Radar on board
1. The previous reply about earth curvature & short-range use is right on target. Antenna height is probably the biggest factor in any appreciable range increase. Very few pleasure sail boats have enough mast height (or could stand the extra weight that high up if they did) to justify the 4KW power. And, the extra 3db of power doesn't equate to much of a range increase for an equivalent target size, anyway. 2. I'd see how the Catalina factory mounts the radar antenna when they do the factory installations. I'm sure they would be happy to advise you. Most installations I've seen have it on the mast about 2/3 of the way up as a compromise bewteen height and changing the mass-moment of the rig. 3. If you do a pole mount, just ensure the antenna is as far removed from the helmsman's head (and any other electronics) as possible. The electromagnetic radiation hazards at high power levels (i.e., cooking) is well known; less well known are the subtle effects of the lower power radiation levels further removed from the main beam. 4. I really wonder how large an effect moderate heeling might have on the radar signals. Most of these antennas have broad vertical beamwidth, and strive for a very narrow horizontal beamwidth. Therefore, at moderate heeling much of the forward radiated energy is still getting out there. 5. Consider where you are going to need the display before you settle on one or the other. I've used radar on a schooner with a full crew, and having the display at the nav station below made sense. However, on my C320 where I'm usually sailing short-handed, I have that display at the helm where I can use it when I need it the most. Therefore, a display that is waterproof & has good luminance qualities was paramount. Further, I can tie it into my GPS and other instruments. I went with the RL70RC.
