We sail a HR36 - Tuesday's Child and are about to fit radar. We are undecided as to where to fit the display (and can only justify the cost of one)
1 - At the chart table - but no good in fog?
2 - At the wheel - but the kids cannot see to steer?
3 - Below the windscreen - but clutter?

Anybody with experience of mounting radar below the windscreen on any size HR, we'd love to hear the pro's and cons, failing this its the chart table and a quick dash down below when needed

Thanks

Tim James

By Vaughn Stewart on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - 01:38 pm:

My wife and I have just bought an HR36 ( we get her in Sept. 2003) so I would be interested to know your decision. Are you getting the combined chartplotter? Where are you fitting the raydome?

My only suggestion is to mount it at the wheel using a self-sealing waterproof connector, so that whenever it isn't foggy(most of the time) it is stored in a box down below. After all the kids are'nt going to be helming if its foggy. If its a busy sailing area you happen to be in, having it mounted on the chart table is only useful when you are night sailing. For fog in daylight you have to have it at the helmsmans position.

Vaughn Stewart

By Ivan Andrews on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 09:36 am:

We hummed and harred but eventually fitted it at the chart table. We ran a PC based chartplotter from the chart table last year with no problems. I was brought up that charts weren't allowed in the cockpit and I suppose I still have some hangover from that.

I take the point about helming in the fog (the primary reason we bought the radar) but we tend to helm from one side of the cockpit anyway (not sit behind the wheel) and the binacle instruments are not that easy to see from that position. One supplier recomended a 'pod' on the upper chart table, but we didnt like either the loss of space, nor the restricted visibility. (And the 'pod' was nasty)

The lastest radar does have MARPA, so it remains to be seen how useful that is. If you do go outside, you'll need colour.

By stuart tovey on Monday, February 18, 2002 - 02:01 pm:

I sailed my 34 - Swallow, single-handed from Ellos to Gosport in June, having fitted a radar at the chart table (RL74CRC) & chartplotter(RC530) behind right side of windscreen. One can choose to display charts or radar, or both on each display. It is the cockpit display that is used all the time, except when making a quick cuppa below and want to make sure of not sailing into anything!

If in fog, I feel I must be in the cockpit for a quick response, and that is when I most value radar. However there is a big training benefit from having radar displayed in the cockpit, if one can see the screen and change the ranges, then you quickly get to train your eye as to what is visible. You can detect what is being missed, and learn how to improve accuracy by manual settings of the seastate and gain controls.

My previous HR was a 29, and I fitted radar to this myself. This had the display at the chart-table, but it could be seen clearly from the port side of the cockpit whilst steering. The experience gained from these 2 installations tells me is this:
1) If only one display possible, then it must be in the cockpit if the display cannot be clearly seen whilst helming. Behind the windscreen can be seen throughout cockpit, eg whilst on auto & sheltering from the elements. I don't subscribe for one moment that charts should not be in the cockpit. There is a great deal to be gained by having all the information to hand. My first Channel crossing was 28 years ago, single-handed and at night with only a compass. Having had all instruments fail overe the years at one time or another, or together, I do not feel dependant on modern technology, but it makes sailing much mre enjoyable.
2) When fitting a radar antenna, I would fight tooth and nail for it to be fitted on a pole, preferably with a tilting facility. If the antenna is too high, sea-clutter is excessive and weak returns are lost. Even some navigation buoys and small boats disappear in the clutter. Twenty odd feet up a mast is a 'wildly swinging platform' and this also degrades returns. Whoever wants a range of 30 or 48 miles on a yacht? The most useful range at sea is 3-6 miles. In the Solent this is reduced to 0.5 - 1 mile. So height is only detrimental in my view. Having an antenna 10 - 14 feet off the water, on a pole, is ideal. The pole can also carry other antennae, and can be reached for adjustment, maintenance and cleaning. To my eye, they look right for the job!

Stuart Tovey

By joopcroonen on Friday, December 06, 2002 - 08:36 pm:

(352) I have fitted my radar at the charttable incl.a lenghty cable, so its also possible to put temporarly the radarscreen in the cockpit when necessary (spare holder behind the windscreen).
It works super: no need for a second screen!