Spain and it was a bit more than that, (story of my life!), I find it good, neat /small and does what I want, in poor vis.. Bill
 
In my experience Furuno stuff is very reliable .Better a basic set that works than an unreliable one with loads of bells and unneccesary whistles.
 
[ QUOTE ]
In my experience Furuno stuff is very reliable .Better a basic set that works than an unreliable one with loads of bells and unneccesary whistles.

[/ QUOTE ]Which makes do you find are unreliable?
 
Ah right, so you're basically saying you have no knowledge, but you have opinions. But you're not prepared to share those opinions. So that's pretty useful then.
 
Whatever you say mate. Im not intending slagging off any particular make and causing some poor sod whos just bought one to start worrying. Its likely that I will have spent more time than most yachties peering into radar screens and my input is that Furuno kit is reliable and some other makes havent lasted as well.take it or leave it but get off my case.
 
[ QUOTE ]
....take it or leave it but get off my case.

[/ QUOTE ]Right! Always good to get intelligent replies. We'll ignore yours though.
 
I bought one from Cactus recently. Easy to fit, easy to operate.
The targets can be a bit blobby, but for the price I'm a happy bunny.
 
hi i think your a bit of a stira , cant you see he dont want, to shame and blame ,..... as he has no need to, his coments i think are quite correct , why you cant see it i dont know. so i think we will just ignore your coments ,,,regards dave /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
G'day Dave. What Graham wrote was "Better a basic set that works than an unreliable one with loads of bells and unneccesary whistles." On that basis, people might assume that sets with more features are unreliable - which theoretically rules out virtually every make of marine electronics! So, as his opinion is apparently based on experience, it would be nice to know which make(s) he's had trouble with. By sharing knowledge on the forum, other people can benefit.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Which makes do you find are unreliable?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have used this furuno model and it's a good piece of kit.

As to which makes are unreliable, I'm happy to jump into that bearpit /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

JRC, cheap japanese rubbish with their "pro" sets. They were so poor I wouldn't touch their gear again. The whole bridge had JRC equipment (radios and radars etc.). Dreadful quality in construction and usage.

On the other hand, furuno has always proved good kit when I have usd it.

All IMHO /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Right! Always good to get intelligent replies. We'll ignore yours though.

[/ QUOTE ]

What's got up your...? Who are you, the forum police? I hope the thin air of your lofty height doesn't get to you!
 
Thanks for that. In the leisure market, the now-discontinued JRC1000 basic radar was fairly popular, although I always thought that it looked rather crude and couldn't understand why people bought it when for a few quid more they could get an entry-level Furuno.
 
I get pissed off when people post messages which allude to something, but which they won't openly state. Why bother posting at all? Ironically, the guy's signature says "...say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top