electronics choices

Karl · Jun 2, 2005

Radar/Chartplotter

Hey Gerry,I just added radar/chartplotter to my 40.5. After checking around to see what others liked and disliked, I ended up with a mast-mounted radar antenna. I liked the idea of keeping my transom clear. As for the display, I wanted it near where I needed it, so I bought a Navpod case and placed it right behind the wheel. That way it was easy to reach, and could be read while steering the boat.After trying other boatowner's electronics, I ended up buying a Raymarine C80 with a 24 nm antenna. For me, the Raymarine was the easiest to learn, and had great features. My two suggestions are that you try and keep with one brand as much as possible to avoid integration problems, and shop the net to get the best deal. I ended up saving a lot of money over what West Marine wanted, just by doing a little work.

Franklin · Jun 2, 2005

chart Plotter

Is my most used of the two (CP and Radar). I use my radar to help find the big ships in low visiability, but the CP I use all the time to determine distances, SOG, Best angle to reach destination the fastest, things to avoid such as oil rigs/pipes and shallow areas (lots of those here). When I leave my local grounds, sure, I'll buy paper charts, but the first thing I will buy is CP charts. It gets rid of all the guess work...and no matter how good you are a navigation, it's still guess work. In fact, I read an article about a great and experienced sailor who was 50 miles off course and almost got really lost at sea.Of course, since I will rely so much on a CP, I have a handheld GPS as a backup. One may go out, but I doupt both will in the same trip.

dutchess · Jun 10, 2005

in the process of mounting

we have a 90 35.5 and decided on new eletronics as well. we are at the install process now. here is my big mistake. the radome is installed about 3/4 between the spreaders. the cable comes in 15meters. it is to long to end up at the mast step. you cannot buy female/male connectors. we therfore had to splice the radar cable in the dome and attach. this was the first mistake. second, the tubing on the deck, through the step mast, is not wide enough to for an extension cable to past trough. once again another splice had to be done. third, the distance to the helm from the deck mast in approx. 35 feet or 15 meters. raymarine dose not make a cable this long. you need to buy two extnsion cable 5 and 10 meters to make the distance. with all that, i cannot imagine not loosing some tolerance on the radome even though the splices were resolder by the best.the right fix would have been to be more patient since i made quick decision and wanted mast re strepped and the boat back in the water right away.Fixes:First buy a ten meter extension cable. splice one end at least a 2 feet from the connector. use this for your mast. take the end of your original cable (15m) that comes with the dome and have the pins re-attached to the 10meter extension so that there are no splices. this gives you a nice clean run to the end of the mast.Second you should have the original 15meter cable with one end spliced. start from the helm and fish this back to the mast decking. it will be easier than trying to fish the larger extension connector to the helm. run under the steering box in some type of jacket back to the starboard batteries. then chase the battery cables to the motor. looking down toward the motor,on the starboard side is a channel which runs under the floor decking and up to the eletric pannel. there you can chase the radio cable back to the mast decking. pull the spliced end up through the tubing channel and resolder the connector from the 10 meter extension cable you cut off. pull the cable back through the decking and re cualk the tube closed. Finished, you have now saved yourself from buying and additional 5 meter cable and only one splice. i would expect the tolerence to be much better. let me know if this helps, as tomorrow we will try to finish the c80 install at the helm with sea talk to the auto helm and depth finder. p.s. run a RAM mic to your pod as well. it's cheap and will follow the same run as the radome. good luck frank

electronics choices

gerry17139

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Karl

Franklin

gerry17139

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dutchess