Minimum Radar For Heading Offshore

[Rain City]

I'll still be mounting mine down low. Might even put it right in the storage space behind the brow if obstructions don't matter. This would still be higher than a small boat with a tower. I only use the command bridge in ideal conditions anyways. Under way in **** conditions nobody would be on the back deck either, unless they're smoking while in diesel fumes. At that point I'd just be giving them a hand to end it faster I guess...

 

[Tugcapitan]

I’m with those saying mount it higher, not so much for radiation, all for function. Putting a nice piece of equipment where it can only do half its job, no.

Also, “I’ll only use on those days”, also no. For one, if you have it you have to use it, “all available means”.
But mostly you have to practice. Running with radar isn’t something you learn in 10 minutes, it takes practice to understand what it is showing you and how that changes when you change course or speed, or those around you do. Hopefully you run with your chart plotter and radar North up for the best situational awareness. Using it in familiar places in good weather at first means you’ll be comfortable when “those” days come.

edit, sometimes I forget about small boat limitations. Without a gyro or satellite based compass, North up mode on radar is useless so heads up must be used. For sure north up will provide the best awareness and is considered best practice, but unless you buy a satellite compass along with its fancy expensive antenna, disregard.

 

[zurk]

satellite compass like the HS60 is under a thousand bucks and gives you target tracking as well as heads up. might as well buy and fit it at the same time as the radar.
heres my satellite compass with my radar mounting :
sat compass is near the canadian flag just below the halo 20+ radar unit.

 

[trophywife]

PUT IT ON A POLE MOUNT WITH A PIN.. wire a plug in at the base.

 

[Rockfish]

I agree with tug Captain mount it up high. For sport fishing and safety I want 360 degrees. When I come out of the harbour in thick fog, the first thing I look at is where are all the sport boats. If they are mostly in one good spot I will go to another good spot with no or much less boats. When coming into the harbour around the spit I want to know who is comming in fast behind me to the narrow entrance and which side they are going to pass on as I make the turn around the spit. Mine is mounted high and it will allow you to see over the end of the spit and pick up most boats coming in as you are going out that you could not see with the eye.

Off Sooke, one of the things that scares me the most in thick fog is tugs towing barges and log booms very close inshore in current through the very crowded sport fishing grounds and harbour in and out traffic in the prime fishing period. I really don't understand why they don't go off shore a bit where it would be safer for everyone. Seems like a bad accident waiting to happen.

 

[Rain City]

So I had one member send me some photos from his screen and his is mounted on the brow. He still gets a signal behind. Is this common knowledge or is he just lucky? Can it actually pass through things? I think I'm going with a pole mount regardless but I'm considering having the "down" position at dash height so it sits secure and I don't have to actually take it down each time. That would be 9 feet above the water by the way, still seems plenty high to me.

 

[fishin solo]

What about a mount like this ?

1 /

 

[Rain City]

I sold one just like it. Ugly and absolutely overkill. Has a massive base that sits in the middle of the bridge. I'm going for something much MUCH more subtle.

 

[Gong Show]

Subtle is your middle name!

 

[Rain City]

Subtle is your middle name!

Subtle like a sledge hammer

 

[RGS]

The RF signal will get blocked by metal structures but not fiberglass. I will try and get a picture of the pole mount that I have for mine tomorrow or the next day.

 

[Tugcapitan]

Do you have a boat house without clearance or something? I don’t get why you wouldn’t want it up where it’s going to work best? If it’s a air draft thing you could build a mast on a hinge that dropped into a cradle or something. Some small commercial boats have hinged masts for air draft or boat house concerns.
I think that one fishin solo posted looks great. If that’s overkill it looks like it could be built a touch smaller. Added bonus of mounting all your antennas up there, gps, vhf, satellite compass, anchor light etc.

 

[Rain City]

Do you have a boat house without clearance or something? I don’t get why you wouldn’t want it up where it’s going to work best? If it’s a air draft thing you could build a mast on a hinge that dropped into a cradle or something. Some small commercial boats have hinged masts for air draft or boat house concerns.
I think that one fishin solo posted looks great. If that’s overkill it looks like it could be built a touch smaller. Added bonus of mounting all your antennas up there, gps, vhf, satellite compass, anchor light etc.

It's strictly an esthetic thing. It also takes up too much room. Something else to work around when throwing equipment up and down and moving things around.

 

[ericl]

What about a mount like this ?

I like it but Rain City did not. I have an arch, & the canvas top snaps onto the arch bows for the top mount on the arch. The arch itself bolts onto the fly-bridge cowling right about where the rear of the wind screen is. Heigth makes a difference for RADAR performance. Let's say you are out Tuna fishing w/o luck - use the RADAR to find where the other boats are, distance will matter.

 

[Tugcapitan]

It's strictly an esthetic thing. It also takes up too much room. Something else to work around when throwing equipment up and down and moving things around.

To each his own but I think the esthetic of the radar in front of the visor is weird. Especially for those who know how it works wondering why it’s in the wrong spot! Pretty sure the installation guide will say “as high as possible and unobstructed”

 

[Rain City]

To each his own but I think the esthetic of the radar in front of the visor is weird. Especially for those who know how it works wondering why it’s in the wrong spot! Pretty sure the installation guide will say “as high as possible and unobstructed”

LOL yah you're probably right. But a lot of the new commanders it's mounted there as well as many custom aluminums I've seen, slightly above the brow in that case mind you. If the boat didn't have a helm up there then it would be considered a "high" spot. If I don't ever drive from up there then isn't it really just the roof? Hmmmmnnnn

 

[ericl]

LOL yah you're probably right. But a lot of the new commanders it's mounted there as well as many custom aluminums I've seen, slightly above the brow in that case mind you. If the boat didn't have a helm up there then it would be considered a "high" spot. If I don't ever drive from up there then isn't it really just the roof? Hmmmmnnnn

Keep trying; at some point someone WHO KNOWS WTF THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WILL AGREE WITH YOUR BAD IDEA

 

[Thunder21]

Mines mounted on the brow. I’ve been offshore Bamfield the last two days in the fog and it works just fine .

 

[Rain City]

Keep trying; at some point someone WHO KNOWS WTF THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WILL AGREE WITH YOUR BAD IDEA

So yah the plan is to just mount it on the floor. I think it'll work great. Don't you agree?

 

[macro]

So yah the plan is to just mount it on the floor. I think it'll work great. Don't you agree?

No half measures. I hear you get great imaging if its bilge mounted.