Radar Mounting Options

[rejackson73]

Greetings,

I'm looking at replacing my C80 plotter with a newer model, and adding Radar to my 38' sailing vessel (Quantum). From my discussions, there are two common options for mounting the Radome.
1.) Mount on the mast - this seems to be the most common solution. I have concerns here as my genoa seems to beat the [censored] out of my steaming light, and I fear it would do the same to the radome.
2.) Mount on a stern pole - There are several reasons I'm not keen on this idea, including the cost and real-estate.

There is a third option I would like to explore, mounting on the Dinghy Davits. I won't have the height, but I don't necessarily need to look out 75 miles either. Any advice out there?

Rob

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Rob,

The three most common methods of mounting a radome on a sailboat include the following:
- mast mount
- backstay mount
- pole mount

Radar operates on line of sight and the formula for computing radar range is (1.22 nm x square root of the Height of Target) +
(1.22 nm x square root of the Height of Radar Antenna). The advantage of mast mounting is height, which in turn translates into longer range. Each of these methods has respective advantages and potential disadvantages. As hull layout, rigging, and sail clearances will vary with each boat, it is recommended that the boat's manufacturer as well as forums dedicated to your boat's design be consulted for radome mounting recommendations.