New RADAR for the DOGHOUSE

Installed a new Furuno 1715 LCD 2.2KW RADAR today in about 4 hours although I still have to connect the interface cable to my Garmin GPS Plotter.The new unit is so small but the picture qualty is great and I hope to try it out and fine tune it this weekend. It's a little hard to see anything when you have nothing but other boats in front of your slip! My older unit sat on a block of teak on the upper deck which was fine as the unit was so big; this smaller cased unit with the same size screen looks tiny down there , I might end up mounting it on top of the dash just behind the windshield port side to mirror my GPS Plotter on top on the starboard side. My only concern is the light it will produce will lessen my ability to see small floating objects at night with the naked eye while underway. Any thoughts?

Jeff

That was my only concern the light is to bright at night you will end up covering it up so you can see in front of you. I think its better down below you dont watch it all the time most of the time you watching targets for movements and just checking on them as you go

Just my opion

Russ

I move all my stuff up to the dash about 8 years ago and love it. Everything has a light level adjustment, so you can make them a low light as you need at night.

I really like the fish finder up top.

My dash
http://www.bocaboard.com/data/512/instraments.jpg

Radar mount
http://www.bocaboard.com/data/512/instament1.JPG

Fishfinder & GPS
http://www.bocaboard.com/data/512/instrament2.JPG

I'm leaning your way ,Mike I just don't like putting holes in the dash for cables!

Finally completed the installation after a couple of rounds with Furuno and Garmin Tech Support. All of my GPS info shows up on the Radar screen however the one item I really wanted the radar to be able to accomplish as advertised is the ability to see a radar target, move the radar cursor over the target and get a lat/lon from the GPS for that target. I found out I need another $600-1000 for and additional NEMA mixer and Heading Sensor which frankly is a little more than I want to spend for this feature. The radar cursor will give a range and bearing from the boat, I just have to transfer that over to the GPS to get a position fix. Oh well, the radar works great and makes 5mph buoys show up like 30' yachts and that's my primary concern.

Jeff,
I read somewhere that you could use your autopolit Heading Sensor, if it has a NEMA output....This is the first time I have heard anything about a NEMA Mixer. Did they give you part nembers for these two items...

Phil

I don't think my AP has NEMA Output but I will check. Yes, they did, the mixer is by Mairns Electric called a Raccoon 22 @ $440 and the Heading Sensor is a Furuno Product, the model# is on my boat @$? Looking @ my Garmin Book, I don't see a HDG NEMA sentence in it's output.