Radome Mounting Location

[Rocky's Mate]

We are installing a Simrad system, auto pilot, chartplotter/fishfinder/radar, weather.
We have a 1977 Pearson 365 ketch. Where is the best place to mount the radome?

[speciald@ocens.]

As high as possible. Either on the mast at the first spreader or on a stern pole. The radome should be higher than your eyesight as the radiation could cause cataracts. Don't bother with a tilting mount.

[Rocky's Mate]

Why not a tilting or gimballed mount? I think he ordered one. Better on main or mizzen mast?

[Mark Johnson]

If you will possibly add alternative energy systems later... I suggest 15' to 20' off of the deck on the mainmast. This keeps the weight low, and saves the top of the davits for a solar panel rack, (which would be shaded by a radome or wind generator).

The best of all possible wind generator mounts is a small quiet one... (Rutland, AeroGen, Ampair, etc), mounted on a bracket, about 3/4 of the way up the mizzen mast.

I have friends with a 365 who did these two alt. energy mods, and it worked for them 100% of the time, for many years. In this case, their Ampair, made neither outside noise, (at all), nor internal transmitted noise!

It was a wonderful set up. Save the mizzen for that!

Mark

[Rocky's Mate]

Why not a tilting or gimballed mount for the radome???

[Rocky's Mate]

Mark, were you in the Navy from 1969-1973. My husband knew a Mark Johnson.
Also we are in Oriental not far from New Bern do you know any Pearson 365's nearby whose owners would like to show off their boat? Linda

[Unicorn Dreams]

On our boat, the radome is mounted on the mizzen just above the spreaders.
We put our KISS windgen at the top of the mizzrn for better airflow and out of the way..

[Rocky's Mate]

Again, thoughts on gimballed or not for the mount??? Anyone??

[s/v Moondancer]

Our Raymarine 4 Kw is 25 ft up the main, electronics company said a gimballed mount was not necessary. That has proven to be true and we pick up big ships at over 30 miles and seas up to 20 ft have not proven to be a problem.

If you blow up our picture you can see the position.

[Mark1977]

I am also trying to decide where to put mine. I think I am leaning towards mounting it on a pole, on the stern. how high should it be mounted??

[sck5]

I had a scanstrut with a self levelling gimballed mount. On the passage from the Chesapeake to the BVI we had pretty big seas and the shock loading of the radome reaching the limits of the gimbal almost tore the strut out of the transom. I had to immobilize the radome for the rest of the passage. It was great for Chesapeake Bay but for ocean passages, never again. I just today put the radome on the mast on a fixed mount like I should have done in the first place. Hey, if you want a great deal on a self levelling mount, I will be back in MD by June!

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by Rocky's Mate

Mark, were you in the Navy from 1969-1973. My husband knew a Mark Johnson.
Also we are in Oriental not far from New Bern do you know any Pearson 365's nearby whose owners would like to show off their boat? Linda

Nope, I am a different Mark Johnson...

I can help with the other question though.

A good friend, Paul, at NWC marina in New Bern, (252-638-4133), has the setup that I think is perfect for them on a Pearson 365. (Solar + wind) He works there, and will eventually be dockmaster. If you call first, I am sure he will give you the tour.

We met he and his wife in Trinidad some years back, and other than a couple of young single guys, They were the only other couple, (middle aged and up), that we met in years, that were cruising in what we'd call a "small Boat".

They were "out there" for a long time, and their boat is totally self sufficient, and tricked out. It is a small but truly blue water boat, that is a classic. It has a low enough mast for even the Gulf Coast ICW, and shallow draft as well. These features, along with others, make this a perfect size boat for a couple on a budget, but you know that.

Mark

[Rocky's Mate]

Thanks to all for the feedback.

[Black Diamond]

The one thing you need to consider with the radome is sail chafe. Putting it on the main mast may require a guard of some kind to protect the radome from the genoa on tacks. When its on the mizzen, you don't usually have this problem.

FWIW

Rick
Hylas 49-057 "Black Diamond"
Portsmouth, RI

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Black Diamond

The one thing you need to consider with the radome is sail chafe. Putting it on the main mast may require a guard of some kind to protect the radome from the genoa on tacks. When its on the mizzen, you don't usually have this problem.

FWIW

Rick
Hylas 49-057 "Black Diamond"
Portsmouth, RI

This is one of those bits of "group wisdom" that we hear repeated over and over again... and I don't get it! On our last boat we had the radar on the mast for 15 years, no protection of any sort... and we had neither damage to sail nor radome. Did over 50,000 miles with that setup, no ill effects noted.

So, as far as I can see, there is little to worry about from this angle. And FWIW, I prefer the radome on the mast to a stern mount... fewer things to interfere with the radar beam and a better horizon distance. YMMV.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Towlers Bay, NSW, Oz