Which way does your radar mount lean?

A

Adios Dinero

Member
Nov 30, 2015
54
SF Bay & Delta
Boat Info
1997 Sea Ray 330 Express Cruiser
Engines
Twin 7.4L MPFI
I asked this question in the Express/amberjack thread & didn't get a response, so I thought I would try here.

When I change out my Radar (Raymarine R11XX) next year I'm thinking I might add a short mount to elevate the dome.
What do you all think?
Short mount, or no mount?
If I do a mount, forward leaning or aft leaning?
Enquiring minds want to know what the collective wisdom thinks.
Others are welcome to chime in also!

Thanks,
Neal
 
I'd just mount it on the arch without a pole leaning either way. I think raising it up too far off the arch will make it look odd IMHO.
 
Neal I just did all this with my 30'. Due to some bridges I raised mine only 6", leans towards the stern, and a 4 degree downward angle.

The folks at Battlewagon were great to work with and they will be happy to help. Give them a call.
 
At rest the post should make the Radar dome angle forward so when running on plane with the boat up attitude the radar dome is level.
 
Sea Ray designs the radar mounting pad into the arches at the appropriate angle for optimum radar reception under way. So, the angle on the top of your arch is correct as it is. If you want to raise the mount, do it with a spacer or mount that is parallel to the existing radar pad on your arch.
 
On my '2000 310DA the radar arch has no special pad for mounting anything. So i would say it depends on the Radar arch. Either way, whether the radar arch does it or the post does it the Radar dome should lean forward when the boat is at rest.
 
I'm not sure I phrased the question correctly.

I know the radar has to have a slight lean down towards the bow so it is level while underway.
I have mount that is angled. It can be mounted with the angle towards the bow, or it can be angle towards the stern.
My arch (or as Sea Ray calls it, the "spoiler") on the Express leans towards the bow.
I don't think there is any special pad on the arch.
I'm just trying to decide which way to angle the mount.
Bridges are not an issue, as any of the low ones I need to get under are draw bridges.
 
I think people are getting confused in the thread. With a radar mount there are two angles that are "important".

The first angle is in reference to the pole between the two plates (the top plate is where the radar mounts, the bottom is where the mount attaches to the boat). That pole can either go striaght up and down, "lean" forward or "lean" aft. This angle is purely for looks - it serves no function at all other than looks.

The second angle is the angle the top plate dips or rises in the front of the mount, this is the angle that matters when your running.
 
That is why I said I didn't think I phrased the question correctly.
I was curious about the "looks" & not the function.


swaterhouse said:
I think people are getting confused in the thread. With a radar mount there are two angles that are "important".

The first angle is in reference to the pole between the two plates (the top plate is where the radar mounts, the bottom is where the mount attaches to the boat). That pole can either go striaght up and down, "lean" forward or "lean" aft. This angle is purely for looks.
Click to expand...
 
Mine mount will be leaning aft with a 4* wedge under it leaning forward.

edit..I took the 4* out. It was too far forward. It is now 2* with no wedge.
 
Last edited:
mnm99 said:
Mine mount will be leaning aft with a 4* wedge under it leaning forward.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking about doing.
I know some of the guys around here use a 5 degree wedge, but the express seems to run more "level" than Sundancers.
 
I just finished installing a Garmin xHD2 open array on the 400DA; it's installed with wedges directly on the arch. I looked at an Edson mount and mocked up a "look alike" on the boat but it looked odd (like arch going forward then mount going aft) and really in the end didn't add much functionality so I discarded the idea. The Raytheon removed had wedges installed from SR and no dedicated mounting pad on the arch. The mount for the Garmin was different than the Raytheon so the existing wedges couldn't be used. So, how to set the angle.... I simply put a digital level on the floor of the cockpit took the boat out and set cruise speed / trim and measured the angle. I then measured the arch angle at rest and between the two was able to size the wedges so the scan angle was correctly on the horizon at the boat's cruise attitude. Simple.
 
ttmott said:
I just finished installing a Garmin xHD2 open array on the 400DA; it's installed with wedges directly on the arch. I looked at an Edson mount and mocked up a "look alike" on the boat but it looked odd (like arch going forward then mount going aft) and really in the end didn't add much functionality so I discarded the idea. The Raytheon removed had wedges installed from SR and no dedicated mounting pad on the arch. The mount for the Garmin was different than the Raytheon so the existing wedges couldn't be used. So, how to set the angle.... I simply put a digital level on the floor of the cockpit took the boat out and set cruise speed / trim and measured the angle. I then measured the arch angle at rest and between the two was able to size the wedges so the scan angle was correctly on the horizon at the boat's cruise attitude. Simple.
Click to expand...

I like the idea about using the digital level!
Even if I end up not using the mount it will be useful to determine how much wedge angle I'll need.
 
I struggled to answer this question a few months ago myself.

In the end, I chose an aft-leaning mount because on my boat, there are two canvas sections off the arch, and the aft section is much larger. I figured a "lean back" would balance out the look.

I think I'm happy with it. My preference would have been a direct arch mount, but my arch is (1) too small, (2) it'd be next to impossible to slide the canvas in the track if the dome hung over the fore and aft of the arch, and (3) there wouldn't be any possible way to keep the nav light in the center.

The shortest mount with a light I found, and I looked hard, is by Sea View.
 
Last edited:
fwebster said:
Sea Ray designs the radar mounting pad into the arches at the appropriate angle for optimum radar reception under way. So, the angle on the top of your arch is correct as it is. If you want to raise the mount, do it with a spacer or mount that is parallel to the existing radar pad on your arch.
Click to expand...

Mine was flat so I had to give it some tilt down. Seems to work fine.
 
fwebster said:
Sea Ray designs the radar mounting pad into the arches at the appropriate angle for optimum radar reception under way. So, the angle on the top of your arch is correct as it is. If you want to raise the mount, do it with a spacer or mount that is parallel to the existing radar pad on your arch.
Click to expand...
Not on my boat. Pad is flat as a pancake. I went with a Stainless Steel aft leaning and a 4 deg. angle mount from Battlewagon and mounted a Garmin open array on top. Just installed this last week.
 
You can see mine from the photo. It is flush mounted to the arch which as Fred has stated has a pad for mounting. I've never had an issue with poor radar performance by being flush mounted and it looks better than on a mount IMHO.
 
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