Diagnose RADAR (task)

Task: diagnose and if necessary, repair Nevermore's RADAR system.

Fall 2007 Status

Nevermore was delivered with the following installed systems:

• Raytheon R20XX Display unit mounted above the nav station
• Raytheon R20XX raydome antenna mounted on the mast
• Raytheon Raychart 600XX chart reader
• Raytheon Raystar 108 GPS receiver
• Four electronic chart cartridges for areas in Long Island Sound

None of these systems were effectively tested until May 2008.

RADAR Antenna and Display

The RADAR antenna and display seem to work. Both of these units seem in good condition, as does the interconnecting cable. They will be reinstalled before Nevermore is put back in the water.

Chart Reader

This unit and the cable that connects it to the display are both in good condition. It displays electronic charts on the radar screen and connects to a GPS receiver to show the ship's position on a chart on the Radar display. That may sound nifty, but keep in mind:

1. The screen resolution is very low and monochromatic (black and green),
2. The chart resolution is very low (about 1/2 mile),
3. It uses 1992 technology, so it takes about 30 seconds to update the chart image on the screen whenever you try to pan,
4. It only has chart cards for Long Island Sound and they don't make cards for this reader anymore,
5. It doesn't superimpose the chart on the radar image (which would be useful), it puts the radar image in a little box on the side of the chart image.
6. And it's all pretty obsolete with respect to our current GPS unit.

Re-installation of the chart reader is NOT recommended.

GPS Receiver

The GPS receiver is light-bulb shaped, about 4" in diameter, about 6" high and was previously mounted on the stern rail.

The cable that connects it to the chart reader is damaged. This cable was not repaired and this GPS was not tested because the chart reader is obsolete. The receiver itself is probably extremely obsolete as well as it is a single channel receiver (our new GPS is a 12-channel receiver) that can take over an hour to aquire a position and does not use DGPS or WAAS.

Re-installation of this GPS receiver is NOT recommended.

Flux Gate Compass

The flux gate compass is part of the Autopilot system and does not connect to the RADAR.

To Do

• Re-run the cable through the mast.
• Re-install the Radar antenna on the mast
• Fabricate a guard rail so the genoa doesn't get snagged on the antenna.
• Route the NMEA output data from the Garmin GPS and/or the autopilot system to the Radar display.
• Acquire an external monitor that can display the radar data in the cockpit.