luc wrote: " I have a race boat, and want a radar, but as small and
light as possible"

Luc,

Your concerns/focus are misdirected if your going to focus on small and
light. With a race boat, if your going to do it at all, you should make
it (a) worth doing, e.g. insure your going to get performance you can
use and in doing so consider a 4kw unit (better to see other sailboats
most of which have an unbelieably weak radar return) and a color
chartplotter (radar overlays gps map) to make it more probable you can
make use of the image (b) focus on insuring the radar unit dosn't foul
the sails or add to much weight aloft, e.g. consider mounting the radar
on a pole (adds even more weight) off the stern or mount off the
backstay or if on the mast put a ring around it so your sails or
halyards wont get caught on it, and (c) realize that the weight of the
radome is really inconsequential compared to the mounting hardware and
chartplotter, and inconsequential compared to distorting your wind
instrument results in light air or choppy seas if you mount it high up
in your mast (at a minimum it needs to be a couple of feet above your
boom, so your boom dosn't get caught in the radar return)

My next radar is going to be 4kw, because I am just amazed how my 2kw
can get a strong return from a childs mylar baloon sitting on the
surface of the sea, and is entirely blind to 40 foot and smaller
sailboats, as well as many motor boats.

One thing I am glad I did with my radar, is put it on a self leveling
mount, so I can use it under sail.

Dan





luc wrote:
I read in Practical Sailor about radar, and their reccomendations were
the Furuno 1715 (? I think), and not rated as good was the 1623. I
have a race boat, and want a radar, but as small and light as possible.
While sailing aboard Derek Baylis, a Wylie Cat 65 this past weekend, I
asked the captain what he thought of the 1623, since that is what was
on board. He answered that it was the worst piece of junk for a radar
he's ever seen, and he has much experience. Here I was ready to buy
one, but now not so sure about the 1623.

A few questions. Is there another small radar that is good? Is the
quality of the radar directly related to the size of the radome? What
are the pros and cons of locating a radar on short mast aft, as many
cruisers have, or on the main mast of a sloop?

thanks for any help,

Luc