Radar safety

[Great Catch Charters]

I know this is probably a controversial question but does anyone see a "safety issue" with where this radar dome is mounted to anyone in the cabin?
Raising it with a mount is probably ok but I get good coverage where it is.
Just had one person say "it's too close to your head but the beams are shooting away? Any opinions?

 

[Great Catch Charters]

PS....mounted with 4200 so if it had to come apart I just did it yesterday. Shouldn't be so bad. I've seen several others mounted the same way.

 

[Angus]

I did use a 6 inch mount which looks really good, but the main reason I did it was to get some clearance from other things on top of my cabin. Honestly with the rod holders, etc. you don't get a true 360. I was more worried about what was ahead of me and beside me honestly as I go out very early sometimes. Looks very nice and I mounted my 6 inch bracket exactly where you located your radar. Good luck to you!

 

[Great Catch Charters]

There are some nice ones on eBay. Under $200, actually well under.

I asked if he can make the mounting base the same pattern at the garmin so I don't need to drill more holes and he can for only $20 more.

Do you have any tilt on your? Seems the consensus is 4° Of forward tilt.

Maybe I should go up. Honestly, good vision fire and aft even with the rod holders.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Angus]

I paid I want to say a bit over $175, but it did have the tilt, most all do. Mine tilted towards the stern, not the bow. I just placed it so the radar lined up with the edge of the cabin, works great and looks great I think. Got it from the GPS store. http://www.thegpsstore.com/Edson-Vision ... P2710.aspx

It was a six inch as well, but it was made very nice, came with wedges and a universal top plate for fitting a wide varitys of radars 8) . I mounted a Lowrance 4G Radar, had no problem. You can call those guys, super nice and they ship things out the same day in most cases. I bought over $10k in electronics from them last year and have had nothing but great service.

 

[Angus]

Charter, that was the base only, but what I bought had the base and top plate, think it was $250 something like that. Good luck!

 

[Sully]

I could be wrong but I heard the new 3G and 4G radar doesn't have the same technology as the old ones and they are safe from the old horizontal radiation exposer and that you don't have to keep them way above your head
I would guess that decreasing your range is a consideration also

I have the old style radar but I still like the idea of it being above my head Im 6'6" and not much brain left :roll:

 

[DaleH]

IMHO that just looks so wrong ... like someone couldn't be bothered to spend the $$ to put it up on a mast. My old Raymarine manual also specified it should be above the plane of the head, by a good 12" to 18" IIRC correctly.

Will it work? Maybe ...

In any seas, a mast helps ensure the beam clears both the boat and the close-in waves so you can get at least some more practical distance. Remember, radar is line-of-sight, so in theory, higher is better.

Any radar will work in calm seas on a clear day ... it's when the weather hits the fan that you'll test your equipment ... and you ... and I'd sure want it setup as optimally as possible if it were my boat.

And one should always add 4-degree down tilt towards the bow - not the stern - that's just azz backwards and performance will really degrade when conditions further degrade.

 

[Angus]

Hey Dale, great points. On the tilt to the stern I was talking about the bracket the radar sits on. I agree completely you would not tilt the radar itself towards to stern, that would be crazy. I always learn a lot from your posts, thanks!

 

[Great Catch Charters]

Here is what I'm looking at doing.

10 or 12" AFT leaning mount. 4 degree forward tilt

I think this will accomplish a few things

Move the dome more over my head instead of shooting at me

Raise the dome for better range

Tilting it the 4 degrees will level off on plane and further raise the beam
In the boat over me and my passenger

Allow better range over the rod holders.

So 10" or 12" is the decision.

 

[Great Catch Charters]

Not very mathematical or scientific but going up about the height of the some (under 10")
Greatly increases the zone out of the beam

 

[DaleH]

Good decision. As I had stated, raising it will make a BIG difference when in seas!

 

[pelagic2530]

I work with large open array commercial radars, which have to be tagged out whenever anyone goes aloft on the mast near their mounts. However, the primary purpose for that is so that nobody gets whacked with a rotating array! From a radiation exposure point of view, you're probably getting less from your radar than your microwave, for the time you spend around it. I'd definitely look at putting it on a tower for the increased range/proper beam angle when on plane, but the radiation wouldn't be my primary concern. Think how much more you get fishing in a fleet with a bunch of other boats running sets near you.

 

[boatdrinks]

I would put a mast just to increase range and target definition. The old ones used much stronger microwaves than the new ones and supposedly the new ones are pretty safe. You would never put an old one where you have yours mounted. If you want to be super safe you could put in on a mast for that reason but I would do it for the performance.

 

[B-Faithful]

used one for sale on THT

http://www.thehulltruth.com/parts-forum ... mount.html