Is there a way to mount the radar antennae to some place other than the mast just below the spreaders on a 37 cutter Cherubini....and still be satisfied with the performance? Can you mount the Radar antenna to the back stay? There was one post that mentioned doing just that, but next time. Can it be mounted on some type of staff on the stern that you could raise and lower, if you needed to. How does the normal heeling of a sail boat affect the radar's performance. Is a Furuno 1621 Mark 2 a fairly good radar for a sailboat of my size or is there a better one in that price range. I looked in the archives and didn't see much. Frank Bean SV/Blue Bird Mobile, Alabama
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Radar mounting
Hi Frank - Furuno makes a good radar, without question. With regards to mounting, there are basically three options: 1) mast mount, 2) stern mount on pole or arch, and 3) backstay mount. With regards to stern mounting, check with Radar on the Level for a gimballed option on the backstay (they have single and split backstay models). A less costly alternative would be to contact Garhauer Marine (www.garhauermarine.com) and look into their stern mount poles - high quality stainless steel at reasonable prices. I believe they have a manual gimbal option as well. Hope this helps, Trevor
Hi Frank - Furuno makes a good radar, without question. With regards to mounting, there are basically three options: 1) mast mount, 2) stern mount on pole or arch, and 3) backstay mount. With regards to stern mounting, check with Radar on the Level for a gimballed option on the backstay (they have single and split backstay models). A less costly alternative would be to contact Garhauer Marine (www.garhauermarine.com) and look into their stern mount poles - high quality stainless steel at reasonable prices. I believe they have a manual gimbal option as well. Hope this helps, Trevor
I had a 1621 once
It did not work very well. I tried it during the day and it did not pick up some things that it should have like aluminum boats I could see nearby. I took it back and got a Raytheon. That is just my experience. Yours may be different. My advice is just try it out on a clear sunny day and see what it picks up and what that looks like on screen. Try spotting things close as well as things a little farther away. Do not hesitate to return a unit which does not work to your satisfaction. My opinion - oft stated - forget the gimbal, forget the pole, forget the backstay. Put it on the mast as high as you can and mount it well.
It did not work very well. I tried it during the day and it did not pick up some things that it should have like aluminum boats I could see nearby. I took it back and got a Raytheon. That is just my experience. Yours may be different. My advice is just try it out on a clear sunny day and see what it picks up and what that looks like on screen. Try spotting things close as well as things a little farther away. Do not hesitate to return a unit which does not work to your satisfaction. My opinion - oft stated - forget the gimbal, forget the pole, forget the backstay. Put it on the mast as high as you can and mount it well.
Had a 1621 On A Pole
It worked well at 1.5 KW. In fact, I liked the user interface so well, I went with another Furuno, a 1715, when it came time to replace mine on my 40.5. It is 2.2 KW, so that is a big gain over the 1.5 KW 1621 that worked well enough. It is also on a pole. You will get a headache figuring out which way to go on a mount. Whatever you do, you'll wonder how you got along without it. As to use when sailing, I don't detect a big varience in real-world conditions using a fixed-mount. Rick D.
It worked well at 1.5 KW. In fact, I liked the user interface so well, I went with another Furuno, a 1715, when it came time to replace mine on my 40.5. It is 2.2 KW, so that is a big gain over the 1.5 KW 1621 that worked well enough. It is also on a pole. You will get a headache figuring out which way to go on a mount. Whatever you do, you'll wonder how you got along without it. As to use when sailing, I don't detect a big varience in real-world conditions using a fixed-mount. Rick D.
I have a 1623...
...mounted on the mast between (just below) the spreaders and the steaming/deck light. No interference with the staysail and the Furuno works great. Crossed the Gulf of Maine from Camden to Shelburne NS in thick of fog - never saw a thing - but was confident navigating with GPS + Furuno radar.
...mounted on the mast between (just below) the spreaders and the steaming/deck light. No interference with the staysail and the Furuno works great. Crossed the Gulf of Maine from Camden to Shelburne NS in thick of fog - never saw a thing - but was confident navigating with GPS + Furuno radar.
Stern Pole
A garhauer Stern pole was a great fit for us. Theres a link below to the Archive thread re: this. http://archive.sailboatowners.com/archive/archivepview.tpl?sku=2005075173846.51&forumabr=bb&fno=3&model=none&forum=none&andor=wo&keyword=Furuno&pr=p&ssite=HOW&srt=pdate&start=2&max=100&db=2005&cart=1112805541130809
A garhauer Stern pole was a great fit for us. Theres a link below to the Archive thread re: this. http://archive.sailboatowners.com/archive/archivepview.tpl?sku=2005075173846.51&forumabr=bb&fno=3&model=none&forum=none&andor=wo&keyword=Furuno&pr=p&ssite=HOW&srt=pdate&start=2&max=100&db=2005&cart=1112805541130809
Radar Mounting
I have a 1621 radar and it was mounted on a stern pole and it didn't perform very well, so I moved it to the Mast just below the spreders and it was like night and day.
I have a 1621 radar and it was mounted on a stern pole and it didn't perform very well, so I moved it to the Mast just below the spreders and it was like night and day.
I'm assuming the Furuno 2KW will give you
the same "resolutions" as my JRC MKII 2KW unit. Trevor mentioned the Garhauer pole mount and I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly. If memory serves their pole comes in two flavors, an 8' length or a 10' length with an option for a lifting crane (for your outboard,etc.)cantelevered off the pole. I went with the 8' pole and the installation was really easy. The link takes you to the Photo Forum article I did on the project.
the same "resolutions" as my JRC MKII 2KW unit. Trevor mentioned the Garhauer pole mount and I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly. If memory serves their pole comes in two flavors, an 8' length or a 10' length with an option for a lifting crane (for your outboard,etc.)cantelevered off the pole. I went with the 8' pole and the installation was really easy. The link takes you to the Photo Forum article I did on the project.
Can someone talk dollars and cents?
What's it gonna cost to get a used radar system and what other makes/models were you looking at? Also, what all is involved in installation--besides mounting which has been pretty well-covered here? This conversation has got me thinking about getting one. Josh
What's it gonna cost to get a used radar system and what other makes/models were you looking at? Also, what all is involved in installation--besides mounting which has been pretty well-covered here? This conversation has got me thinking about getting one. Josh
My JRC MKII costs approx $1030 and
the Garhauer "mast" runs about $600. Figure about 8 hrs labor to install everything, running and splicing cables, mounting the display head, etc... If you want to get "fancy" and mount the display in a NavPod on the Pedestal Guard add another #350 to the costs and another couple of hours to snake the cable through the pedestal guard.
the Garhauer "mast" runs about $600. Figure about 8 hrs labor to install everything, running and splicing cables, mounting the display head, etc... If you want to get "fancy" and mount the display in a NavPod on the Pedestal Guard add another #350 to the costs and another couple of hours to snake the cable through the pedestal guard.
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