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Old 01-31-2012, 09:43 AM   #1
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Radar

I have a Furuno radar* that isn't displaying the sweep on the screen. I can hear the unit rotating inside the dome, and all other functions seem to be normal. Any Ideas?

thanks

steven

1979 Hershine 37
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Old 01-31-2012, 10:00 AM   #2
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RE: Radar

Have you checked all the to do things in the manual.

*Gain and so forth.

if all thet stuff in the book checks.

Attach a anchor swivel to the whole thing and there you go.

You have to use these things. Lack of use shortens life greatly.

SD

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Old 01-31-2012, 10:06 AM   #3
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RE: Radar

Quote:
skipperdude wrote:
... You have to use these things. Lack of use shortens life greatly.
*I*run*the radar even if I'm not leaving the marina.
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Old 01-31-2012, 10:10 AM   #4
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RE: Radar

Yeah, I was afraid of that. The boat show is going on here in Seattle maybe I should go shopping for a deal. thanks
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Old 01-31-2012, 10:12 AM   #5
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RE: Radar

Yessireebob! If you have one.**Run it.
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Old 01-31-2012, 11:22 AM   #6
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RE: Radar

I would certainly have a technician check it out before attaching the anchor swivel. It may be repairable, as Furunos seem to last forever.
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Old 01-31-2012, 05:56 PM   #7
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RE: Radar

Quote:
steven wrote:
I have a Furuno radar* that isn't displaying the sweep on the screen. I can hear the unit rotating inside the dome, and all other functions seem to be normal. Any Ideas?
While I don't know if the newer generation Furunos have this (we have a relatively new Furuno but I've never bothered to see if it has this function) some radars if not all of them have a way to defeat the transmission of a signal even though the antenna is rotating.* This is a maintenance feature.* On our old Raytheon it was a waterproof switch on the underside of the radome.* I got caught by this once--- bumped the switch to the no-transmit position and then like you wondered why I could hear the antenna rotating but there was no sweep or returns.

It may be that the newer radars have this feature but now it's menu driven rather than being a basic switch function.

The good news for you is that you are in the PNW where Furuno has a very good factory service center.* So if the radar is still a serviceable model and you can't find anything in the manual to help you, you could send it to Furuno themselves pretty easily.

You might want to have a good radar shop take a look at it first, however, as it may be something that's fairly easily fixed.* I can give you the name of a good tech in* Bellingham but I've had no experience with any shops in the rest of Puget Sound except Lunde Marine Electronics in Seattle who, at the time we dealt with them many years ago, were considered the top electronics shop in the city.
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Old 01-31-2012, 07:03 PM   #8
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RE: Radar

Harris Electric in Seattle is a good outfit and knows Furuno.
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Old 02-01-2012, 05:24 AM   #9
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RE: Radar

I have owned 2 Furuno radars. BOTH have had the motor that runs the antenna go bad.* The last one I could hear a noise that SOUNDED like the motor was running. However with the dome off I could see it was not turning the antenna.

So that is my suggestion..look inside while it's running to see if the antenna is sweeping.

The motor is between $100 and $200.

*

*
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Old 02-01-2012, 06:15 AM   #10
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RE: Radar

We have an older Furuno radar that was showing (or not showing) similar symptoms. I called Furuno in Camas, WA and talked to tech support.* They had me go through several tests and they*ended up replacing the magnetron.* The magnatron*is a replacement part based on the number of hours that you have on the unit.* I don't remember the approximate numbers but they do where out.***Furuno talked me through the menu to get the hours.* I was*able to see how many stand-by hours vs running hours the unit had.* The radar is back up and running for less than 1/4 the cost of a new unit.* You can email them or call.*

As far as always running your radar, it is mechanical, you will shorted it's life by running it all the time.* I'm not saying don't periodicly use it, but why run it it all the time when you're cruising in fair weather?
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Old 02-04-2012, 10:16 PM   #11
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RE: Radar

Who here thinks navigation rules require you to use radar if it is installed and operational? Rule 7- Risk of Collision. It seems to me that you must properly use it.
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Old 02-05-2012, 04:41 AM   #12
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RE: Radar

Quote:
xfedex wrote:
Who here thinks navigation rules require you to use radar if it is installed and operational? Rule 7- Risk of Collision. It seems to me that you must properly use it.
*Here's the first line of rule 7..

*Every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists. If there is any doubt such risk shall be deemed to exist.

We normally don't use bow lookouts even though they may be appropriate in pea soup fog.* I doubt the USCG is going to beat up the average recreational boater for npt using RADAR on a clear day.* If they were going to...they would also extend the requirement to have a trained operastor on watch when using it...they know all too well the average rec boater can barely turn it on let alone use it wisely.

Mark makes a good point...unless you pull the dome..the motor can be turning and it could be the belt is slipping/broke (at least on some models).* There are lots of reasons RADARs don't show a display...most newer ones show a message on the screen and the troubleshooting guide gives a hint to what direction to work towards.
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Old 02-05-2012, 10:18 AM   #13
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RE: Radar

I have a 14-year old Furuno 1731 Mark II, 4kw with a 24" dome.* A couple of years ago the sweep would intermittently not show on the screen, though the antenna was turning.* I removed the dome cover, and found a bit of moisture inside.* Years earlier there had been a small crack in the dome, which I had fixed with Marine Tex.* Apparently I had not cleaned out all the moisture, or not cleaned/siliconed the mating gasket well enough when re-assembling.

There was a bit of corrosion covering part of one of the wires leading to the magnetron, sorta glueing it to the adjacent metal frame.* I figure it was due to the moisture.* Cleaned that up, pulled the wire slightly away from the frame, made sure the magnetron was tightly screwed in place (for some reason it seemed a bit loose when I looked at it), and voila!* The sweep display has been consistently functional, and maybe even a bit sharper, ever since.
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Old 02-05-2012, 05:04 PM   #14
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RE: Radar

Mr Neeld, thanks for pointing out the first line of rule 7. I think I may change my interpretation.*
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Old 02-05-2012, 05:30 PM   #15
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RE: Radar

Steven:

How old is your radar? My boat looks about the age of yours, and came to me with an old Furuno, the kind you have to put your face into a mask-like frontpiece to see against the daylight. When it failed, I had a tech come out and he quoted me a few hundred $ to fix it, and was quite unenthusiastic. He claimed the unit, once fixed would then be worth a couple of hundred $. The boat show was the next month. I now have a JRC.
You may want to get an estimate of its value, as well as of the cost to repair.
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Old 02-05-2012, 05:53 PM   #16
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RE: Radar

Have the radar on whenever I'm awake underway or in the marina.* Rely more on visuals, GPS, and fathometer,*but find radar helpful for finding the ends of breakwaters.* (Haven't done any*night-time operations yet: unless it's dark or there's limited visibility, radar is of limited importance.)* Every few minutes look out the pilothouse's rear windows to see what may be coming up from behind.
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Old 02-06-2012, 10:40 AM   #17
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RE: Radar

I pulled the dome off and the antenna is turning just fine, although it seemed a little noisy but that could be because it was now uncovered. plugs and harnesses all seem to be secure in their places. Not sure of the year but it does not have the face mask. Since we usually don't travel in fog and as yet had no reason to travel after dark it's not the first thing on the list, however my mate doesn't like the sound of things not working.
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Old 02-06-2012, 10:42 AM   #18
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RE: Radar

Quote:
xfedex wrote:
Who here thinks navigation rules require you to use radar if it is installed and operational? Rule 7- Risk of Collision. It seems to me that you must properly use it.
Depends on the interpretation.* The USCG people I've talked to in the past used the same interpretation that Scott used.* "Appropriate"* means just that.* If it's "appropriate" to be using it, then you should be using it.* If it's not "appropriate" that you be using it, then you don't have to use it.

Some people interpet the rule to mean if you have radar (or whatever other means of collision avoidance) it should be on whenever you are running the boat.

But "appropriate" doesn't mean "must."* A synonym for "appropriate" can be "suitable."

Now, if you are involved in a collision on a clear day and you did NOT have your radar operating you could be found to be partially or fully at fault in tne accident.* Why?* Because since you had a collsion, and since radar might have helped prevent the collision, then the use of radar in this instance would have been "approrpriate."

So whether or not you elect to use radar is dependent upon the degree of risk you are willing to take.* We use ours most of the time not because we are worried about a collision but because we want to stay current as to how things look on the display.* So if we have to transition from visual steering to steering on instruments it's a no-brainer transition.* We have had to do this on numerous occasions over the years and because we are totally familiar with the radar display and interpreting it is nothing at all for us to enter a fog bank and simply keep on truckin'.*

We also use the EBL and VRM indicators on the radar to confirm our course vs. another vessel's where we think their may be a conflict (although it's very easy to determine this without the use of radar, but it's a good thing to practice we think).* This is particularly the case with commercial vessels like tugs and whatnot.* Even though we may be the stand-on vessel we always give way to a commercial vessel if it's going to be even remotely close, even if it's just a small tug travelling without tow as we encoutered yesterday.

But there is no rule that says (if you accept the USCG interpretation we were given and that Scott has defined, I believe, correctly) you HAVE to have your radar on at all times.* Only at those times that YOU deem are appropriate to the conditions.
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Old 02-06-2012, 04:34 PM   #19
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RE: Radar

Quote:
markpierce wrote:
*Every few minutes look out the pilothouse's rear windows to see what may be coming up from behind.
******* That's one of my main reasons for using the Radar! It's a damn good rear view mirror!
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Old 02-06-2012, 08:11 PM   #20
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RE: Radar

Radar is far more likely to tell you there is a fish boat on a collision course with you than is AIS, (see AIS thread) as they usually wont have AIS.

Using your radar in bright sunlight will keep you familiar with the appearance of objects you can confirm visually, so when you have to use it, in fog or dark, you will know what you are looking at.
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