DRS4D-NXT not detecting birds within eyesight

[Skyhawk]

The DRS4D-NXT radar was installed a few month ago along with TZT3 12 inch display. At first the radar worked good with returns of vessel and even birds within 1-2 miles. Now it does not detect any birds even within eyesight. It still paints other vessels within a few miles. I tried every setting possible setting but it doesn’t make any difference. I spoke with a tech recently and we verified the software version. Also, I asked if my outriggers located behind the radar and VHF antenna would cause interference and reduce the reception. He suggested enabling blanketing. I enabled it, but that didn’t help. I did notice when blanketing was enabled it still painted returns in the area that should have been blank. I understand that this is a low power solid state system but shouldn’t it paint a flock a birds within eyesight?

Below is how radar is mounted on TTop.







Below Returns showing up in blanketing area


Thanks for your help,

Mike

 

[Johnny Electron]

Large outriggers and any metal that a radar can bounce off of and directly back at your receiver is a potential problem. Yours don't seem that must of an issue. Looking at the install, the radar is a too far back on the hard top. This is causing it to pick up more items on your aft and also contributes to the front beam hitting more objects on the boat from the front. I would recommend moving it forward on the top. After moving, I would put in sector blanking to the aft just in case then take the boat offshore. Once offshore I would conduct a hardware factory reset from the radar menu. Put in sector blanking, put the radar into Auto COASTAL mode and see how it runs then. If good, you might try slowly removing the sector blanking. While you can always run manual operations, the auto modes are subject to the signals it gets back. If you have lots of reflections it can throw the auto filtering and gain completely off. By default, the radar auto mode is setup for ADVANCED. Coastal mode designed to support areas with more land returns is more tolerant of higher returns. Once a radar is cranked up the filtering and lowered gain due to reflections you have to either run manual gain and clutter or reset it and stop the reflections as much as possible.

 

[Skyhawk]

Hi Jonny, thanks for all the info. I will do the above mention reset and mods to the settings. I agree on Moving the radar forward but that will not be an easy task. The TTop is covered with canvas and the welded radar mount plate is positioned afterwards from the factory (Contender boats). If u zoom in the photo you can also see a low profile light bar installed underneath the elevated radar with the forward leaning pedestal. I don’t believe this light bar has any performance reduction since it’s underneath and outside the beam.
Johnny, again many thanks for your input.

 

[Skyhawk]

Running radar in manual mode. Much better. Thanks Johnny!