Dual Radars?

[hiccup]

With the drsa12nxt & 25nxt radars out of stock, I got to thinking about the potential combo of a 12kw x-class combined with an nxt dome. Price is comparable and I'm wondering if this dual setup would give me the best of both worlds--doppler processing for close-in collision avoidance as well as high power for birds and storms.

Is this a good idea? Can the nxt be run at the same time as the 12kw x-class? Can twin tzt3 units display and control both at the same time?

 

[Bayhouse]

Hiccup, what are you hearing on delivery dates for the 25nxt radar? I ordered mine in September last year and was recently told July (ouch). Everything else I ordered has been delivered except for the radar base.

 

[hiccup]

I heard June for the 25NXT and as soon as a couple weeks for the 12NXT. However, I was just told August for the TZT316 screens and then less than a week later they're in stock, so it seems that one hand has no idea what the other is doing so I'm taking all dates with a grain of salt.

Now I'm committed though, so I am going to have to make a decision on the radar, hence my question about the dual radar option which has no cost penalty, adds redundancy, and potentially adds some performance advantages. It may look a little silly though.

 

[Quitsa]

With the drsa12nxt & 25nxt radars out of stock, I got to thinking about the potential combo of a 12kw x-class combined with an nxt dome. Price is comparable and I'm wondering if this dual setup would give me the best of both worlds--doppler processing for close-in collision avoidance as well as high power for birds and storms.

Is this a good idea? Can the nxt be run at the same time as the 12kw x-class? Can twin tzt3 units display and control both at the same time?

I have seen installations like what you describe on larger vessels for redundancy and to gain the functionality of the solid state radar for closer targets. The systems I know about were "add ons" where there was a large open array magnetron radar in place and a solid state dome was added.

I am pretty sure that if you mount the units with appropriate separation, there would be no interference issues that could not be managed by the filters. I know my one friend who has this configuration regularly has both units operating.

Because the radars operate over the ethernet networking linking the MFDs, if you have multiple TZT 3 displays at your helm, you should be able to configure each of them to use one of the two radars as its radar source. I don't know if you can show two radar sources on one MFD.

If you are able to get a DRS-25AX or 12AX magnetron, you might consider installing and using it for a while before you add a solid state dome. They are excellent radars and you may not feel a need for the solid state unit features after using it for a while. The ARPA target tracking works extremely well and is about as good as the Doppler tracking. The solid state radar does work closer to the boat but honestly the magnetron close range is so close that in real life especially if you are moving, the difference has very little practical significance. You won't have the Doppler display that paints targets in red or green depending upon whether they are "safe" but you are getting that same information from the ARPA in a different format on the magnetron units. In fact, although I have a DRS25A-NXT now, I prefer to use the regular display with ARPA and the CPA alarms rather than the Doppler Target Analyzer display. Perhaps an inexperienced radar operator would find it helpful but I miss the added detail of the regular display.

 

[hiccup]

Thanks very much for the reply.

I agree the super close range of the solid state units is of limited value. However, I was thinking the doppler 'target analyzer' screen would be super helpful for in-close use. I find your comments about not even using it very interesting. I have been using radar for a long time as well, so it is making me think twice.

I was somewhat resolved to buy the nxt dome now and wait and see how that went rather than the x-class first. It seems that if I put on an nxt dome and then wanted to swap it out for a 12 or 25nxt later, I could probably sell the near-new dome for only a $500 or so loss. However, the least expensive route to get a good all-around radar (including bird finding) on there would be to just go with the 12kw x-class from the get-go and call it done. Hmm.

Quitsa, after using the nxt for a while now, would you make the same choice or would you consider the x-class?

 

[Quitsa]

Your question is a very close call. The DRS25A-NXT works very well for finding birds, which is a very important attribute for me. I had a DRS12A for several years and it was excellent at finding birds. There are so many variables that it is hard to say whether there was any material difference in performance. Of course I can't do a true side-by-side comparison too know for sure. My 12AX magnetron had a 4 foot array and the DRS25A-NXT has a six foot array, which also makes quite a difference.

On balance, I would probably chose the DRS25A-NXT again if only because if I ever sell the boat, it will be viewed as a "modern" radar and it adds some "nice to have" but not critically important features.. If I were in your situation and could not get a DRS25A-NXT, I would not hesitate to go with a DRS-12AX or 25AX especially if you can spin a 6 foot array. In my book those are the gold standard of recreational radars.

 

[hiccup]

Great feedback, thanks. Your feedback, combined with the availability issues of the 12 & 25nxt units, has convinced me to go x-class. It was experiencing a friend's 6ax with the 3.5' array that was the main driving force to move to Furuno in the first place. It clearly outperformed my Garmin 25kw/6' setup. I'm expecting that the 25ax will make my jaw drop.

This foray back into the Furuno world has been a little bumpy but it is really the radar performance that is driving me to put up with the idiosyncrasies of it all.

 

[Quitsa]

I had one of those 25kW Garmin radars with a 6' array. Might be one of the worst performing radars ever sold to an unsuspecting public.

If you can fit a 6' array, a 12AX will certainly get the job done. I used to see birds easily 6-8 miles with mine at that was with a 4' array. I think you will be very pleased with either one.

 

[hiccup]

I could only find one 12kw and one 25kw pedestal in the entire US. I am still not sure on 4' vs 6' as I need to take a few more measurements on the boat and determine where I would move (at least) one antenna and the anchor light if I go 6'. Obviously I want to make the 6' work but in case I have to go 4' I felt the extra $1k was worth doubling the power so I grabbed the last 25kw pedestal. I will figure out the array size this weekend.

There was a video posted a couple years ago of a 25ax showing land contours at ~120nm. While totally useless, and m that image still sticks in my mind as to the amazing signal to noise this unit has.

 

[Quitsa]

Good move. I painted a line of very clearly delineated thunderstorm cells out 100 miles with the DRS25A-NXT. Not bad for a solid state radar.