Radar Installations
Seldom is a radar scanner installed without other antennas and equipment sharing
the same perch high atop the boat's radar arch or mast. A blending of function, form and strength is required.
Our installations are guaranteed to withstand Category 1 hurricane force winds and is often stronger than the equipment
installed on them. Each design is custom built to the boat and equipment it will carry. Clean lines and a minimum
of exposed wiring make for easy maintenance. Convenient serviceability is designed into each installation.
This radar was installed on a Beneteau 40. Eventually the
installation incorporated a wind generator, floodlight, various antennas, and mast steps for serviceability. The
mast was constructed of a boom section from a larger boat and custom painted to match the vessel's main mast. It
is anchored securely in the transom. Guy wires provide additional support. Wiring is concealed inside of the mast
protected from sun and abrasion. This particular installation survived a close encounter with a bridge suffering
only paint damage and a small dent. Later I found out it survived unscathed from a brush with a hurricane in the
Bahamas. Note the radome's height above the boom. It is important to provide a clear signal path to insure good
resolution of small, close-in targets. Radars that are mounted high on the main mast often overshoot the close-in
targets you really need to see in zero visibility. Channel markers and buoys are good examples. The desired height
of the radome or scanner should enable small close-in targets, as well as storms and ships, to be seen clearly.
Sailboats have a particular problem with leveling the scanner. A sailboat under
sail heels to extreme angles sometimes. This has the effect of sending the signal off into space on the windward
side of the boat, and deep into the ocean on the leeward side. Targets are lost or obscured. A self leveling hydraulically
dampened radar mount can significantly improve performance. The cost is more than conventional mounts but well
worth the investment.