rhys wrote:
Sidebar question: Am I woefully ignorant on radar implementation or am
I correct in assuming that a target heading directly for one's bow
would be invisible to a mizzen mounted radar due to the three-to-four
degree "screen" of the main mast directly ahead?

A common misconception. If you think about it, you will realize that
the radio energy of flowing off of and being received along the entire
width of the antenna which is much wider than your mast. A healthy
percentage of it is reflected back and to the sides, but most of the
energy just flows right on past the mast. It works the same in reverse
for the reflected energy coming back from a target. Thus, the strength
of the reteurn is reduced, but you are still able to see it. Othereise,
all those boats with mast mounted radars would have a fairly wide cone
to their rear where they pick up nothing.

In answer to Bruce's original question, overall, I like the Raymarine
units. The one I put on my last boat worked so well for me, I put one
on this boat too and like it just as well. I find the JVC screens
harder to see and focus on than the others, but this may just be a
personal thing. Whatever you do, mount the display so that it can be
seen at the helm, not just at the nav station. A friend of mine's radar
is just visible at the nav station and having played radar operator
calling instructions up to him at the helm while dodging freighters in
dense fog on SF Bay, I'm here to say that this arrangement sucks.

Fair winds - Dan