Inexpensive Radar?

[Alastair Longley-Cook]

Has anyone tried the JRC 1000 radar, retailing at Hamilton Marine for $800? Sounds to good to be true.

 

[Steve Dion]

P/S rated JRC1500 as a best buy.

Alastair:I'm not a Radar user so I have NO input personally. Practical Sailor rated the JRC 1500 as a best buy in the Nov 1,2000 issue (Vol 26 no. 21). Price was listed at $999

 

[Don Alexander]

Yep!

I have been using one for over a year.Main use is anti collision and it is just great for this.As with all radars you need to use it plenty in good viz to identify targets so that when the fog comes down you are already skilled at interpretation of the screen images. This applies to the JRC 1000 as well as to any other set.Mine is on a simple 1" diameter bent stainless tube arch ("U" shaped 90" long) over the gate in my pushpit.The arch is just high enough so that it clears the heads of people coming aboard. It is simply secured with jubilee clips to the pushpit and is plenty strong enough because the scanner is so small and light. The scanner height is about 9" 6" above WL.I can always see other yachts at several miles range and ships produce such a large echo that they are impossible to miss (sorry I couldn't resist it).Regards,

 

[Dan and Jane DeBartolo]

JRC 1000

We purchased the JRC 1000 last year. It is great! We interfaced it with our GPS, and that allows us to get GPS info in the cockpit and help determine which "blip" is which mark. I totally agree with the previous post, you need to use it in good visibility to get used to how things echo on the screen.Spend the time getting famaliar with the unit and you will find that you will tend to move between 6 mi range and 3 mi range often. 1/4 or 1/8 for entering the harbor.We have a split backstay and found a mount that is self-leveling, and mounts right on the plate where the splits meet the single backstay. The unit costs less then $600. This year we purchased a 356 and have taken the JRC 1000 with us. The 356 has no backstay so I have a self-leveling mount available if you are interested.RPmac1@aol.com

 

[Craig Steinkraus]

JRC 1000

I have used my JRC 1000 for a year now and it has worked well. That along with a good chartplotting GPS has enabled us to deal with the dense fog that ocasionally blankets the north shore of Lake Superior.Craig SteinkrausC-38 #280 "Wings"