Larry wrote:
Bob Baldwin wrote in news:491f1d8d$0$5486
:

Plus, electronic toys
are always fun, too.


By the way, in case you're having a weak moment while looking at
Raymarine's "Smart Heading Sensor" in some catalog or webpage, I'll let
you in on a secret....we have one.....IT SUCKS.

The Raymarine Compass sensor that feeds it is just as bad.

The OTHER compass sensor on Lionheart is the B&G Network Compass sensor
that's part of the B&G Network PILOT autopilot. It's much more
responsive and accurate as the Raymarine one that feeds the stupid Smart
Heading Sensor. Cap'n regrets buying it.....and it was expensive.

Just in case you spot it looking at electronic toys....(c;

Our GPSes are one old Garmin GPS182 with the chartplotter/charting
sonar, which is now our backup unit, and the Raymarine Raystar 120 GPS
receiver that's built right into the little radome, itself. You feed it
12VDC and it feeds you GPS information back down the same cable. It's
the best piece of Raymarine stuff on the boat.





I assume your using the 2KW Raymarine radar unit, right? The one in the
plastic case with the rubber tit drain in the bottom of it held together
with only 4 screws that doesn't seal?

Just for fun, unscrew the 4 screws and take the cover off it being
careful not to lose the rubber ring it sticks to......

Look very closely at the grey pot metal box the radar unit is mounted
in. Is it corroded up with lots of white powder (pot metal oxide?)? Is
any of the white powder getting on the horizontal circuit boards inside
the box you can see through the holes in it where the wires go into
their clips? Is there any rust, at all, on the little magnetron's soft
iron core, which will eventually short out its magnetics and screw it up
when the core shorts?

Most importantly - Is there any MOISTURE in the bottom of the box in
those little channels in the casting?

We're on radar unit number 4 and it's still working, but I'm afraid to
look inside..... The other ones ROTTED when it rained inside from
condensation.....


Larry,
I had seen various Raymarine heading sensors while searching for a
compass, but I don't know anything about them. I have never even seen a
fluxgate compass for that matter, but have a KVH Azimuth 1000 on order.
I'm hoping it's all I need for MARPA. My boat is a very small 19' center
console with a custom Tops N Towers "T" top. The boat is used only for
recreational fishing.
The radar scanner is Raymarine's 4kw radome with 7 screws that hold
the top down. It seems to seal very well, but I _have_ seen references
to moisture buildup inside the dome from condensation, and I removed
that rubber tit years ago. I have looked inside several times over the
years, and haven't seen any problems yet, but I do know the potential is
there. I have only been on fresh water lakes since installing the radar.
I may even drill a few holes in the bottom of the case to allow a little
air to move through.

Thanks, Larry

bob baldwin
bryan, texas