Unlevel Self-Leveling Radar Mount
 

I'm down in Guatamala installing a Questus hydraulically damped
self-leveling radar mount for a new RayMarine radar. Not that it
matters, but this was a back-stay mount version for which I made an
adapter to mount it on a radar mast. That part works fine. For an
idea as to how the radar is mounted, see:
http://www.questusmarine.com/2kwradars18diameter10.html

When I mounted the 2 KW radome, I found that it was tilted about 5
degrees. When I placed a 2 lb dive weight on the outer edge of the
higher side, it leveled out. It appears that the weight of the radome
isn't equally distributed.

I really don't want to place anymore weight on the mount, so I was
thinking about bolting the radar platform so that it was level. The
arm will be at a 5 degree angle, but I'm not worried about aesthetics.
However, I am wondering if the dome will remain level at all degrees of
heel. My physics are pretty rusty.

So, all your people who remember your physics, how about engaging that
portion of your brain for me!

Thanks in advance, Geoff

Geoff:

I would be really surprised if an offset center of gravity on the Raymarine
scanner was your problem. It looks pretty symetrical inside to me. Two lbs
to level it out- no way!!!

But what can affect how the radar scanner lays at rest is if the mount is
not square and inline to the centerline of the boat. If it is off then the
Questus will tilt a bit to balance out.

David

Did you try it with radar rotating?

Paul
www.jcruiser.org
wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm down in Guatamala installing a Questus hydraulically damped
self-leveling radar mount for a new RayMarine radar. Not that it
matters, but this was a back-stay mount version for which I made an
adapter to mount it on a radar mast. That part works fine. For an
idea as to how the radar is mounted, see:
http://www.questusmarine.com/2kwradars18diameter10.html

When I mounted the 2 KW radome, I found that it was tilted about 5
degrees. When I placed a 2 lb dive weight on the outer edge of the
higher side, it leveled out. It appears that the weight of the radome
isn't equally distributed.

I really don't want to place anymore weight on the mount, so I was
thinking about bolting the radar platform so that it was level. The
arm will be at a 5 degree angle, but I'm not worried about aesthetics.
However, I am wondering if the dome will remain level at all degrees of
heel. My physics are pretty rusty.

So, all your people who remember your physics, how about engaging that
portion of your brain for me!

Thanks in advance, Geoff

The Radome weighs 14 lbs. To guess that it's off by 2 pounds isn't
unreasonable. Let's not discuss the fact that it's not balanced. It
isn't. The plate that the radome sits on is semitrical. The
centerline to boat is not an issue. The Questus mount should be level
irrespective of position of the radar mast with the centerline of the
boat. If the boat is heeled at 20 degrees, the entire boat is at 20
degrees.

-- Geoff

On 17 Jan 2005 18:23:06 -0800, wrote:

The Questus mount should be level
irrespective of position of the radar mast with the centerline of the
boat.

======================

I read his reply a little differently, thought he was raising the
issue that the rotating scanner inside the dome might affect the
balance depending on how it stopped. As someone else asked, have you
tried it with the scanner rotating?

I feel like this topic has degenerated into a discussion of whether or
not RayMarine has produced a radome which is balanced along an x/y
axis. Let's just assume that it isn't based upon my imperical
evidence. The dome weighs 14 Lbs and that's approximately distributed
as 8 lb on the starboard side and 6 lb on the port side. This is not
an exact measurement nor is my estimate of a 5 degree tilt to one side.
It's a guess, but it's real.

Regardless of the actual weight or angle, the real question is whether
or not the pendular offset will remain constant at all angles of heel.
If you look at the photo which I referenced before (
http://www.questusmarine.com/2kwradars18diameter10.html ), you'll see
that the center of effort (perhaps the wrong term) is 1" to 2" below
the center of rotation of the gimballed mount. From that attachment
point, the arm holding the radar platform extends about 11" and is
offset about 5 degrees from perpendicular to the horizon. If I attach
the the radar platform such that is parallel to the horizon when the
boat is not heeled, will it remain so when the boat is heeled to either
side? I think so, but was just checking my logic.

Please note that I'm in Guatemala and Internet access is iffy. Please
just try to work with me and answer this based upon the data provided.
-- Geoff

The tilt is side to side, not front to aft.

-- Geoff

Something is seriously wrong with the installation to require that much
weight to balance a gimballed system. The manufacturer should be consulted
before any modifications are made to compensate for so great an error. In
order to use the same language when discussing the problem, you might
consider the following genrally accepted descriptions.

Univ Marine Slang (bad)
-- ---- ------ -----

X ROLL HEEL Lean

Y PITCH RISE Tilt

Z YAW HEADING Point

\ |
\ |
\|
X -------------
|\
| \
| \
| \Z
Y

Best regards,

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, Virginia


wrote

I'm down in Guatamala installing a Questus hydraulically damped
self-leveling radar mount for a new RayMarine radar. Not that it
matters, but this was a back-stay mount version for which I made an
adapter to mount it on a radar mast. That part works fine. For an
idea as to how the radar is mounted, see:
http://www.questusmarine.com/2kwradars18diameter10.html

When I mounted the 2 KW radome, I found that it was tilted about 5
degrees. When I placed a 2 lb dive weight on the outer edge of the
higher side, it leveled out. It appears that the weight of the radome
isn't equally distributed.

I really don't want to place anymore weight on the mount, so I was
thinking about bolting the radar platform so that it was level. The
arm will be at a 5 degree angle, but I'm not worried about aesthetics.
However, I am wondering if the dome will remain level at all degrees of
heel. My physics are pretty rusty.

So, all your people who remember your physics, how about engaging that
portion of your brain for me!

Thanks in advance, Geoff