Size of radar, installation

[Burton]

I am looking at a Raymarine 4’ HD color radar that is a very nice used unit at a reasonable price. Wondering about the suitability of this for my A25– if it would be too large practically and visually. It’s a two hour drive to go look at it…. Any advice? Thanks.

[Tree]

that would be huge!

My dome on my 28TE is only 18" - and gives me a 16 mile range so more than enough for my needs

[WillieC]

I think scale is a consideration. That and your intended use. We just last year installed an 18" radome on our A25. While we are still learning how to use it, it clearly isn't for finding ocean going vessels over the horizon. We need it in fog.

Returning from Port Townsend last fall through the cut along Indian Island, we had to navigate the bridge passage. The plotter showed us where were, but did not tell us about oncoming vessels or stationary recreational fishing boats. It was pretty nerve wracking waiting to see the actual columns loom out of the fog when we were practically under the bridge. Right where our radar placed us.

Still I like the idea of a four foot rotating array. I just need the boat to go with it. And most of those boats have one or two other radomes as well.

[Burton]

Thanks everyone. I’ll wait and get a dome. This unit looked like new, the guy just was used to Garmin and had recently gotten the boat— only 45 hrs on the boat and he did a new Garmin system.

We’ve never had radar on our boat, but we’ve been in fog when it was not forecast— no fun at all dropping to a crawl and eyeballs straining from chartplotter to every direction. Where we were, we knew there had been a mentally challenged lobsterman with no radar who would just go barreling through the fog. He was gone, but was there another?

[trbeau]

Here's a picture of newly installed Furuno on my new to me A25. Proportions are fine but running cables was a chore. Unit mounted on 1/2" Starboard roof panel.
Unit came off my old boat where it's served for 10 years. Improve situational awareness in fog and darkness.

[WillieC]

Yeah, making it look neat is a bit of a trick. That's why I waited all these years to fix all my hardtop issues in one swell foop.

IMG-5023.jpg

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The data cable exits the cedar lid over in the front starboard corner where I routed it down the corner of the windshield and into the electrical closet where the heading sensor is mounted. Then back up to the plotter via existing bushed holes in the dashboard.