Donut around the boat 90% of the time

[chtucker]

I can't seem to get rid a the donut radar return around my boat. It is there 90% of the time with no rhyme or reason. I have adjusted the gain up and down, main bang suppression from 0 to max, rezboost from none to max.

Running DRSDNXT with Timezero V4.1 pro..

Any thoughts/help? I know of another boat with the same issue...Photo is from a few winters ago...

 

[kicker]

Hello,

Can we get a picture of the screen?

I am not too familiar with the Nobeltec Timezero software but I would double check and make sure your radar [auto sea mode] setting is set to "advance" and not "coastal". Might give Nobeltec a call if you can't find that setting. But a picture can be helpful if you can provide one.

 

[chtucker]

Sorry I took just a snip of the screen with the donut showing. It doesn't change/go away when I change the range. It doesn't go away when I adjust the main bang suppression

 

[Quitsa]

Did you try doing a hardware reset on the radar? How about reinstalling the radar unit's software (I assume it is running the latest version?) It looks from the colors as though you are in target analyzer mode -- do you see it at all times including in other modes?

I have to say that does not look like the main bang that I see on my radar if turn the suppression off, though that might be because I have a different model solid state radar (DRS25A-NXT). Also on my radar the main bang circle gets larger or smaller depending upon range setting, which you said is not happening on your display. It becomes invisible if the range is set above 3-4 miles regardless of whether main bang suppression is on or not.

Is there any chance you can get access to a regular TZT 2 or TZT 3 MFD that you could put on the network to see if the issue is somehow related to the Time Zero radar module?

 

[chtucker]

1) I have not tried doing a hardware reset- will do
2) The donut is there in target analyzer mode and in "normal" mode
3) The ring does not disappear with any main bang suppression setting

4) I could probably beg for TzT2 or 3.. I am not a pro and don't have access to "extra" equipment.. I do have good friends though. The donut was NOT there with my TZT9" which croaked and was beyond economical repair. I have friend who seems to be having the same issues.. I don't recall if he running a mixed TZT/Timezero or TZT2 and Timezero. (If anyone from Furuno Camas is listening- I would be ecstatic if I could run down and borrow something)

Keep the thoughts coming as this is pretty frustrating.

 

[Taniwani]

Looking at your pictures, and relating the donut size to the Mukilteo breakwater length, the donut in the picture has radius of about 0.1 nautical miles. That would translate to about 0.6µs and suggests the donut is inside the main bang area. Would be interesting to see the donut size at different range settings, maybe that could give a further clue.

With a 'conventional' radar, the display side software would blank out the signal for the duration of the main bang and the adjustment helps you find the optimum to not exclude echoes just outside that time frame. In in that case it would be obvious to assume the problem is with the TimeZero software.

As far a I know, this is different with the NXT range of radars where all signal/image processing supposedly happens right in the scanner unit. The blanking would happen in the scanner and the display side would just pass on the setting.

The fact that changes of the main bang setting have no effect at all, may mean that these settings are not passed at all and the scanner operates at the minimum. - Just a guess.

As I said, it would be interesting to see donut size (in miles or meters) relative to the range setting.

Also, if you get your hands on a TZT display, it may be interesting to see if it works fine with it, and if it does, whether the donut also disappears on TimeZero PC. That would go along the theory that the scanner is configured wrong from the TimeZero side, and once configured from the TZT it would be showing a proper image on both.

 

[chtucker]

Maxsea has recommended that I restore to default settings- Can't hurt, but I believe I have tried that...

In retrospect, This radar was connected my TZT9 for over a year and I never had this issue. I am strongly suspicious that this is a Timezero issue...

I hope to get out today in between some work. Tomorrow is looking like a small craft advisory... Lots of debris already in the water... It might have to wait a few days..

 

[chtucker]

I am leaning towards this being a Timezero issue and not a Furuno NXT issue. I did not have these issues when the NXT dome was connected to my TZT9. This is a bit frustrating and I am posting it here in hopes of some insight/resolution. I have opened a ticket with Nobeltec and I have posted on the TZ Facebook users group.

Thanks for the help if you can..

 

[chtucker]

More screenshots

Youtube link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FCmw3LSUe8

 

[chtucker]

TZ support for the win!

It has to do with how I zoomed in on the chart, but did not change the radar range. TZ support was able to replay the issue with my log files, change some settings and fix it. Gory details available via PM if needed.

Definitely not a Furuno hardware issue, just a nuisance in Timezero that I was not familiar with. Thanks Furuno for letting me air this out here, even though it was not a hardware issue. (operator/software issue)