Radar and radar arch

Road King Cole · #1 09-21-2010, 07:06 AM

Well I was out fishing the other night and thought I would use my radar. Haven't really used it that much and thought it would be a ideal time to get more acquainted with it.

Well. its an old old model and the display is not illuminated.

I was like wtf, what good is that? Sure, it could be nice when you are socked in in fog, but I probably wouldn't head out to begin with in such conditions.

So I am thinking about removing it and selling it. The arch gets in the way when fishing and makes it a pain to cover up.

whatdya think?

Blue_Runner · #2 09-21-2010, 08:49 AM

If you don't use it much and it makes life harder, I say sell it and use the money to buy something you will use alot. I used to want an arch strictly for the rocket launcher rod holders to get the rods I'm not using up and out of the way. Now I don't necessarily think it'd be worth it to get just an arch. A hard top w/ rocket launchers would be the way to go. My problem is 1) I'm building a shop w/ 10' tall garage door and 2) the local lake where I boat has several LOW bridges. I can navigate most of em at full pond but the water has to be down 3 ft to get under the other 2, and that is with no top. I like being able to quickly fold down the bimini to get under the bridges.

macojoe · #3 09-21-2010, 10:10 AM

I bought a Radar this year and its all installed, Know how many times I used it this year..........NONE!!

I used it one or to days but like you to just to get to know using it

I never had one in the V and in the last few years I have been in the fog so bad that I not even see the bow! Just take your time and use your GPS

I vote SELL SELL SELL you can up grade GPS to something really nice!

Airslot · #4 09-28-2010, 08:28 AM

Radar is a funny thing. Once you get used to it, you'll never want to be without. As for illimination, what model do you have. I have an old CRT Furuno, and you use the BRILL button to change to brightness of the display.

I don;t use mine in the bay often, bad weather or low llight, but it is on every trip in the ocean. Use it to spy other boats that may be around, especially wreck fishing. I can tell if someone is on my wreck, allowing me to change course and head somewhere else. If trolling, and I see a knot of boats working a smsll area fives miles away...there is usually a reason :). Tracking storms is another big plus. Lots of uses but these are the most common for me.

Road King Cole · #5 09-28-2010, 10:28 AM

Not sure what model, will have to look when I get home, but I am pretty sure that the radar (as well as me) has no brilliance adjustment.

I might just leave it on for now as I don't have that much free time. Not sure when I will even get out on the boat again (if I even can again this season)...unless I can get an extra day off from work sometime. I need to catch a striper, a BIG striper...we'll see.

Traveling to NJ this weekend for work...

macojoe · #6 09-28-2010, 10:52 AM

If you get time and start fishing more areas put there you will want it at times!
The Vineyard is not to bad, but I have been there when I could not see the bow of the boat!!
Chatam is were you will need it, there are times that the fog never leaves all day!

I just got mine end of last season and did not use more the 2 times this year so I have a lot to learn!

Blue_Runner · #7 09-28-2010, 01:35 PM

I've heard of some folks using radar to find concentrations of birds swarming above hungry stripers but that may just be some of the higher end units, I don't know. That would be cool.

Road King Cole · #8 09-28-2010, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue_Runner

I've heard of some folks using radar to find concentrations of birds swarming above hungry stripers but that may just be some of the higher end units, I don't know. That would be cool.

Yes, that would be cool!

Makes sense...maybe I need to play with mine more...

RWilson2526 · #9 09-28-2010, 02:59 PM

Other than fog of course one of the best applications I saw radar used was that Tuna trip I went on with a friend of mine....of course in a 20' boat you wont be out 40 miles but we were out there and could here a handful of boats catching tuna on the VHF...my friend called out on the VHF to see if anybody would be so kind to give us a heads up to where they were ( it was a Monday so we thought we had a chance of somebody calling us in) and got nothing but crickets on the other end.....the other guy on our boat said "turn on your radar dumb ***"....bam...they they are!

Blue_Runner · #10 09-28-2010, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWilson2526

....of course in a 20' boat you wont be out 40 miles

And why not?