DRS12A VS DRS25A

I'm wondering if you can explain some of the major differences in choosing a DRS25A over a DRS12A? I'm not going to see 96 miles so why go with a 25 unit over the 12. I understand the resolution is better with the more power, but is it significantly better to justify the cost?

Thanks in advance

Long range/power has more to do with spotting bad weather storms at a distance or used to pick up very small weak targets (like birds) at a further distance. The better the resolution and power the better the overall picture and seeing small items sooner.

Here's my two cents as a long-time user with experience with a variety of units. A 12kW radar with a 6 foot open array would be preferable for most purposes to a 25kW unit with a four foot array. It is primarily the width of the array that determines target resolution, not transmit power. For purposes such as spotting flocks of birds while fishing, a 12kW unit with a 6 foot array will generally provide better results than a 25kW with four foot.

A 25kW with a six foot array will help identify birds at longer ranges. Still, there is a limit to how much benefit you get since the 12kW will spot birds out 4-8 miles in my experience with no problems depending upon the size of the flock and how high they are flying off the water. Unless your boat is really fast, are you really going to run more than 6-8 miles to follow birds over fish that could easily have moved on or gone down by the time you get there?

In any case, if you have the space and the budget, you will see a performance difference between a 12kW and 25kW if you can mount a six foot array.

Thanks for the reply. It will be on a large sportfish with a 6 foot antenna. I wasn't sure if the advantages justified the added expense. I would think the 25kw draws much more power than the 12kw especially with all the other electronics connected to the same battery.

Per the specifications, the power draw is only about 20% more for the 25kW so I would not let that control your decision. A lot of the power is going to the drive motor spinning the array, which is the same on both.

To me the question is whether you do a lot of fishing of the sort where being able to spot birds is important. If that is the case, probably the 25kW is worth the extra cost. For navigation, collision, avoidance, or spotting thunderstorms, the 12kW with a six foot array will be an excellent, high performance radar and the difference in going to a 25kW is not going to be very meaningful.