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Radome mounting on E38-200

ddoles

Member III
I'm looking to install radar on my E38-200. In principle, I like the idea of the radome mounted on the backstay with a self-leveling mount. The problem I see is exactly how to mount the support pole without it getting in the way of other stuff, or banging my head on it when seated at the helm. One limitation I see is that the backstay runs just forward of the upper stern rail with almost no clearance between the backstay and the rail. And, I have a hydraulic backstay adjuster that also needs to be accommodated. Have other E38-200 owners mounted a radome on the backstay? If so, do you have any advice or photos to share? If not mounted on the backstay, the other options are stern pole or mast mounted. Any suggestions on these approaches?

Thanks
Dave
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Stern Pole

Garhauer makes a great stern pole with a leveling option.
Given that we have no aspirations for a long one-tack passage at sea, we find that the fixed stern pole mount works fine. But then our radar usage is for overnight passages up and down the Washington coast and down the foggy Straits of Juan de Fuca.

What with the wiring hassles and headsail chafe potential I would never advise a mast installation.

Matter of fact there is a pristine E-38/200 a few slips down from me with a stern pole radar setup, and an E-32/3 nearby with the same stern pole installation (and that one is a Garhauer).

If you look in my album here there is a picture of our boat with its stern pole, for comparison.

Note that the stern pole also let us move the white stern light up in a far better position, and also provide a place for the GPS position locator, a place for the 'boat hook' pole.... and in the future it will have a wifi amplifier antenna. :)

Regards,
Loren

ps: here is a link with a nice discussion:
https://www.panbo.com/archives/2012/03/should_sailboat_radars_be_leveled_and_if_so_how.html
 
Last edited:

Joliba

1988 E38-200 Contributing Member
I’m not aware of a 38-200 with a backstay mounted radar. A stern pole mount can be used for multiple functions as others have noted, and tilting the antenna while heeled may also be possible. Our boat came with a Raymarine mast mounted unit that functions well and has caused no problems with chafe or anything else. The higher location may have some advantage. With the current generation of lighter weight more compact units with smaller cables, a mast mount would be even better than ours.
Mike Jacker
 

mkollerjr

Member III
Blogs Author
We had ours installed on the backstay. It was self-leveling, so stayed flat even while the boat was healed.
 

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ddoles

Member III
Thanks for the photo. This looks like a good set up. Its hard to tell from the photo, but is the pole set up so that the backstay runs through the middle of the pole? Or is the pole mounted fore or aft of the backstay? I've seen on various supplier websites that any of these are viable options to mount the pole, but I'm not sure what would work best on the E38-200. Also, did you have to work around a hydraulic backstay adjuster?

Thanks also to others for the views on other mounting options. All good insight that I need to consider.

Dave
 

mkollerjr

Member III
Blogs Author
A few more photos...

Basically, the wire went through the transom through a water proof fitting, then up the inside of a metal rod which was attached to the backstay and adjuster with u-bolts. Seemed like a pretty solid set up, and it was up high and out of the way.IMG_0504.jpgIMG_1355.jpgIMG_2974.jpg
 
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