boat radar
Submitted by grumpy_jeff on Sun, 2011-10-30 12:54
Have been thinking about a radar for my Haines Hunter 800 for a while, as it seems most 8M boats have 'em...but just aint sure why to be honest. Anyone got any input on the pro's and con's??
Paul N
Posts: 482
Date Joined: 09/11/06
LOL . If you don't know why
LOL . If you don't know why you need one then you probably don't .
grumpy_jeff
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 26/10/11
Gee, thanks for the advice,
Gee, thanks for the advice, would never have worked that one out....maybe thats why i joined this site to access people with more knowledge and experience who might just like to assist others.
Paul N
Posts: 482
Date Joined: 09/11/06
Didn't want to offend . Guess
Didn't want to offend . Guess my sence of humor is not for everyone.
Is that why you call yourself "grumpy"
grumpy_jeff
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 26/10/11
HI Paul, sorry to snap at ya
HI Paul, sorry to snap at ya mate..yeah..you got that right about my nickname..hate the world, but luv babies and small animals though :)
CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
Good if you night fish. I
Good if you night fish. I cruise upto 60km at night due to tides and wish i had a radar as some of the other boaters think having no navlights is a good thing. Almost took out a small dinghy on anchor but likley their two buck tourch caught my attention. Depending on the quality of the radar they can also be used for spotting storms and i,ve heard of people using then to spot flocks of birds diving on bait.
CCC
Terry
Posts: 458
Date Joined: 04/12/05
to see or not to see
If I were to be into night time fishing/boating activities I would most certainly be looking at having radar fitted to my boat.
To be able to 'see' other craft, above water obstacles or channel markers in the dark is a must IMO.
Even when you are anchored up fishing with the radar on you will see approaching boats and take the appropriate steps if necessary.
I think some radars come with audiable alarms to warn of something bearing down .
They are pretty expensive but we dont buy them as toys. Same as epirbs, radios etc.
I had the experience a while back on a 45ft fishing boat comming into the channel and harbour here in Geraldton and the vision on the radar screen was something to behold. I just never imagined that you could actaully 'see' what was up ahead with such clarity.
Buy one and you wont be sorry I reckon.
Terry
Tomcat
Posts: 614
Date Joined: 24/02/11
Same
Been looking myself I think if getting one you need to go for hd digital most are around 2500$ been looking at raymarine only because I have there plotter and sounder I don't do a lot of night work so am not sure if it's justifiable but will keep an open mind
carnarvonite
Posts: 8657
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Worth it
All the new bigger rescue vessels are fitted ith one as part of the electronics package and in our [Carnarvon] boat and its one of the first things turned on no matter whether its night or day.
Magic bit of gear.
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
I believe you can "ping"
I believe you can "ping" spots too without getting too close/obvious
Paul G
Posts: 5215
Date Joined: 12/12/07
Yes that is true And that
Yes that is true And that would depend on if your a wanker or not .
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Paul G
Posts: 5215
Date Joined: 12/12/07
I do more fishing than most
I do more fishing than most im on the water all the time and I would never think of buying one would never get used ,as for spoting other boats coming thats what we have eyes for one should allways be awear of what is around you . Its you money there not for me .
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Lucky Tim
Posts: 2536
Date Joined: 28/11/07
radars are only as good as
radars are only as good as the operator and are just another navigation tool. Just remember not to get too complacent using it. If you rely on it 100% expecting it to keep you safe, like people do with their gps and chart cards, you'll probably end up in the shit.
I haven't used one on a trailer boat but I've heard from guys who have them they wouldn't get them again, trailer boats rock and roll too much which reduces the effectiveness and quality of the return.
Tomcat
Posts: 614
Date Joined: 24/02/11
Good comment
Good to get advice instead of negative comments
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
i've wondered how good they
i've wondered how good they are myself
there are a couple of little poles stuck out of the water only about a meter , a klm or so off OR
poles must only be 60mm dia.
would radar pick these up no prob??
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Not as well as FLIR if
Not as well as FLIR if wsomeone has a money problem?
Lucky Tim
Posts: 2536
Date Joined: 28/11/07
Sometimes they might and
Sometimes they might and sometimes they won't. All depends on sea conditions etc. Sometimes radars won't even pick up boats in poor conditions.
Paul G
Posts: 5215
Date Joined: 12/12/07
No it would not ,only if they
No it would not ,only if they had a radar deflecters on them We used them on the pro boats years back they were big units and on a choppy day you would lose other boats in the area. Ships were easy to see .When we were shark fishing we had marker floats with long bambo poles with a reflecter on them, and some days you would not see them .They were good for getting two points say moore river 15 mile and north end rotto 21 mile where the two cross is were you spot is but you still had to spend time looking around .Throw a float over and criss cross until you found the lump took hours some times. Rain will reduce there range.Was good leaving in the dark with the swell up you could see the banks breaking on them still didn't stop you gettting swomped by a big wave if you weren't carefull
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marble
Posts: 775
Date Joined: 03/09/09
We`ve got a Furuno 24nm dome
We`ve got a Furuno 24nm dome and its not really much use except when its really calm. When the conditions allow I have picked up craypot floats at about 3/4 of a mile, single birds( you could see them with your eyes though) and foot long tuna jumping at about 3/4 of a mile as well . Not bad at night with the zone alarm set, you dont need your eyes glueded to the screen as it sounds an alarm if you get a return in the designated zone you can set anywhere around the boat. Just play with it a bit when you install it, most boats ride slightly bow up and if the dome is horizontal when your stopped then it will miss targets directly infront of you when your travelling.
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barneyboy
Posts: 1392
Date Joined: 08/01/09
As lucky tim suggests
it is a waste of time on a small boat. In saying that they are great on larger boats where the radar can be mounted higher. Iam talking hights greater than 3 metres off the water. They can also make you sterile if you regularly stand less than a metre away from a working unit. Great for staeming long distances!! Scatter on the screen would be your main problem in the smaller boat.
In saying that it is your coin! good luck with the decision.
FEEEISH ONNN!!!
grumpy_jeff
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 26/10/11
Thank you all gents for your
Thank you all gents for your comments. sorta figured it was going to be more on the negative side and these comments confirmed it. I tend to spend more of my time under the water than on it, but do spend a fair time at Exmouth top fishing. Just wasn't sure of the benefits so thought I would ask. Thank you..
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
radar
He's my radar story, I used to fish exmouth quite a bit some years back.There was an old bloke who used to launch a 12ft tinnie from tantas travel down south on the inside of the reef and be back in avery short time with his bag limit of very large fish. We tried following him to no avail he would just enf up going around and around in large circles to give us the bussiness (and he did) he was a very shroud old bloke. We came up with the idea that we would give him an hours start then zome down inside the reef and catch him on his spot before he could move off it. No good he saw us way before we spotted him. Ah ha we'll get a furuno 16nm radar and ping him from a couple of spots from over the horizion and he won't even know what happened. Went to the local furuno agent and asked him this, can the furuno 1623 (i think thats the model) detect a 12 ft tinnie at 8nm reliably, answer no. Every year since then I ask the furuno agent at the boat shows have they improved the capabilities of their radar yet to be able to reliably detect a 12ft tinnie at approx 8nm in calm flat weather. Every year same answer..NO. Now either the furuno man doesn't like to see some one have their spot pingged (and I can understand that, I hate it myself) or or small radars just cannot deliver the goods. They will find bloody great ships that are just about to cut you in too, they will find headlands and lighthouses and (some times large channel markers that have radar reflecters mounted on them.
But they will not allow you to steal someones fishing spot.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8657
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Channel markers
We can pick up all the channel markers [about 500mm diameter and 3-4 metres high] on radar from about 6nm away in a choppy sea and dinghys are a piece of piss in calm water from anything under 4nm with the Furuno set we have on the rescue boat.
nev
Posts: 193
Date Joined: 04/02/09
Furuno
72 mile Furuno radar came In handy John years ago, trying to come into Teggs channel after returning back from Koks . It was fairly pissing down rain , visibility was around 5 meters max . Steered into the boat harbor on radar, decky on lookout. Think it was another flood that year too. Witnessed about 2 or 3 I think , while up there fishing on boats.
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
We have some keen guys into
We have some keen guys into tiger shark fishing. Some guys, a bit pissed late at night were on the radio bragging about a few tigers they had raised. Anyway, a mate with his radar quickly found where they were. Maybe they should have kept quiet, if they had a great spot.