Raymarine Doppler Radar

Does anyone have a Raymarine Doppler Radar on their boat and if so what model is it and how do you like it!

I have the Quantum 2. It's OK, there are occasions when the Doppler feature lights up some thing which might otherwise go unnoticed if you weren't paying attention. If upgrading systems or installing new, sure I'd do it again. But if I had a perfectly functioning Raymarine from last generation or even two back, not sure I'd jump at the chance to dump the cash. It isn't a huge leap in function. The ARPA is a little more solid in tracking when conditions are marginal. The target discrimination is better but not night and day. At close range is when you notice it most. It draws considerably less power which is usually not a problem on a motor boat. It powers up more quickly from idle, which is nice.

I had the last analog 18" on the sailboat, replaced it with the HD digital, a small improvement, and now the Quantum 2 on the power boat, another small improvement. I may replace the sailboat one again just because the weight and power are so much less. Be aware that it does not work with older Raymarine chartplotters.

The ARPA function would be nice but if you have land in range it confuses it to the point it has to be turned off.

I have had the Quantum and Quantum 2, with the 2 being the doppler version. I would agree with DDW - if I already had a good radar, I wouldn't jump to the Q2 right away. The difference between them is not that big.

One thing I would stay away from on either model is the WiFi only version. My original Quantum had tons of issues connecting wirelessly to several es series displays and all of my Axiom displays during its use. I know a thing or two about WiFi, and the Raymarine folks were stumped for a long while until a magic firmware update fixed it. Go cabled all the way if you care about reliability at that point.

I am definitely a fan of the newer doppler features both from Raymarine and everyone else. I'm fitting my current boat with a different manufacturer over the next month and am looking forward to comparing some of the doppler and ARPA features. I think having more situational awareness where a dangerous target is more clearly defined is a great thing.

stevemitchell said:

One thing I would stay away from on either model is the WiFi only version. My original Quantum had tons of issues connecting wirelessly to several es series displays and all of my Axiom displays during its use. I know a thing or two about WiFi, and the Raymarine folks were stumped for a long while until a magic firmware update fixed it. Go cabled all the way if you care about reliability at that point.

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Just offering another data point: I've had a Wifi-only Quantum for a year and have had no problems. Distance from the scanner to the Axiom is about 25 feet through one deck and a hardtop.