Bi111ion
Member
I have an old Furuno radar on my 39 foot ketch. It works fine but it is mounted above the chart table and sailing short handed I need to see it in the cockpit. I have tried improvising with an IP camera and then view on phone or tablet but of course cant play with settings so I am hankering after a newer radar. I know Garmin and Navico (ie SImrad B&G etc) output data over an ethernet that can be displayed in OpenCPN and that is nice as I have a computer at the chart table running OpenCPN. I understand I need a "multi function display" MFD, ie a chart plotter+ to control the radar and I was thinking of fitting that in the cockpit. Does the MFD have to be the same brand as the radome? Is there some standard protocol for controlling the radar over the ethernet? How do I choose between the fancy new types of radar anyway. It is mainly for collision avoidance and back up navigation, so has to work well enough when healed and have minimum current consumption I suppose.