Need Help Chosing a Radar

[IslandYacht]

I need a radar and now would be a good time to install it as the boat is undergoing other maintenance. I went to the St. Pete Strictly Sail Show to get some ideas but there was only one vendor there and they were into big, elaborate electronic systems.

The basic conflict is between a 'simple' 18" monochrome LCD system at about $1,500 or a 'combo' radar/chart plotter at $3,500. I would go w/ the combo except that the nav cards they use are proprietary and very expensive. I think that some time in the near future it will be possible to use the free NOAA charts w/ at least one brand of chart plotter. Also, I don't like the combo thing in that one bad transisitor can shut down both functions.

I went to the Furuno (my preferred brand) site and truly wish they had a 'buy this one' button. I was left confused as to whether one can buy just a radar or all but the simplest systems come w/ chart plotting as a standard feature. Also there didn't seem to be any mention of MARPA which I would like to have if possible.

I'd appreciate any guidance in this 'quest'.

[rleslie]

We purchased a Furuno 1724CNT NavNet vx2 (uses c-map) and we love it!! You are correct......Furuno only makes the color Radar as a combo radar/plotter. We put our unit at the helm and our old Garmin, that I never use, at the nav table.

You can purchase the 1724CNT for $2318 from pyacht.com

Roger

[swagman]

We have the combo plotter / radar but Raymarine e series and mounted in the cockpit. Backup with 2nd unit below deck - and third GPS handheld.

After a very foggy month down the Potuguese coast I can't rave on enough about the values in overlaying the two views on one screen - nor the value of MARPA (or the Raymarine 'ghosting' facility) when avoiding heavy traffic.
Cheers
JOHN