Adding radar to Fisherman 222

[GWFM222]

I am adding radar to my 2005 Fisherman 222. Looking for any input regarding mounting dome to the t-top and if the wiring in the electronic box fuse panel can handle the added load of the radar dome and chart plotter.

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

Do you have a t-top with fabric, or hard panel?
On a sturdy hard panel t-top you can bolt it in the panel, if fabric you need a stable base what may be already there.
You would need to make holes in the fabric what is suboptimal, find a way to avoid long term ripping there.
You may have build a kind of sturdy car roof bars attached to the aluminum tubes as base for the dome.

Dome radars don't use that much power as in earlier times, i don't expect that it will blow the main fuse for the fuse panel.
However you may connect the power cable directly to the +12V pole on the fuse panel or make a dedicated power line after house battery switch for the radar.
Chris

 

[GWFM222]

Do you have a t-top with fabric, or hard panel?
On a sturdy hard panel t-top you can bolt it in the panel, if fabric you need a stable base what may be already there.
You would need to make holes in the fabric what is suboptimal, find a way to avoid long term ripping there.
You may have build a kind of sturdy car roof bars attached to the aluminum tubes as base for the dome.

Dome radars don't use that much power as in earlier times, i don't expect that it will blow the main fuse for the fuse panel.
However you may connect the power cable directly to the +12V pole on the fuse panel or make a dedicated power line after house battery switch for the radar.
Chris

Thanks Chris. It is a soft top and agree make as few holes as possible. The fabric is pretty tough but heating up a punch and sliding through the hole after drilling melts the fabric to stop the fraying. Luckily Grady (not surprising) has an aluminum 4” wide by 1” thick bar running the keel line to help with the mounting. My plan is to utilize some starboard to raise the dome for clearance versus a bigger aluminum mount. Not sure if I am overthinking this or not as I have seen a lot direct mounted to both fabric and hard tops.

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

The Stamoid kind of tarp on my Venture 34 tower was sandwiched between two starboard sheets where the openarray radar was to reduce fraying and that held for 20 years.
Your fabric is most likely Sunbrella or a similar fabric and it is tough and resistant, but i would do the same, between two plates with rounded edges.
Chris

 

[GWFM222]

The Stamoid kind of tarp on my Venture 34 tower was sandwiched between two starboard sheets where the openarray radar was to reduce fraying and that held for 20 years.
Your fabric is most likely Sunbrella or a similar fabric and it is tough and resistant, but i would do the same, between two plates with rounded edges.
Chris

I agree thanks for the help.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Grady e box is usually fed with 10 awg. It runs lights/spreader lights( get LED spreaders!!!) /VHF/ maybe an MFD

IMO you should run the radar power to down to the main terminal blocks with with the provided cable and inline fuse.
I'm assuming your 22 has +/- terminal blocks that feed a fuse panel and feed the dash panel.

You might only have a fuse panel. In that case, go with that. It is usually fed from the batteries with a 6 awg feed.

Don't feed it from a switch on the switch panel. The switch panel buss also feeds all its circuits from a single 10gauge main feed.


The reason is to prevent voltage drops when you use the radar AND other things like transmitting VHF or running pumps

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

IMO you should run the radar power to down to the main terminal blocks with with the provided cable and inline fuse.

Yep!
Can be easy or a pita, choosing a unused pipe straight down to console can make it much easier than using a pipe with cables already in.

Chris

 

[GWFM222]

I am going to work on installing the radar today. There’s a second fuse panel in the electronics box I believe fed by the main fuse panel in the console. My plan is to increase wire and fuse size as needed to the electronic box panel for overall ease.

Over the winter I changed all the lights to new LED matching fixtures. So my electric draw is minimal.