RADAR UNIT !

[Highlander]

Then yes you can add a Garmin radar. It just needs power then the network conection to the GPS. Looks like a computer network plug.

I would try to upgrade the NMEA0183 items to NMEA2000 compliant components. Yes NMEA2000 is just a can buss. Like Raymarine sea talk and Simrad. However most manufactures wonder off the NMEA2000 compliant talking on certain features.

Mark

I,m thinkin this is the Radome u want not sure what gps unit u have ! Maybe Grady has checked it out & can advise , also not sure if this one has wifi also ?
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/555656#overview
J
PS u can go to Spec,s & compatibility bar & check to see if ur plotter is compatible !

[BOAT]

The plotter works with that one because I have the plotter with the video input plug - it's the same as a computer monitor. That's why my plotter can be accessed over wifi - it's the same as any PC or tablet - I can even watch movies and TV on my chartplotter - the only thing I was wondering about was the size of the dome but according to John these things work okay from the rear mast arch? (so I am not required to mount it on the mast? No coffemakers or ovens up there?) Huh, that's gonna make morning breakfast a little sparse in the crows nest, but I'm not complaining - too much weight aloft as it is.

And really guys, as a person who is a good customer of both RayMarine AND Garmin I can tell you both brands are as good as each other - there is absolutely no difference in quality between the two. There IS a difference in PRICE - Garmin equipment is more expensive. All Garmin stuff is newer technology from the start and RayMarine - being an older company, has a lot of legacy stuff that works just as well and costs a little less. Garmin stuff is always loaded with bells and whistles you will probably never use - but you will pay for.

Bother brands make exceptional marine and aeronautical instruments. You can't go wrong with either one.

Thanks for the link John, I think you may have found my radome

[grady]

I agree on quality, B&G, Raymarine, Garmin. You can not go wrong with any of them. You just need to look at what features they have and compatibility with your existing equipment. I stick with Garmin due to the discount I get being an Aviation dealer. Unfortunately they do not make a Tiller pilot so I went with Simrad. There are a couple of features that I have not been able to get to work yet, Wind Nav mode and Smart routing. But other than that everything else is spot on.

Boat what model GPS do you have? That radar would be a good one!

[BOAT]

I use the GPSmap 547xs and on the back it even has a LAN port, (ethernet), an external GPS coax port, AND a 12 pin sonar for side scan and chirp - along with the usual 8 pin sonar and a 0183 port AND an additional nmea2000 5 pin port. And the screen is portrait display - not landscape so the smaller screen still has just as must "out ahead" visibility as the larger landscape screens, I really like it and the processor is lighting fast. The unit also has a built in wifi router so you can use the plotter to set up a wifi network on your boat that all your computers and phones can log onto also. If you use all that stuff like I do then it's a great value.

It has the Smart Routing as you mentioned - that's a 'Garmin' thing - but most folks probably don't need it (another 'Garmin' thing you pay for but may not use). The key to Smart Routing is to save your Smart Route in your list of save routes FIRST - then that makes the route available to sent to the auto pilot. I have the RayMarine Auto Pilot and it will follow any route that I have saved on my Garmin Chartplotter.

The reason "Smart Pilot" will not work with any other pilot except Garmin is because Smart Pilot is dynamic - Smart Pilot does not only adjust your route based on shallow water and rocks and dangers that are on the charts but it can adjust for moving targets too - With AIS connected the Smart Pilot will actually alter your course ON THE FLY if another boat is on course to collide with yours.

Unfortunately you can't alter the route file you just sent your pilot - you can only send a new file because all a route file is are a set of waypoints the pilot follows. The Garmin set up actually can send CHANGES to the original route to the pilot on the fly - it's a pretty neat feature but only Garmin pilots recognize the messages and have the software to modify an existing route file.

I do not have the AIS set up yet on my unit but when I do I can set up an alarm that will make a loud noise if I am going to crash into a boat. You also have the ability to program the pilot to do a specific maneuver in an alarm condition like "TACK", "CIRCLE", "FIGURE EIGHT", and "ZIG ZAG" or "MOB" (man over board - it circles a position) or a few other preset maneuvers.

AIS collision avoidance is one of the really great features of SMART PILOT, but it's really designed for large power boats that cruise all night long and have the maneuverability to take advantage of it - on our little boats the AIS avoidance maneuver would probably put out boats out of wind for the tack we are on so you will need to wake up and adjust the sails anyways. I guess in that sailing situation an alarm will work almost as well, still it is a cool feature.

Still, what about those boats that are gonna run you down that don't have AIS?? That is why we are talking RADAR here - and I'm not so sure ANY plotter or pilot can automatically adjust your course to avoid a radar hit - can it? Now that would be cool.

[grady]

hull of an answer for what model GPS do you have. Anyway Hope to see you install and what you think of that radar if you get it. Looks like it would be a nice addition.

[Highlander]

Mark
Check with Garmin before u buy that radome as I do not see ur unit on their compatible list ?

Just sayin Thats All , but I hope it works for U

J
I,m thinking to make a brkt to mount my Radome similar to this on my Arch
http://www.seaviewglobal.com/de/products/408

or go this way make a pole mount to attach aft of the arch basically only need to buy the swivel base & radome base make my own pole maybe 10ft an attach to the top of the arch for support
http://www.seaviewglobal.com/de/categories/300000010
the pole base would be mounted on the transom somewhere so a 8-10ft pole could b mounted , the 10ft pole would give u a longer horizon range !

[Highlander]

Up-Date well priced these mounting units & forget it I can design & fabricate my own a lot cheaper and working on getting quotes to mod my arch to accommodate my new radar as I no longer have my shop ! . Oh well such is retirement

Grandpa is happy new equipment arrived today


Trans mount Sonar


http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... xcvw0f.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... zcemm0.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... qpwzbv.jpg

J

[Highlander]

I went with the wifi /net work cable radome unit so as I get the best of both worlds

J

[BOAT]

Hey Highlander,

Resurecting this thread on radars.

How is your radar working? Can you see the logs in the water?

I looked at the Garmin unit you suggested and I think your recommendation is the best one I have seen yet because the Garmin one you showed me has an auto bird gain function that can detect birds and stuff on the surface of the water:

But still is the question - is it worth the money? Are you getting usage out of radar? What do you use it for? Have you ever considered a camera on the mast to see better?

[Ponaldpe]

I do not know anything that is why I can ask the dumb question. How would the depth finder / sonar work if you put on the boat facing forward and set the keel/depth warning to max.? Would that warn you if something is in you path?

[Highlander]

I do not know anything that is why I can ask the dumb question. How would the depth finder / sonar work if you put on the boat facing forward and set the keel/depth warning to max.? Would that warn you if something is in you path?

Yep if it was a whale or Submarine just before it takes u out !

J

[Ponaldpe]

I just had to ask. I already know it won't work as an ultrasound.

[Highlander]

Hey Highlander,

Resurecting this thread on radars.

How is your radar working? Can you see the logs in the water?

I looked at the Garmin unit you suggested and I think your recommendation is the best one I have seen yet because the Garmin one you showed me has an auto bird gain function that can detect birds and stuff on the surface of the water:

But still is the question - is it worth the money? Are you getting usage out of radar? What do you use it for? Have you ever considered a camera on the mast to see better?

Mark
I just got my new units wired up & installed my GPS & temp. installed my Radar radome so as to make sure I did not damage the 30ft data cable I had pulled through the boat liner !
Had to remove 4 wiring harnesses for my old Lawrence unit then install 5 wiring harnesses for the new Raymarine system & I still have to install the 5th harness lol
Anyway GPS is working great , but the Radar would not connect " No connection " so after spending 3 days checking all my work to make sure I did not make a mistake or miss something & all my wiring connections & wiring harnesses were good I discovered I needed a software up-date 28 up-dates that took approx 40mins to download & only 20 mins to install , now the Radar is working good but I have designed an new radar arch to incorporate my Radar Radome & 3 solar panels & some other acc. but have been unable to get someone to make it for me this season .
So at the moment can,t answer ur question , but a mast mounted camera is not gonna due u any good in a shipping lane with a ship coming at u at 20 knots plus in the rain or fog day or night !
As for affordability if u r up-grading like I was a MFD GPS unit only requires u to buy a radar radome to acquire full radar system , if u already own a newer MFD GPS unit u may b able to just buy a radar radome to b able to acquire a radar system
so maybe some of the guy,s on here who already have the newer radar systems can cirp in , as for me it was a no brainier , but it is an individual call depending on ur needs & comfort level & what ur needs r gonna be !

J
PS I bought a whi/fi & data cable unit Radome

[Gazmn]

ponaldepe,

There are forward facing sonars; I think Garmin does one & I'm sure there's more in the works... I have also wished & wanted the same thing. I can think of 2+ grounding incidents that shook me & that also inspired me. They weren't gonna be on the charts - too fickle. When in doubt - Don't! Don't sail or motor in doubt. If doubt's all around - You're in the wrong place or learn to read the chart & surface better beforehand! [Much better preplanning & prep] Bright lights [daytime] & better chart perusal! I got stuck X2 in Marathon Key like that biting off too much at dusk. It got too dark to read the way home, & had to sleep out one night. Keep food on board - canned & otherwise for when any port will do!

[BOAT]

SONAR I do understand, and I also have on board. I did study up extensively on SONAR before I got that - and in my edumacation on SONAR I learned about forward scanning SONAR. Forward SONAR is for folks who go into the shallows a lot - if you find yourselve mostly in shallows and running aground, it's a good thing to get. For the best the sensors are big and stick out of the bottom of the boat and cost a lot, for a small boat like ours a smaller unit with less range would work fine. Best deal for the money is the Echopilot:

And if you want to spend a little more, the Echopilot FLS3d:


But this is not what we are talking about (or are we? perhaps this thread should be expanded?) I am trying to figure a inexpensive way to get around at night - I think RADAR seems to be what is rising to the top - but so far I can't find any MAC people running a RADAR who can tell me about it. It would be great if they did make SONAR that could work above the surface but they don't. Our smartest scientist's have not figured out how to make SONAR work in air, today's sonar only works in dense mediums like water or soft material (ultrasound). Only mother nature knows how to do SONAR through the air, (bats), humans have not figured out how to do that yet.

Now, if you could get me a SONAR that worked ABOVE the surface at a distance of 100 meters I would not even be asking about RADAR. (I wish, but it does not exist).