WiFi Radar

[DannyS]

I'm starting my research for a complete electronics upgrade and I'm wondering how many of you have a Raymarine Quantum radar and only use the WiFi feature rather than running the big data cable up the mast? Any issues with just relying on WiFi? The dome does still require the power to be run up the mast but our mast is deck stepped so it would be nice not to have an additional junction at deck level.

 

[Davidasailor26]

No experience with Raymarine but from what I can see in their manual (and what I'd generally expect) the communications seem to be Wifi, not Bluetooth. Bluetooth would be pretty low range and low bandwidth for the types of data the radar needs to send. Wifi capabilities are very similar to the traditional Ethernet connections used for radars.

You will still need to run a power cable up the mast to the dome. I'm not sure about the difference between the power cable and data, and whether Raymarine offers any combined power/data cables. If so I'd assume the difference isn't that big. I think the bigger difference would be no need to run the data cable all the way back to your MFD.

 

[DannyS]

Yes David, you are correct about the Wifi., thanks for your response. I'll revise my question to better reflect my question.

 

[dlochner]

Looking through the manual, I could see no reference to a wireless model. At least one model appears to be wifi only, but it will still need a power connection. The manual also offers some caution about wifi and the antenna's location and the chart plotter as the vessel's structure may interfere with the wifi signal.

 

[LeeandRick]

I've been researching that same question. On a Raymarine Live a few years ago the commenters said wifi worked fine.
My Axiom + picks up the marina wifi better than an Ipad.

A 10 meter cable adds $50 to the $1900 of a Q24c at Hodges.
Since I put my boat on the trailer mast down during winter, I'm thinking of putting the Q24c on a pole just forward and slightly above my solar (no shading) which would eliminate another cable at the mast. I'll still have the range I want with less movement when rocking and heeling.

 

[colemj]

...rather than running the big data cable up the mast?

The data cable is literally just an ethernet cable. It isn't like older radar data cables, and the size difference between only power and power+ethernet is very minor.

Mark

 

[DannyS]

The data cable is literally just an ethernet cable. It isn't like older radar data cables, and the size difference between only power and power+ethernet is very minor.

Mark

I'm just not sure how the connection at the deck level works; our mast is deck stepped. I haven't found any information on that connection.

 

[dlochner]

I'm just not sure how the connection at the deck level works; our mast is deck stepped. I haven't found any information on that connection.

How are the mast lights connected? You'll connect them in a similar manner with the appropriate connectors, one male, one female.

 

[jssailem]

Danny. Take a picture of your mast at the deck. Include any wires that come out of the mast and plug or disappear into the deck.

If there are no wires on the outside of the mast, then they are located inside the mast and go straight through the deck.
CAL built mine like this. We used the pipes to pass the wires through the deck into the cabin.

 

[colemj]

I'm just not sure how the connection at the deck level works; our mast is deck stepped. I haven't found any information on that connection.

That would just be a normal deck step thing. Ours has a swan neck that leads the wires inside. Our previous boat was like the pic above with the wires leading through inside the mast step. Others use glands. I would not use an external electrical bulkhead connector for this though.

Mark

 

[DannyS]

I think I'm overthinking this, I've never had a deck stepped mast before so making the connections was always done down below. This is the first time our mast has been dropped and I wasn't there for that so I didn't see the process. I was thinking that the connections were made on deck but after looking at this photo, I'm realizing that they're just deck penetrations and in fact, the connections are still made below. I should be able to use the existing cables to pull the new ones and hopefully use the same deck penetrations. Thanks all!

 

[Foswick]

Let me preface my response with saying that I have absolutely no experience with the system in question. But, I do know networking very well. I would take WiFi over a wired connection any day, for this application. We are really not talking about a huge bandwidth requirement so, even under terrible conditions, for that range, WiFi is more than capable. Even older standards are well up to the task. A wireless connection is one fewer point of failure.

A person could argue that it is just a different point of failure, that isn't entirely true. Both methods require hardware at each end with similar complexity and similar vulnerabilities. The difference with wireless is that there is no transmission medium that is also susceptible to failure. That is, there is no data cable that can fail.

As was pointed out, you still need to power the unit, so the reduction of vulnerabilities and complexity is slight. But, if I had the choice, I would take the wireless connection.

 

[jssailem]

I am not familiar with the sailing weather you face in your area, @DannyS .

Here in the PacificNW with months known as "Fogust and Mayog" let alone the weeks of low-lying cloud formations, radar on a boat is a critical support tool.

I have survived using a set of tools and an analog radar from the 80's. It catches the big obstacles, but the small, fast critters that ply the waters ignorantly can endanger your boat when the visibility is down to 75 yards or less.

For a critical tool I want to have simple single-function capabilities. While WiFi means fewer wires it is a complexity that can fail at either end of the system. I am going to upgrade in the next 6 months, but it will be with a wired system. After some exploration, I am narrowing my focus on a Furuno drs2d nxt unit. It means I will need to get a monitor screen as well. The wired system has been in use since 2021.

Do your research. Take time to look at the systems in action. A big part of radar is your ability to understand and react to the information you see on the screen. If you do not understand the graphical interface the tools is not a good fit.