Furuno 1623 Radar

S

Swee Pea

New member
After reading all the stimulating discussion on radars, I have decided to install a Furuno 1623 radar unit. Boater'sWorld matched the lowest price I could find and I am going to treat myself.

Any tips or suggestions before I have it installed? I currently have a Garmin 182 C GPS, a "black box" fishfinder that hooks to the 182 C. The Gps antenna is mounted on the downslope of the roof. Installer suggests a 5" raised platform angled forward (sight unseen) if necessary for the Radome.

Would be delighted for your input and insight. I have read this thread before and it helped "nudge" me toward my decision. The deal will be struck tomorrow.

I appreciate all your input. This is a great site with a great group of people.

John
Swee Pea
 
Hi John, I think we talked early on when I had my Potomac Gathering last year. We're in Stafford and the boat is down by Heathsville on the Potomac. I've got a Raymarine radar on a 12" (or so) raised mount which incorporates a 360 degree all around light. You can see some pix on the Potomac River Album from last year.

There are all kinds of mounts, some mounted directly on the cabin roof and some on arches and some on various height platforms. Take a look at the albums and you'll see the various options. I bought my mount on e-bay, there are lots of choices there at pretty good prices.

I'd encourage to join all of us on the Eastern Shore in early June (3-5) and there, you'll see lots of options, if you don't already have it mounted by then. There are about 24 boats signed up at this point!

Good luck!

Charlie
 
I was looking at the same unit to replace my older 1621 that just went haywire. Have you given any thought to the 1715 that is a few hundred more? It has a slightly larger display, a few more features, and will accept a GPS antenna that should give it a little more capability than the standard NMEA interface, I think. Well, actually, that's a question. Are the extra features worth $300? I can't see myself going up to the NavNet Furuno stuff, because I like my Garmin Blue Charts too much. Some day, when my wife wins the lottery, I will get the new Garmin system, but today we're talking reality.


I bid on a new radome to replace mine on eBay, but the price got up over $400 and I don't want to spend that for something I'm not sure of. There is also a new 1622 on eBay that was up to $810 the last time I looked. Why would anyone spend that much for an obsolete model when the 1623 that replaced it goes for $1142?? You can bet I will be selling the stuff I just took out of my boat on eBay. Or here for cheap if someone needs the parts.

But for now, the TyBoo is flying blind.......
 
John, my only tip is for you to ask the installer to shorten the cable between the radome and the display to the minimum allowed by Furuno, while leaving enough to go between the two. I self installed mine on a 5" platform, with the display as shown. The display can be flipped horizontal while not in use (I know, it's not legal to "not use" a radar, but gimme a break). The cable on mine was shortened and it's far better looking than coiling up the excess. I put a backing plate in. It's simply a piece of a new high-tech kitchen cutting board, but in retrospect it might be overkill. Oh, that red thing on the radar cable is a plastic lure I stuck there temporarily. Forgot to remove it during the photo op.

Mine is a 1622 and the 1623 is virtually identical.

Hey Mike, gimme a price on your display!

Radar_backing_plate.sized.jpg
 
In response to Mary and Don on the Jenny B: is it or is it not true that shortening a cable to a GPS or Radar voids warranties or performance? I was told by the mechanic who installed my Garmin GPS NOT to shorten or cut the cable. I think it even says so in the Garmin instructions.

I do not have the radar in my possession yet, so I don't have the instructions in hand.

I am leaning to a 7" Promount.

As to a 1623 to their next higher radar, I don't think I NEED a radar at all. Nice to have, as discussed in this forum and I've been saving. The extra $400 bucks can go to professional install and mount. I figure that we can always spend a little more for a little more ... but what features do I need and what do I want to spend. From all that I have read, the 1623 is and excellent unit and Furuno is one of the MOST popular and respectedbrands.
I guess I can go cheaper with other brands, but all those I have talked to recommend the Furuno 1623. User comments also support Furuno. I could go with the next higher unit, but do I need the extra power for the extra money?

Thanks for the input.

John
Swee Pea
 
Swee Pea":12nststy said:
In response to Mary and Don on the Jenny B: is it or is it not true that shortening a cable to a GPS or Radar voids warranties or performance?
John
Swee Pea
Click to expand...
I don't remember reading that caveat, but the shop that did the shortening was a Furuno Authorized Repair Center (Blessed by the Gods I suppose) and they talked to the factory before shortening it to 10 ft. The manuals are online at Furuno. They shorten them all the time, but there is a minimum limit to which the internal timing must be able to compensate for, and putting one on a CD-22 definitely gets it tight. Oh, there is mention of the display location parameters in regard to compass cards. If I remember, ya gotta stay a little over 1/2 meter away to be safe.

Don
 
Shortening radar cable

Thanks for the response. I went to the Furuno site and found this info in the frequently asked Q&A section.

Question:
Can I cut my radar cable to length or should I coil it and store it?

Answer
No, it is not recommended to cut your radar cable. Find a place to hide and coil the excess. If there is no other way to hide the cable, it can be reduced in length but this should be done by an authorized Furuno USA dealer. If not performed correctly, cutting the cable could lead to corrosion and may result in voiding the warranty. Adjusting the cable length will also affect the timing of the radar. Please confirm that the timing is still correct if any changes are made to the cable length.

So you are right on. However, I think I will have the cable coiled and will hide it.

Thanks for all the discussion.

John
Swee Pea
 
Ola from the Baja. I wanted to shorten the cable on my Lowrance fish-finding/mapping GPS and the technical guy there said,"No". that it would change the impedance and therby affect the quality of the picture. Radars and GPS are horses of a different color, but cousins so to speak.
Chica
 
Cutting Radar cable? Na na. Sure it can be done, and it usually will work. As an old Furuno dealer -- well, old anything -- cutting the cable, IF you are a good electrician, will do the job. There are some basic problems - if not cut to the proper length you can screw up the timing. There are about a dozen or so wires to cut and splice, and if not done properly you've got a real problem. The salt environment can really mess up your connection if not properly sealed. Last, but not least, if you have a warranty problem the factory will ask you to test the unit with a non-spliced cable, and in some cases void the warranty.

I've cut them, and they worked, but I wouldn't do it now -- and don't think most dealers would cut them. EQ installs dozens of these a year, and has no trouble stowing the extra cable. More labor to cut and splice than to stow the extra.

Just my few dragoons worth --

Dusty
 
I have a Garmin 182 C GPS and I am trying to figure out how to do an inexpensive radar system. (I would love the fully integrated system but at the end of the day what I am really looking for is a system that will offer me a high enough level of safety to allow me to find safe harbor when the fog rolls in) I am looking at the Furuno 1623.

What are the biggest draw backs of not going color?
 
There are no "drawbacks" to b/w radars. They've been around since World War 2 and still do a fine job. The newer color radars do improve the image and definition. Is it enough to pay the difference in price? Dealers will say "absolutely". Color radar owners will say yes, monochrome radars owners will likely have mixed response, depending upon how much they're pressuring their respective "admiral" to upgrade.

Personally, I'm happy with my 1622. When it gets upgraded will depend upon personal use, but the new one will definitely have an integrated plotter. More for plotter redundancy and the added radar overlay feature than the fact that it's color. With that said, the JRC 1800CP isn't too far off the 1623 in price. Overseas you'll see a lot more JRC's than Furunos. Here in the US, it's the Rodney Dangerfield of radar manufacturers in my humble opinion. (I maintained and/or tested marine/aircraft radars for a lot of years back in the dark ages)

I'm not fond of totally integrated systems (yet) however I am a big fan of redundancy at sea.

As always, the above is my personal opinion and worth every penny you paid for it.

Don

P.S As an aside to Dusty's comment, you're right, oh ancient mariner. Most dealers are unwilling to shorten cables. Rightly so. Most dealers don't have access to qualified techs with the requisite skills.

Furuno authorized service centers, however, are quite willing to shorten cables down to Furuno's unpublished minimum length spec and JRC is very open about giving owners tech assist on performing the same task.
 
Don,

You say it true, old sub guy. I grew up with black and white radar -- even tho' I like the color screen, I'd go B/W if I had to do this again for a living.

Redundancy is the name of the game. That's why I get a bucket full of shrimp! :wink: Seriously, if I'm going to an unfamiliar area I've got lines on a chart, a cheat sheet in case my electronics go tits up, and even a hand held GPS. Leave my sextant at home!!

Shortening cables ain't no job for an untrained techie -- trying to stuff a long cable out of sight when a short one would be much better is a PITA. Having a customer sob over the rotten connection from a no-name place in AK because his radar won't work is also a PITA. Waiting for a service center to do the job (ain't free) while a custmer is pacing up and down making motorboat sounds... stowing the cable works.
Sure wish they made different length cables!!!!!

Tight lines,

Dusty
 
C-Sick-

I've been reading around on the color issue since you've raised the issue, and the best answer to the color (TFT), CRT, or LCD question as far as I can tell is this-

If you want an integrated system, the color allows the system to differentiate among the radar, chartplotter, and even aerial images when overlaying, some systems even allowing you to vary the intensity of the images to suit your needs. Simply put, color is necessary when viewing multiple overlaid images.

For a stand alone radar:

1. The CRT units are best when viewed in dimly lit conditions, e.g., in the cabin or at night.

2. The LCD units work well except in shaded conditions where they lack contrast.

3. The Color TFT displays work well under all lighting conditions, including full sunlight, but carry a hefty price increase.


One key to successful use of any system would seem to be the legibility of the system under the conditions you anticipate to encounter. Where and when do you expect to need your radar?

Then again, one doesn't always anticipate every use to which necessity will force you to use your radar, or, for that matter, any other piece of vital equipment on your boat. Under what conditions would the color display be worth the additional cost?

Joe.
 
Sea Wolf

Thanks for your research. In the Northwest the two conditions that I have encountered that require utter attention to what is going on is heavy rain and fog.

The good news of LCD for C-Dory is we do have the cabin and usually the lighting conditions are overcast.

Color is so much cooler but in my current situation it would be a real hunk of change.
 
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