Has anyone installed a radar on a E-27?

[Jeff Asbury]

Has anyone installed a radar on a 1973 (or there abouts) E-27. I have been told I would have to step the mast at great expense, so now I am looking into putting a radar mast on the transom. Please advise with pros & cons. Also interested in where to put the screen. I have a Furuno 1622 with a 15" dome.

Thanks

Jeff Asbury

 

[Jim Payton]

Jeff,
I have an E26 that had a radar dome when I bought it, but someone had stolen the screen and computer parts as the boat sat waiting for a new owner. I was left with just the dome and cable that had been cut. The dome was mounted on the starboard speader and the cable was attached to the outside of the mast and ran along the top of the cabin with clips that screwed into it. I removed the dome and cable and left the clips because they didn't seem to be in the way of anything. If I make it down to the slip this weekend I'll take a picture of them so you can see. Two reasons I've not replaced the radar are money and money. I think when I get around to replacing it I would recomend using a tower on the stern or stepping the mast in order to put the cable inside the mast and keep it off the top of the cabin.

 

[Loren Beach]

Radar cables are the size of your thumb -- lots of little wires in there. I have noticed that others boaters went thru a lot of hassle to run that cable inside their mast, and quite a few of them opted for an external run. This looks rather crude in most of the installations I have seen, and UV will degrade the cable cover.
I kinda prefer the stern pole mount. Our boat came with one, and the majority of boats at our club that have added radar the last 5 years have gone with stern post mounts.
If I replace our post, I will stay with the stern location. (The first owner had a large-section aluminum pole used, thick wall, and way heavier than needed.)
I will get down further into my "to do list" someday and replace it with a carbon fiber pole. Probably by that time the original (1988) Apelco radar will fail and I will be replacing it anyway...

Are you planning a swing-out bracket mounting at the companionway so that you can read the screen from the cockpit? It seems like that would work well when you are sitting forward by the cabin, steering at the end of the tiller, under the back of the dodger on a nasty day.


Please keep us informed of your progress. Thanks.

Loren

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Thank You Jim and Loren,

Good advice from both of you.

As much as I hate the way the stern mast looks, that's probably the way I will go because of cost, and it will be easier to maintain. I would love to see a photo of a swing mounted radar screen in the companion way if any one has one to post.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[Loren Beach]

Radar Post picture

FWIW, here's a pic of our boat with stern post.
Loren

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Thanks Loren, Beautiful job on a beautiful boat in a beautiful location. I used to live in Seattle. Is that a 80's E-26? My transom angles inward.

Jeff

 

[Jason]

Thread brought back from the dead...

Was out in rough seas on Lake Michigan...

Waves were 4-5 feet in height, but swell period was just right, it got this nice oscillation going. Radar tower bent the mounting plate and broke the back half of the weld. It is an aluminum post.

I could have it repaired, but if I hit the right conditions, it will happen again.

I could shorten it - any other good ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Loren Beach]

Jason, Can you post up a picture of your installation?
Last year a friend put a new post with a Furuno radar on the stern of his e-32/3 and is braced two ways with supplied ss bracing tubes. I doubt that it would move much in any seaway...
It is a Garhauer assembly.
My thickwall aluminum post, OTOH, is so over-built that I almost believe I could pick up the Olson with it!
Loren in PDX

 

[Jason]

I would if I could find my spendy digital camera

Got my new boat and can't take any pics...

Since I know I didn't lose the camera, I'll blame the wife or kids

I'll find it soon enough...

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Shrouds

I made stays for my radar for just that reason. I will post photos tomorrow. I haven't really seen shrouds on other boats but they work for me. When I first mounted the radar mast, I watched it bounce around a couple months and came to that decision.

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Radar on my E-27,

Radar on my E-27,

I installed the Fruno 1622 now no longer available, $950. on sale during the no tax weekend. I believe the new model is the 1623. I mounted the display with a swing arm from WM, $59.00. For the radar mast I purchased the Edson kit, I believe it was about $450.00. You can buy all of the Edson components separately. I think a SS mast is available but I went with the cheaper aluminium mast. After about two months of watching the radar mast bounce around slightly, I decided to have my rigger make stays. See the pics. I installed a pad eye on the top of the transom and one on the port gunwale near the front stanchion on the stern pulpit.

So for under $1500. I got my eyes for the fog and night. I felt it was important since I sail out of the busiest Port on the west coast. The system works flawlessly. Saved my butt a few weeks ago when I had to get back for work and had to head into fog with only 50 yards visibility.

Hope this helps.

 

[NateHanson]

Are you guys worried about the adverse affects of a heavy rig on the stern of a small boat? How much does a mast like that weigh? I'd think the advantages of a mast-mount rig would be less vulnerable to damage, less weight astern, a higher mounting, and a lot less movement, providing better radar performance.

 

[treilley]

Backstay mount

Mast mount increases weight aloft and can be a PITA when tacking. I never liked the look of the stern poles(sorry Loren, personal preference). I made my own backstay mount for my Pearson 28. I have since moved it to my E35-III. Check out the link in my sig for photos.

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Hey Nate,

I have no worries at all about my 3 year old stern mount radar now. It is actually very light. I was able to lift the mast with the dome in place by my self. It couldn't have been more than 15 or 20 pounds at the most. After researching all the pros and cons this was the logical decision. I think a pig pro is it will be much easier to service in this location. The readings I get are just like you would see on a mast mounted unit. My boat shows up on the screen in the center as a dark circle just as the others do.

 

[WillSlaymore]

Has anyine installed a radar on a E-27?

Hey Jeff,

I enjoyed the pics of the "Pride". I noticed that you had a triangular shaped attachment halfway up your backstay. Other than the E27 I bought last fall, I have not seen one. Can you tell me what its for? I bought her from a maritime funding organization, so I never met the previous owners to ask them. My vessel, "Gypsy Dancer" has a two foot transom extension. Is this common with 27s and what advantage do I gain, if any? Oh, since this is really about radars, I have a Vigil and haven't decided on a location for the antenna.

 

[Jason]

Jeff,

Thanks for the pics.

What hardware do you use to mount the shrouds to the pole and to the hull?

Any close up pics of these?

Also, have the shrouds ever been "in the way" when trying to do anything to the boat?

Thanks!

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Answers

I will answer Will's question first,

"I noticed that you had a triangular shaped attachment halfway up your backstay?" Will, I have a split back stay. What you see is a piece of hardware that connects the two stays that go to the two chain plates on the transom. Then it connects to the main back stay about eight feet up. I have seen E-27's with and with out this set up. I believe it must have been optional or was offered at different model years. It is possible to add purchase a back stay adjuster to this rig. I just haven't had the need.

Jason,

I used small simple pad eyes to connect the stays to the hull with. I also put backing plates underneath. Where the stays connect at the top is on the Edson base mount for the radar dome, there are several holes on it to connect what ever. Edson also makes a platform that attaches under this base so you can attach VHF & Satellite antennas to.

Never had a problem with them being in the way.

Hope this helps.