Mounting the Radar

[Rodney]

OK, it's time to put up the radar that I purchased a few months ago. I think I'm going with mounting the dome on the mast, if for no other reason than it's a nice tall spar in about the right place to do the job.

I'm debating more on where to mount the display. Mounting at the Nav table will keep it out of the elements and make it the least prone to theft, but I don't think the Nav table area is the best spot for your radar when you need to see the display the most (though it would be useful in anchor watch). Mounting it at the helm with some kind of NavPod mount would seem to make the most sense. There it would most useful when picking my way through fog. The only problem with the helm though, is that I'm not always AT the helm. Usually, I'm lurking somewhere close to the dodger avoiding the wind or trimming sails. In that situation, it would seem that some sort of compromise mounting (like putting the display on top of the companion way hatch or on a swivel mount from the Nav area) would make the most sense. Though of course, mounting the display in that area would be the most tricky and probably a bit makeshift.

Any thoughts?

Rodney Grim
San Diego WA7ZIA

[jentine]

The mast is not a good place to mount the radome.  It is too high to see the object you are about to hit.  It will give a nice picture of distant objects, but as they approach your vessel, they will disappear.  It is best to mount the radome on a post at the stern and locate the monitor where the steering in taking place.  The screen should be best seen from wherever you operate the vessel.  On Jentine that place is at the helm.  (By the way, if you are curled up under the dodger who is on watch?)  Others will disagree but the speedometer in your car is not in the trunk and your headlights are not on top of the car.  Each is located where it is most functional.
Jim Kane

[PAUL T.]

Rodney.... I mounted my radome just above the spreaders. I have found this position gives me great perspective. when I am entering a marina I can see everything ...the breakwater,the entrance, and the channel itself. I can even see the rows of slips. If you have a chart plotting GPS I guess you don't need this View. I don't believe 20 feet up is to high for the radome, as large powercraft have their radome just as high or higher. As for the display, I have mounted it left of the companionway opening, flush on the bulkhead. Ican see it from the helm. the only drawback is the back of the unit is exposed in the head above the sink. doesn't bother me. Just some ideas good luck. PAUL  "SEAESTA" #766

[Rodney]

Thanks for the ideas! Yeah, I've been eyeing the companionway bulkhead also. I think it's pretty much either that or by the wheel (though I have thought of putting in two mounts - by the Nav desk and the wheel - and moving the radar head as needed). Jentine - by the helm or by the dodger, I can still see the terrified look of my fellow boaters as I bear down on them with equal ease!

Rodney Grim
San Diego WA7ZIA

[Gary Wilson]

We added radar last year and it has really come in handy more than once in fog and at night.  We chose the JRC 1500.
    After much study of all the alternatives for the antenna location, we went with a custom fabricated radar arch which gives a height of 12 feet over water.  This is high enough for bottom of the 15 degree radar beam to clear the bow of the boat.  We chose an arch rather than a pole for symetry, and because it offered a point above the center of the transom to attach a hoist for the lifesling or the outboard.  I did most of the fabrication myself from mild steel and 2 1/2 inch aluminized muffler tube.  It is painted with white polyurethane and rust has not been a problem.
     We chose to mount the display on the port side of the companionway on a swivel bracket.  When not being used, it sits flush against the bulkhead and is protected from bumping by the handhold.  In use, it swivels out and is adjustable for viewing from the helm, under the dodger, companionway steps, or down below.  We are very pleased with this setup, however it required cutting a large hole which compromises privacy in the head somewhat when the display is in use.  We have a small curtain there now, and maybe will enclose it with a teak box sometime.

[tassber2]

Last week I left Newport Harbor in extreme fog.  Visibility was 100 yards at best and 10 yards at worst.  My radome is mast mounted (extends the horizon) and my display is at the helm.  Having my display at the helm allowed my to steer and make course corrections strictly by radar. If you feel you need to hang out under the dodger you can always set up guard zones and alarms at your display, but I don't recommend it for close quarters

[rdavison]

On Gorbash, I mounted the radome at the backstay split using a radar-on-the-level (see http://www.radaronthelevel.com/).  It works very well but does put a twisting load on the backstay and requires the stays to be very tight.  I'm frankly not sure if I would do it this way again.  Might use a pole.

The head is mounted at the nav station on a RAM swinging arm such that it lies against the bulkhead between the nav table and the shelf aft it it.  It can swing out to be seen from the companionway or swing back to be out of the way of the hinged nav table lid.  This sounded good on paper but the reality is that I never use it at the nav station except to monitor at anchor and it is too far from the pedastal to see when underway.  

Fortunately, I left all the cables long enough to pull the head up to the pedastal or under the dodger to the far left.  I bought an extra mounting bracked and currently use it strapped to the drink holder on the pedastal or, more often, under the dodger.  This is a poor answer as the cables are always in the way.  

I'm going to place the extra mount on a teak block (to level it some) at the location under the dodger as I've found that I can see it just fine from the wheel or huddled under the dodger using the autopilot remote (this is in Seattle!)

The Furuno 1722 display is extremely sensitive to direct sunlight and turns black with any exposure so that argues for the dodger location for this particular unit.

Randy Davison  k7voe

[rdavison]

http://www.radaronthelevel.com

Randy Davison  k7voe

[roger saunders]

I recently relocated my radar display and am very pleased with the result. I wanted it under the dodger for shade and weather protection, but did not want it to interfere with use of the port winch or be in the way when the first mate leans back against the cabin bulkhead.
The simple solution was to mount it on a small wedge-shaped piece of teak, glued and screwed to the inside of the teak hand rail and the cabin top. The top surface of the wedge is horizontal, and the display mounting yoke is attached with a single screw in the center. The display is far enough outboard not to interfere with the winch handle the mate's head when leaning back. It can be pivoted from facing aft to about 45 degrees to starboard, and tipped up or down on its yoke. This makes it convienient to have it on standby all the time. When the fog closes in, one of us usually sits right in front of it and maintains a radar log. Very simple and very functional!

Roger Saunders, Lively Lady, Boothbay ME

[roger saunders]

I recently relocated my radar display and am very pleased with the result. I wanted it under the dodger for shade and weather protection, but did not want it to interfere with use of the port winch or be in the way when the first mate leans back against the cabin bulkhead.
The simple solution was to mount it on a small wedge-shaped piece of teak, glued and screwed to the inside of the teak hand rail and the cabin top. The top surface of the wedge is horizontal, and the display mounting yoke is attached with a single screw in the center. The display is far enough outboard not to interfere with the winch handle or the mate's head when leaning back. It can be pivoted from facing aft to about 45 degrees to starboard, and tipped up or down on its yoke. This makes it convienient to have it on standby all the time. When the fog closes in, one of us usually sits right in front of it and maintains a radar log. Very simple and very functional!

Roger Saunders, Lively Lady, Boothbay ME

[redhead]

I originally mounted my radar display at the nav. station with a second mounting position port side top of the companionway.  The cables were a nuisance, plus it was difficult to read the display when standing behind the wheel. Small boats (under 50 feet or so)are really hard to see at the 2 mile and over range and waves(sea clutter) increases the difficulty.  I now have the radar display, as well as the gps/chartplotter/sounder, in pods at the helm.  I like this arrangement much better.  My radome is on a pole at the stearn, but a radar arch would allow mount points for solar panals, wind gen. o.b. lift, davits, etc.  Mast mounted radomes present the problem of fishing another cable through the mast tube.
Russ  #505 1987 "FAINCHE"

[Ted Pounds]

I don't have radar, but my neighbor does on his Crealock 37.  He made his display removable by mounting it on some teak that slips on the pedistal gaurd.  That way he keeps it safe down below when he's not on board.  It also gets it out of the way on those nice sunny days when he doesn't need it.  I think his is a Raytheon and the electrical connections are easy to disconnect and reconnect.

Ted

[rdavison]

Roger,
A follow-up question about your radar mounting posting on the c34 site. I'm having trouble visualizing exactly where you mounted it - maybe because our dodger and rail configurations are different.  I'm unclear
about which teak handrail you are referring to.   Do you have one inside the dodger on the cabintop?

The spot I'm looking at is on the portside cabin top, inside the dodger, to the left of the winch and just aft of the hatchlight from the head. I've been running it just propped up there and it seems to work pretty well so I plan to use a wedge shaped peace of teak in that location so the head is fairly level.  It will then be out of the way of the winch and forward of the "leanback" position that my first mate also likes. Is this the same spot you have in mind?  If so, how did you run your wires?  Through the head?  I haven't scoped out the exact point where the wires would come out an now the boat is 80 miles away again for a few weeks!

Randy Davison  k7voe

[roger saunders]

Hi Randy!

Sounds like you have the same spot in mind.I do have a short handrail inside the dodger. My wedge is close to the aft edge of the cabin top and very securely mounted, with 2 screws run horizontally through the hand rail into the wedge and 1 down into the cabin top. I did have to cut a notch into the aft end of the handrail, flush with the top of the wedge and running forward a couple of inches to accomodate the width of my radar mounting yoke. If you don't have a handrail, just screw and glue the wedge to the cabin top.
My signal cable runs down the outside of the mast and across the cabin top into the dodger. My power cable runs through an RTV sealed hole in the cabin top under the dodger. If you'd like, call me on 207-633-0951. Good luck!

Roger Saunders - Lively Lady

[jentine]

Roger, that sounds like a nice temporary set-up.  What are you intending to do for a permenant installation.
Jim