HD Radar

[Hardtail Hunter]

Hi
I am in the market for a new radar to match up with my garmin 4208 chart plotter. I have been looking to get a Garmin just so I can have the overlay feature.

Does anyone know the benefits of HD Radar and how much better it is than non HD radar.

Also Can you use the 18 or 24, 4kw dome units to spot birds or is the horizontal beam width to big? Is it better to spend the money and get the open array/
Thanks

[AT Grimaldi]

Hello.

I am in the same market as you, I am just looking at Furuno though. After going to both the RayMarine and Furuno booths at the boston show, and telling them the primary use for the radar would be to get me home or keep me safe at sea in a fog, would be to find the birds, both, without hesitation, told me to go to the open array.

Since I am in sales, the fact that both open arrays are more money, makes me a tad suspicious, but am curious to see what the seasoned vets have to say about the subject.

What true real-time intelligence - tell me where the birds are! Wow. If I am able to pull this off, with the Furuno overlay, like your Garmin, I will be a hero among friends and a feared foe among fish. OK....OK....OK....no that feared, but better than now. :)

I am very interested to see how this thread works out and the feedback you get. The other guys on here have a TON of knowledge and really put their best foot forward on sharing G2.

- ATG

[Hardtail Hunter]

Ya does the horizontal beamwidth what helps spot birds? or is it the power? I was hoping i could find out the advantage of HD radar because i heard that it will cause greater target separation so I was thinking it might help in bird spotting.

[AT Grimaldi]

Not sure.

DaleH or Terry might chime in. They spend a boatload (no pun intended) of time on the water and really seem to know their stuff.

- ATG