Thread: Gen 3 Radar
View Single Post
Old 04-01-2016, 04:37 PM   #6
psneeld
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
No...Gen 3 radars are not a waste of money.

Unless headed offshore these days...I just use a radar app on a smart phone that blows boat radar away...outside of cel range...well yes good radar is nice.

Gen 3 supposedly was pretty limited in range.... Gen 4 good out to 30-40 miles depending on who you believe.

In VERY close...yes the broadband radar is supreme...but plain old digital will allow you to cruise up tidal creeks 100 feet wide and if calm, pick up crab floats and birds.

The absolute most useful feature to me for radar is picking up small buoys in crappy conditions in rough inlets. Fog inshore...big deal I can always stop. But if I have to enter a breaking inlet in rough conditions in limited vis or night...I want to know where those buoys are.

And I can not say without a doubt which is better...and neither can my professional mariner friends with experience with them. So till I get my own hands on one...I went 24 inch, 4kw digital...works for me and was cheaper with the package I chose.
psneeld is offline   Reply With Quote