Getting the most from your RADAR

trit21 said:
Now that was a part of the information that was missing when I posted on the other thread which is the change of MFD/chartplotters as well. I don't like chart overlay but to each his own, I like running radar separately. As far as a new MFD as well, I think that is the right decision. The radome (according to Raymarine website) has a 3.9 degree beem width and the open array should be in the 1 -1.8 degree beam width. So, will the radome have the same target separation, no. But, combined with the new MFD, faster processor which means more information faster I think you will be fine. Again, it depends on what you are doing with it, offshore, Bahamas trips, night navigating, fog then I would want as much target separation as possible combined with the new MFD etc. But I think (now that I have all the information) you will still be happy with the current selection. I assume price difference was quite a lot if ou bought a new open array as well compared to the radome?
Click to expand...

I'm on the Chesapeake so I'm not offshore or running down to the Bahamas (for the time being :) The radar is used primarily for night and restricted visibility day navigation. And, yes, the HD open array units are much more expensive than the domes.

So, I guess it comes down to whether or not the faster processor providing more information faster makes up for the reduction in beam width. Mmmm... I wonder if I call Raymarine whether they'll give me the straight skinny on it?

- Port

UPDATE: I spoke with a technician at Raymarine. Now, I can assume he's biased, of course, but he says the feedback that they get when someone switches from the analogue 48" open array to the 24" HD 256 color dome is positive. He says that, when combined with a new e series chartplotter, the resolution is much higher. As a result, of the additional processing speed you end up with a better, faster representation of what's around you.

I'd hope someone on the forum has made this switch so they can speak to the issue with experience. That would rock.
 
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HomePort said:
UPDATE: I spoke with a technician at Raymarine. Now, I can assume he's biased, of course, but he says the feedback that they get when someone switches from the 48" open array to the 24" HD 256 color dome is positive. He says that, when combined with a new e series chartplotter, the resolution is much higher. As a result, of the additional processing speed you end up with a better, faster representation of what's around you.
Click to expand...

And I would agree that higher resolution and faster processor speeds will give you a faster refresh rate on the screen and since the screen is better resolution it will look better. My concern is target separation, the dome does not have the same beam width as the open array so target separation will not and can not be better. I think overall you will be happier but when and if you need that target separation you will just have to practice and get used to the signals that are being reflected and work with that. I have done it and do it now but I have an upgrade coming as well. Going from radome to open array finally to get that target separation and farther distance.
 
trit21 said:
And I would agree that higher resolution and faster processor speeds will give you a faster refresh rate on the screen and since the screen is better resolution it will look better. My concern is target separation, the dome does not have the same beam width as the open array so target separation will not and can not be better. I think overall you will be happier but when and if you need that target separation you will just have to practice and get used to the signals that are being reflected and work with that. I have done it and do it now but I have an upgrade coming as well. Going from radome to open array finally to get that target separation and farther distance.
Click to expand...

I hear you. I definitely get what you're saying. It's on my mind...
 
More questions and confusion: I have an older SL70CRC on my 300DA and a Garmin 441s on my 175 sport. I haven't found any evidence that my SL70CRC is connected to a compass or a heading sensor (going to look again tomorrow). My boat does have the compass on the top of the dash, but it looks like its only wiring goes to power for a light at night. And I know my 441s isn't connected to anything since I installed it. Yet they both know where North is and can figure out azimuth and bearings and such. They give me "North Up" as display options and the 441s even will display a cartoon compass and give me Heading up display as well. So how can this be? What's built into them that provides this data to them? More I think about it I guess it can figure all that out from GPS coordinates. It just can't tell where the boat is pointing without the heading sensor/compass.

Also, in the absence of a heading sensor, what is the best display setting - North up or Course up? Currently I use North up on the SL70CRC MFD for radar and chartplotter. Is "Course up" a better idea?
 
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I've found that the north up display makes comparing with a chart easier. I generally prefer course up as it lays everything out in the same perspective as what you are seeing.

Henry


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Mine is setup course up.
 
It seems there are quite a few threads about radars between CSR and a couple of other boating websites I frequent. On one of them (No, I don't recall which--I'm old so I can get away with that) someone mentioned splitting the screen and having the radar on one and the GPS on the other.

On my Simrad system I had on my last boat I usually split the screen but overlayed the radar on top of the GPS on both screens. One screen had a short range and the other a longer range. I prefer the overlay because it's showing things on the same screen(s) as the GPS and it's easier to interpret where radar targets are.

I'm going to be replacing my radar in the next year or so because it's old like me but doesn't work well (kinda like me....it's retired!). I have a Raymarine setup and I'd like to go with a HD radar, probably a 4KW 48" open array. I don't want to have to replace the MFD so I want to stay with the Raymarine product line. I'm not saying it's the best, I just don't want to spend the extra boat bucks to update the MFD. Whether or not I do that will depend on what the cost of a new MFD is, and whether or not I can keep GW from finding out how much I spent! :-0

If you've ever run a boat with radar you won't want to be without it again. All it takes is getting home safely in one blinding fog to make you a believer.
 
ZZ13 said:
More questions and confusion: I have an older SL70CRC on my 300DA and a Garmin 441s on my 175 sport. I haven't found any evidence that my SL70CRC is connected to a compass or a heading sensor (going to look again tomorrow). My boat does have the compass on the top of the dash, but it looks like its only wiring goes to power for a light at night. And I know my 441s isn't connected to anything since I installed it. Yet they both know where North is and can figure out azimuth and bearings and such. They give me "North Up" as display options and the 441s even will display a cartoon compass and give me Heading up display as well. So how can this be? What's built into them that provides this data to them? More I think about it I guess it can figure all that out from GPS coordinates. It just can't tell where the boat is pointing without the heading sensor/compass.

Also, in the absence of a heading sensor, what is the best display setting - North up or Course up? Currently I use North up on the SL70CRC MFD for radar and chartplotter. Is "Course up" a better idea?
Click to expand...


Hey Bill.
I skipped adding a heading sensor on my install partly cause I needed to draw the line somewhere budget wise (sensor was mulit-hundred addition) but mostly because I only use the radar under way. The heading sensor keeps the chart and radar image oriented correctly in overlay mode. The only time (so far in my experience) thing get confused is when I go to back out of my slip for example. The radar image always displays what it sees ahead of the boat and the chart wants to show course up. In this instance they are going opposite directions so in overlay mode it gets confused. The other time I've seen it is on anchor occasionally in overlay mode if the boat is swing sideways on the line. Under way there has never been an issue. On anchor i switch to fullscreen radar mode or split screen, and problem solved. I figured if it became a problem I could always add a sensor in afterwards. For my purposes, at this point I don't plan to any time soon.

Under way, the GPS gets its heading from the changes in triangulation from multiple satellites. Laymen's terms, from a non techie, so others may provide corrections as necessary :) and welcomed!

James.
Pardon any iMistakes!
 
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On the Raymarine C80 with all versions of the software, except the most current, a heading sensor is not needed for overlay.

I also recall the same for the Pathfinder series (RL SL). A friend has the RL 80 with radar, and no electronic compass or heading sensor and has overlay.

Henry


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
JimFromMD said:
Hey Bill.
I skipped adding a heading sensor on my install partly cause I needed to draw the line somewhere budget wise (sensor was mulit-hundred addition) but mostly because I only use the radar under way. The heading sensor keeps the chart and radar image oriented correctly in overlay mode. The only time (so far in my experience) thing get confused is when I go to back out of my slip for example. The radar image always displays what it sees ahead of the boat and the chart wants to show course up. In this instance they are going opposite directions so in overlay mode it gets confused. The other time I've seen it is on anchor occasionally in overlay mode if the boat is swing sideways on the line. Under way there has never been an issue. On anchor i switch to fullscreen radar mode or split screen, and problem solved. I figured if it became a problem I could always add a sensor in afterwards. For my purposes, at this point I don't plan to any time soon.

Under way, the GPS gets its heading from the changes in triangulation from multiple satellites. Laymen's terms, from a non techie, so others may provide corrections as necessary :) and welcomed!

James.
Pardon any iMistakes!
Click to expand...

James, it sounds like you need to set your GPS to a 'Heading Up' or 'Course Up' position. That way the GPS will show what's ahead of you and when you overlay the radar image on top of it they'll be looking at the same thing. It sounds like you have it set for 'North Up'.

The heading sensor you mentioned is also called a flux compass. It's purpose is to recognize what direction the boat is pointed and send that info to the GPS. You're right that when you are underway it isn't necessary because the GPS will determine that. When you're at anchor or drifting and the boat is swinging around a heading sensor always knows which way you're pointed.
 
So I made a commitment to use the radar every outing this season. I found I like overlay mode the best (even my old Raymarine SL70CRC supports this so mode). I didn't do so well with two separate screens (one for radar and one for the chart). I never got comfortable with figuring out the relative locations of targets on the black radar screen with the rings. Once I went to overlay mode, seeing them relative to chart markers just made it more intuitively obvious to me as to their general location. Thanks to everyone's advice who has posted to this thread.
 
Somewhat related post:
Same plotter here. I like course over ground on the display with North up. I need to start practicing with the radar as well but I need an updated chip first. What chip number are you guys using for this area of the Potomac (DC down to Point Lookout)?
 
Aero Nautical said:
Somewhat related post:
Same plotter here. I like course over ground on the display with North up. I need to start practicing with the radar as well but I need an updated chip first. What chip number are you guys using for this area of the Potomac (DC down to Point Lookout)?
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I just got my new chip through the Club Jeppesen program. Its $89. My old chip was vintage 2005. The chip you need is NA-303 Shinnecock to Lake Rudee. Gets you all of the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay, and the coast up to Long Island and down to Virginia Beach.
 
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ZZ13 said:
So I made a commitment to use the radar every outing this season. I found I like overlay mode the best (even my old Raymarine SL70CRC supports this so mode). I didn't do so well with two separate screens (one for radar and one for the chart). I never got comfortable with figuring out the relative locations of targets on the black radar screen with the rings. Once I went to overlay mode, seeing them relative to chart markers just made it more intuitively obvious to me as to their general location. Thanks to everyone's advice who has posted to this thread.
Click to expand...

I am trying the same...any way you can let me know how you do this? This would be a perfect solution for me too.

Thanks!


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stfarris61 said:
I am trying the same...any way you can let me know how you do this? This would be a perfect solution for me too.

Thanks!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
If you have the Raymarine SL or RL, push the display button on the top right of the unit. Push it until it cycles to the "CHART" image (the center image). Then look at the softkeys on the bottom and the "OVERLAY ON/OFF" selection will be the bottom right soft key. Push it to turn on the radar overlay. Your radar scanner has to already be powered on to get this overlay selection (by having previously selected the RADAR screen using the display button).
 
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Good practice to ALWAYS use your radar.
Know how different things "paint" on screen before you find yourself in the fog or returning back at night or both!
Look at the mega yachts or commercial boats around...the radars never get turned off, even at anchor.



Good thread,


Mark.
 
Air O'Nautical said:
Good practice to ALWAYS use your radar.
Know how different things "paint" on screen before you find yourself in the fog or returning back at night or both!
Look at the mega yachts or commercial boats around...the radars never get turned off, even at anchor.



Good thread,


Mark.
Click to expand...

I took a USCG radar course and one of the more important points I picked up was that if you have radar, it should be on at all times when you are moving. Technically this is not a regulatory requirement, but the thinking is that it is everyone's obligation to do everything possible (excluding self harm) to prevent a collision. Having radar, and not using it, would be viewed as being deficient in collision prevention on your part, should you be involved in a collision. That would of course place a higher level of responsibility on you.

Henry
 
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