wrote:

snip
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.

Is the tilt front to back (fore and aft) with the front higher? If so
you may have the perfectly designed mount.

A typical mounting wants the radar higher in the front so that lower
edge of the the cone shaped radiation pattern is placed a little more
out in front of the boat. Check the Raymarine manual for more specifics
on this and don't forget, you want to mount a little nose high for the
typical or average underway waterline level, not the level that you get
dead in the water.

So, all your people who remember your physics...

I never had any of that. :-) Good luck!


--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

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

-- Geoff

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

-- Geoff

Sounds like a few stainless steel washers between the mount tray and the
radome housing on the low side would fix the problem then.

Up here in Maine we would use a piece of Cedar shingle. ;-)

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

Jack Erbes wrote:

Is the tilt front to back (fore and aft) with the front higher? If so
you may have the perfectly designed mount.

A typical mounting wants the radar higher in the front so that lower
edge of the the cone shaped radiation pattern is placed a little more
out in front of the boat. Check the Raymarine manual for more specifics
on this and don't forget, you want to mount a little nose high for the
typical or average underway waterline level, not the level that you get
dead in the water.


I think you have that backwards - if anything you want the radar to tilt
slightly down. By tipping up, most of your forward signal is radiated
upwards where is serves little purpose. Since you already have a fairly
large upward radiation (half of you signal if level), tipping upwards
just reduces your close in signal.

The Raymarine instructions recommend level for sailboats, and tipped
slightly downward for power boats that squat (or raise the bow) at
speed. Since most sailboats also squat at speed, I'd go with the dipped
slightly down for all boats, but increase the downward tilt if you like
to power at high speed in the fog!

Jeff Morris wrote:
snip
I think you have that backwards - if anything...

Thanks Jeff! I recalled having read about the mounting angle in the
manual numerous times, I just relied on memory to recall what it said
and failed.

The recommended installation is for it to rotate parallel to the
waterline at cruising speed.

I hate it when I have a fifty-fifty chance of being right and get it
wrong, you can't hide behind the difficulty or the numbers. :)

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)