Radar Installation

[LUNDINROOF]

As mentioned in my first post on this forum last week, I just ordered a new (2008) 283 from my local dealer. I installed and reinstalled all the electronics in my first two Gradys and because of budget restraints, will install them in this one.
To date my experience is limited to GPS, Radios and fish finders but I am considering getting radar this time.
I think I am going to use the Garmin 4212 base unit because I am familiar with the Garmin line and it looks like a good unit for the price.
Question? Can I install the radar myself or do I need a technician. What Problems might I encounter if I do it myself?
BTW, I joined this forum a week ago and have learned and un-learned an awful lot about maintenance and repair of boats and motors. Thanks to all you guys that share your knowledge with the likes of me.

 

[ElyseM]

if you feel you are proficient enough to install and uninstall the components you listed, you're probably good for the radar also. the garmin is plug and play and you are only dealing with two wires -- power and network. i would go onto the garmin site and read the installation instructions for the unit you are interested in. i think you will probably agree with me. the hardest part of installations that i have encountered is running cable. you will need two people to mount the dome/array for obvious reasons. there isn't a lot of setup in the headunit. what you will have to do you need to get comfortable with anyway since you will most-likely be playing around with the settings as you use the radar.

something to consider when you install. when i put my 404 in, i left all of the sheathed radar cable in the overhead radio box. i took off a power lead from the radio box buss and installed the power converter right there. that left me with only having to run a garmin network cable from the helm up to the radio box. it's a lot easier to work with. you will need a small garmin network connector in the radio box (not an expander - unless you're putting other stuff up there). ron

 

[BobP]

You can add the radome yourself, no calibrations nor special instruments needed, it's all plug and play.

Decide if you want to mount directly to the top or on a stand, drill and seal well the 4 holes and route the cable down to the head unit and fire it up.

The holes should be symetrically positioned along the centerline of the hardtop such that radome is not rotated. You can draw a line on tape down the middle first.

While the boat is at rest in the water, radome to be level or slightly tilted down, never tilted up. Look at other boats in the local marinas for ideas and notice positioning.

When you get done and turn it on there should be a simple check to see if alignments are ok of the installation.

Garmin has very nice well supported trouble free products, at very good prices.

 

[LUNDINROOF]

Many thanks to both of you for your advice. I wasn't sure if there was some special calibration needed or if a mistake could could make the eggs in the frig next door fry. It seems like a easy installation except for running the wires.
Looks like I can save the $800 they wanted for installing the equipment.

 

[catch22]

Yes... you should be able to do it yourself.

If you purchase a bundle, the only seperate item you'll need is a transducer. Other optional items to consider are... a stanchion mount for the antenna and, as Bobp mentioned, a radar mount.

I did a 4212 bundle install, (with hd radar) a little over a year ago. Very nice unit.

Nice thing about the 4000 or 5000 series is, they include 3 network connectors, (on back of unit).

Enough to support -
1 a ff, (gsd-22).
2 radar, (gmr-18/24 hd).
3 weather, (gld-30).

So you shouldn't need a network expansion box, (gms-10) unless you add a 2nd display.

The gps antenna, (gps 17) gets hardwired, (spliced) to the units nmea 0183 wires.

As Bobp mentioned... all of the devices, (network) connections are "plug and play". They are ethernet connectors, (like a large phone jack). You simply plug one cable end to a device and the other to the back of display, (4212).

Not sure about all Garmin radar units, but on the gmr-24 hd that I installed, the radar cable had only one locking ring in place, (attached to one end) and included a seperate 2 piece, split locking ring, for the other end. This makes it easier, (smaller) to route the cable through rigging pipes, holes, etc. When your finished routing, you simple assemble the 2 halves of the locking ring around the cable connector and tighten it up.

They also provide a field kit, (rj-45) incase you have to cut a connector off, route it and re-attach the new connector. That's only for an extreme case, where rigging is very tight. Hopefully you won't get into that cause it's a little tricky with Garmin's cables.

The gps antenna, (gps-17) can be flush mounted, right out of the box. Or you can use the threaded adapter, (included) and use a stanchion mount, (not included).

Also... every device needs it's own + and - power connection, (even the antenna). All devices have an inline fuse.

Good luck.

 

[catch22]

Some Garmin manuals, (pdf);

#4, 4212 installation - https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/manua ... 8&pID=8114

Page 9 shows the antenna, (gps-17) nmea 0183 connections.

#5 is the owners, (operating) manual.

#1, GMR 18 HD radar installation - https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/manua ... &pID=13489

#1, GSD 22, (ff blak box) insatallation - https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/manua ... 62&pID=288

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

I installed twin 4212's on mine and did it in one weekend. The key to this is to have all the materials in hand ahead of time and plan rthe install at home. The only problem i came across was one of the radar mount s/s bolt( is not a bolt really, is like a a small threaded rod) would not mount properly, i called garmin and send me another one with the same problem, so order a couple extra of those(no it was not the nut in the radar housing). I got the radar base with the twin mount(looks like boumerang) onr for the gps antenna and one for the weather antenna.

Now, as far as my AP28, i can't get it to work even if my live depend on it .......................
I'm very happy with whole Garmin system, the radar is amazing, it picks up a singlr bird flotting on the water, that sensitive. The chart plotter is very good, accurate, very quick changing screens and very easy to set/use it. The fishfinder is so,so even with a 1K thru hull(i liked much better the raymarine E series fishfinder i had before).
Also, make sure you look for updates, they have updates like almost every month. Good luck with the install.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Oh, one more thing, i lust notiched you got the 283(pop up electronics box), make sure you get a roto zip tool to make the cut out(s), i found the best bit to cut fiberglass was the bit that cuts tiles(get a few), then to cut the plywood under it(3/4" thick, dont know why?) use a jig saw, exept the top cut close to the lid use a saw zawl with a long wood blade(you already cut the fiberglass with the roto zip and tile bit). Make sure you seal the openning where the arm comes out with some blue tape, other wise you will be vaccuming shavings for a year(don't ask how i know that).
This is what i did to hold the hatch up(don't have three hands) while doing all the connections in the blind.(Make sure you write somewhere what each port in the back connects to).

 

[BobP]

Sweet setup!

NEM, can you be more specific on FF performance?

I'm due for new (big screen) electronics, figuring one big 4212 will get the job done split screen for FF and GPS only.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Sweet setup!

NEM, can you be more specific on FF performance?

I'm due for new (big screen) electronics, figuring one big 4212 will get the job done split screen for FF and GPS only.

Nothing is wrong with it, but in my opinion Raymarine and Furuno are a bit better and more accurate. On this unit, a lots of times i'm on top of bass school and shows nothing ?????
I keep telling my self to ask the dealer with what bottom paint they painted the ducer.(No, i don't have it on demo mode :lol: )

 

[BobP]

Thanks, to see nothing over a school is not good. May be a problem.
Correct settings in place? So many settings on these machines, miss my old Sitex 106, just turn it on that it's.

If you drop a line off the stern with an 8 oz sinker to the bottom, does it track the sinker drop from the boat down ?
My Raymarine used to, no longer, something is going on.
I figured a new system would solve it w/o investing in the older system.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

It will see the line with the sinker. I usualy have everything set on "auto", so this way less playing around and messing it up.

 

[ElyseM]

It will see the line with the sinker. I usualy have everything set on "auto", so this way less playing around and messing it up.

i think you may need to play with the settings. the auto range is working nicely on mine now that the upgrade came out. however, i find the auto gain is way to sensitive. when you start messing around, the clarity of the returns is really impressive (at least to me). i have the gsd22 w/ an m260.

i'm no expert, but everytime someone posts a screen shot of a furuno or some other make on tht, i look at it and i see the same thing on my garmin. i don't understand what the complaints are. ron

 

[Gman25]

I do recall after installing my NavNet VX2 I had to calibrate my radar. I had to place a target directly in front of me and if the target wasnt right on the 12 oclock line there was a way of shifting the image so it was.

 

[catch22]

I do recall after installing my NavNet VX2 I had to calibrate my radar. I had to place a target directly in front of me and if the target wasnt right on the 12 oclock line there was a way of shifting the image so it was.

Yea, I think all radars have that adjustment.

Like you said, just head straight toward a fixed target, (buoy, tower, etc) and adjust the heading line.

The chances of you lining up the radar perfectly "ahead", (when mounting) is pretty slim.

 

[LUNDINROOF]

Nothing Else Matters

Your pictures show a great installation and a professional job. This may become obvious to me after I pick the boat up, but where did you run the antenna and power wires from the hard top to the console? Did you use one of the pipe columns as a conduit?

 

[BobP]

That's just a visual check to see if you installed the radome in line with the centerline of the boat.

You get in front of you a straight bulkhead, beach line, jetty, whatever , and position your boat pupendicular to it from the distance, and see if you have a line level across the screen, if it is isnt level, you adjust by pushing buttons to compensate for it and make it level. Nothing special instruments are needed for, 1,2,3 simple.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Re: Nothing Else Matters

Your pictures show a great installation and a professional job. This may become obvious to me after I pick the boat up, but where did you run the antenna and power wires from the hard top to the console? Did you use one of the pipe columns as a conduit?

I run all the wires in the radar pod which at the bottom there is a hole, then thru the t-top and right under it Grady has channels for all the wires of the speakers and lights, then in the electronics box and from there in the pipe down to the helm area. When i did that, i left a pull line inside every channel and pipe for future use.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

For the GPS and XM/Sirius antennas, the "boomerang" thingie has a slit under it to run the cables which i secured with a tab of 5200(was pretty snag anyway), then into the mast that holds the antennas and into the radar pod.

 

[catch22]

Re: Nothing Else Matters

Your pictures show a great installation and a professional job. This may become obvious to me after I pick the boat up, but where did you run the antenna and power wires from the hard top to the console? Did you use one of the pipe columns as a conduit?

I run all the wires in the radar pod which at the bottom there is a hole, then thru the t-top and right under it Grady has channels for all the wires of the speakers and lights, then in the electronics box and from there in the pipe down to the helm area. When i did that, i left a pull line inside every channel and pipe for future use.

Was there a "pull" line in one of the pipe legs already... from the factory?

Most mfr's put them in, for add-ons.