I'm thinking about a $1200 budget radar for a small boat but the
screens are absurdly small. Is there any way to jack out to a 15" pc
monitor? These are $150, run on 12v and you can read them. The video
chip is what, about $6 for manufacturers? Is anybody doing this yet?
Keep bailing, ray.

On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 01:56:43 -0800, ray lunder
wrote:

I'm thinking about a $1200 budget radar for a small boat but the
screens are absurdly small. Is there any way to jack out to a 15" pc
monitor? These are $150, run on 12v and you can read them. The video
chip is what, about $6 for manufacturers? Is anybody doing this yet?
Keep bailing, ray.

Do a Google search on "black box radar".

Not inexpensive but here are some:

http://shop.sailnet.com/product_info...ducts_id/29009

http://www.amazon.com/JRC-JMA-5104-B.../dp/B0002OOYKQ

http://www.mpsadventurer.com/new_page_2.htm

There are big differences between radar displays and PC monitors. One of the
most difficult to overcome is the resolution and aspect ratio between the
two. The second problem is power. DC powered screens are expensive. The
third is intensity control. PC displays do not offer adequate control at low
intensity settings. Next is back glow. PC monitors have far too much back
glow when displaying black. It destroys night vision. Last, but not least,
is moisture resistance. Marine screens are usually IP 66 and ruggedized,
where PC screens have no protection rating.

The price difference is not because of the above differences, which
obviously do add some cost, but is actually created by the volume sold and
the certifications required by most of the marine sales.

Steve

"ray lunder" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about a $1200 budget radar for a small boat but the
screens are absurdly small. Is there any way to jack out to a 15" pc
monitor? These are $150, run on 12v and you can read them. The video
chip is what, about $6 for manufacturers? Is anybody doing this yet?
Keep bailing, ray.

One more point to the assumption that an inexpensive radar will deliver
better resolution with a larger screen, it will not. An inexpensive radar
performs poorly. It is unreasonable to expect otherwise. Before buying a
radar, write down on a piece of paper your minimum expectations as to target
discrimination, the softest target you expect to see and in what sea state.
Then go test the radars available in those conditions. If everyone did that,
nobody would buy inexpensive radars.
Steve

"ray lunder" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about a $1200 budget radar for a small boat but the
screens are absurdly small. Is there any way to jack out to a 15" pc
monitor? These are $150, run on 12v and you can read them. The video
chip is what, about $6 for manufacturers? Is anybody doing this yet?
Keep bailing, ray.

On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 21:53:26 +0100, Steve Lusardi wrote:

There are big differences between radar displays and PC monitors. One of the
most difficult to overcome is the resolution and aspect ratio between the
two. The second problem is power. DC powered screens are expensive. The
third is intensity control. PC displays do not offer adequate control at low
intensity settings. Next is back glow. PC monitors have far too much back
glow when displaying black. It destroys night vision. Last, but not least,
is moisture resistance. Marine screens are usually IP 66 and ruggedized,
where PC screens have no protection rating.

The price difference is not because of the above differences, which
obviously do add some cost, but is actually created by the volume sold and
the certifications required by most of the marine sales.

All good points.

A possible alternative is radar software or chart plotter overlay running
on your laptop. Ruggedized Panasonic Toughbook laptops have screens
viewable in daylight, with less back glow at night (through additional low
light control in software drivers). These are the laptops used by police
officers in their cars, military, telecom field workers, etc.

Matt O.

"Steve Lusardi" wrote in
:

One more point to the assumption that an inexpensive radar will
deliver better resolution with a larger screen, it will not. An
inexpensive radar performs poorly. It is unreasonable to expect
otherwise. Before buying a radar, write down on a piece of paper your
minimum expectations as to target discrimination, the softest target
you expect to see and in what sea state. Then go test the radars
available in those conditions. If everyone did that, nobody would buy
inexpensive radars. Steve



You boys keep this up and some of our Chinese friends will get interested
and deliver you a full range, high resolution 4KW radome that terminates
in a 12V cable and a USB plug with a CDR marked RADAR/CHARTPLOTTER on it
and we can cut the NMEA crap....right out of the circuit.

I'm watching high-resolution digital television on my 15.2" laptop
monitor off a USB dongle that has a USB connector on one end and an "F"
coax connector going up to a little UHF antenna outside as I type this.
Pick the most expensive DTV at Circuit City. That's exactly what it
looks like....for $99....

Radar would be EASY in comparison.....

and probably street priced at $399, maggie and all...After all, Chinese
have perfectly good working 2KW, 2450 Mhz microwave ovens down to $19.95!

They can't be any worse than that damned 2KW Raymarine that's all
corroded up like hell, AGAIN!
Maybe if I mount it on a hotplate I can boil the water out of
it....hmm...

On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:53:19 -0500, Larry wrote:

They can't be any worse than that damned 2KW Raymarine that's all
corroded up like hell, AGAIN!

It's time for a visit to your friendly Furuno dealer. An unreliable
radar is worthless in my opinion. Take a look around at the
professional fishing boats and see what they are using.

On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 18:20:02 -0500, Charlie Morgan wrote:

On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:06:07 -0500, Matt O'Toole
wrote:

A possible alternative is radar software or chart plotter overlay running
on your laptop. Ruggedized Panasonic Toughbook laptops have screens
viewable in daylight, with less back glow at night (through additional low
light control in software drivers). These are the laptops used by police
officers in their cars, military, telecom field workers, etc.

And they start at around $3500.

There are plenty of used and refurb'ed ones available for a few hundred
dollars, still new enough to run modern nav software.

For typical boat use, I'd rather have a used Toughbook than a new anything
else, unless my boat was really big and really dry.

Matt O.

On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:53:19 -0500, Larry wrote:

"Steve Lusardi" wrote in
:

One more point to the assumption that an inexpensive radar will
deliver better resolution with a larger screen, it will not. An
inexpensive radar performs poorly. It is unreasonable to expect
otherwise. Before buying a radar, write down on a piece of paper your
minimum expectations as to target discrimination, the softest target
you expect to see and in what sea state. Then go test the radars
available in those conditions. If everyone did that, nobody would buy
inexpensive radars. Steve



You boys keep this up and some of our Chinese friends will get interested
and deliver you a full range, high resolution 4KW radome that terminates
in a 12V cable and a USB plug with a CDR marked RADAR/CHARTPLOTTER on it
and we can cut the NMEA crap....right out of the circuit.

I'm watching high-resolution digital television on my 15.2" laptop
monitor off a USB dongle that has a USB connector on one end and an "F"
coax connector going up to a little UHF antenna outside as I type this.
Pick the most expensive DTV at Circuit City. That's exactly what it
looks like....for $99....

so what do you call this miracle product? This only works in big
cities, right?

Radar would be EASY in comparison.....

and probably street priced at $399, maggie and all...After all, Chinese
have perfectly good working 2KW, 2450 Mhz microwave ovens down to $19.95!

They can't be any worse than that damned 2KW Raymarine that's all
corroded up like hell, AGAIN!
Maybe if I mount it on a hotplate I can boil the water out of
it....hmm...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:53:19 -0500, Larry wrote:

They can't be any worse than that damned 2KW Raymarine that's all
corroded up like hell, AGAIN!

It's time for a visit to your friendly Furuno dealer. An unreliable
radar is worthless in my opinion. Take a look around at the
professional fishing boats and see what they are using.

No, Larry just likes to turn any thread into whinging about Raymarine. He's
addicted to his suffering, we're supposed to suffer along apparently.