Help! Mounting radar on hardtop - Sailfish

[dstarok]

I am waiting for my new Garmin GRM18XHD radar to be delivered so I can install it on my 1989 25' Sailfish 252G. Does anyone have any experience with a radar installation on this boat? I'm wondering what kind of mount you used, if any, or did you mount it flat on the hardtop. I do trailer the boat so I might not want to raise it up. I'm not sure if I need to tilt it, to get optimal performance, without having the boat in the water and checking the angle the hardtop is at while underway. If someone has already figured this out for their installation, please let me know how yours is installed. Also, I need to decide what to do with my all around navigation light. Any experience you could share would be great!
Thanks,
Dave

 

[ROBERTH]

I did a lot of research on this and looked at a lot of boats in marinas and on lots as well as discussed affects.

For me, I was hitting trees constantly with original mount on pedestal. So needed to lower it. I was running right at 13'6" limit on trailer with pedestal.
I removed pedestal, moved radome forward and flush and the way the top pitches on this model, it leaned forward just perfectly as if I was using a wedge.

It has been excellent and can still see prop wash when running on radar from aft view, so nothing lost here.

I purchased a new LED anchor light with I think 24 inches so it would be seen above the radome. The original was too short and this has worked out very well fo r me. I have since seen some others that put theirs even further forward and it overhangs the front edge, but don't see that as necessary unless you need to move it that far due to stuff behind it in the way.
Pics of both before and after:

 

[fishbust]

Use a low, angled pedestal or wedge as a minimum.

Boats run bow proud, so a level dome will increase your blind spot forward. You want to be able to see in front of you. Radar's purpose is collision avoidance. Anything that increases your blind spot, increases your chances of hitting something in dense fog.

Traditional radar systems have a larger natural blind spot than the newer tech broadband system that Robert has, so alignment with traditional systems is more important.

 

[dstarok]

Thanks for the replies! I put the boat on the water to get an idea of how the hardtop orients to horizontal. Looks to be much like Roberth's layout. The forward part of the top sits at about -2 degrees downward tilt while idling (off plane.) On, plane it looks to be about + 2 degrees tilt. Im thinking that's splitting the difference pretty much and will try that installation , flat, with no wedge or lift. I too want to keep it as low as possible since I trailer the boat and already hit tree branches with NO radar up there.
Thanks for the info, I'll give a report on final installation. Looks like I will also be putting the aluminum support raceway between the overhead electronics box to the console to make running the connection to the Garmin 840xs on the dashboard easier, and simplify any future needed wire runs. ( amplifier and more speakers! Yes!!)
Thanks,
Dave

 

[ROBERTH]

True fishbust. For this grady model, the hardtop is sloped from center forward and to sides. I found the tilt was perfect with flush mount and the attitude the boat runs with. For the broadband, I can see a few feet forward of the bow, anything on the surface of the water.
I think Dave will be good with the Garmin. The further forward, the more tilt.

 

[Pez Vela]

No two situations are identical, but for my trailering with a tower this has worked out swell.

 

[dstarok]

That's a real nice setup!
Thanks.
Dave

 

[ROBERTH]

Looks very nice indeed! If I had that on mine, I would have ripped the light off by now with the tree limbs.
Even last weekend pulling boat back home from coast for a couple of weeks to do some upgrades, I had several tree limbs in the boat and wrapped around hardtop and that is with flush mount.

I am good mostly down at the coast with exception for a couple of trees that I have to go in the other lane to get around. At home, I hit some trees in the subdivision. Last year, I had them raise the power lines in front of my home as I was hitting them also. I think it was phone lines as power was higher up.
For us that trailer, this is a real problem. Seems city/counties don't keep up with the 13'6" for trees in our area.

Got to try and call them sometime and see what they can do.

By the way, I put a canvas outboard motor cover over my radome when travelling to protect is from the scratches and other type of damage. So far, it works very well.

 

[Pez Vela]

Thank you. That's a home made hardtop for my tower (which you can't see in the pic). The light and dome are the least of my worries. The tower goes 14' 6" or so and and tops out well above the light. I hate it when I get wherever I'm going and there's berries and leaves and twigs and bird's nests in my cockpit. And yes, I've taken down one power line when I strayed my from tried and true routes. Our city is broke, so the tree trimming isn't getting done on my only way in and out of my neighborhood. As a result, I'm constantly changing lanes to avoid the overhanging tree limbs which come at me alternatively from the left and right. Other drivers exhibit great disdain at what they perceive as an absolute nut job weaving all over the place for no apparent reason. It has actually become somewhat of a sport for me. While being passed going uphill, I used to point my finger up at the tower by way of explanation, but that was misinterpreted and didn't go over too well.