A combination 24 mile colour radar and high performance chart plotter has been introduced by JRC America the US based branch of JRC Japan.
The Radar 1800 C/P is the third in a series of multi-function instruments contained in identical flush-mount/bracket-mount housings, each displaying data on sunlight-viewable 6.5 inch colour LCD/TFT screens.
The 1800 radar and plotter displays can be viewed separately as full screen or together as a horizontal split screen.
Two different ranges of the radar display also can be shown as a split screen. In the split screen mode, the radar and plotter can be set on the same relative range so the skipper can easily orient his position from two different perspectives in the same scale.The radar has 2kW transmit power with a low-noise amplifier receiving circuit that equals the performance of previous 4kW radars. It has a 18 inch radome and offers range scales from one eighth to 24 miles.
The user has a choice of head-up, north-up or course up display, with NAV and MOB displays available. Heading information can be input from a electronic compass or JRC's new JLR-10 GPS Direction Sensor. With appropriate NMEA-0183 interface, the 1800 can display speed, water, temperature, wind speed and wind direction. A feature common to larger radars that is offered in the 1800 is an easy-to-use target trail mode that can display trails at 30 second, 1, 3, or 6 minute intervals, or continuously.
The chart plotter, with two C-Map slots, supports C-Map NT Micro Charts and C-Map's Tide Graph and Port Service functions simultaneously, giving the skipper maximum information for navigation and piloting.
The plotter receives position information from a JRC or other GPS/DGPS sensor and supports 1,000 waypoints for navigation, 40 routes and 10,000 tracks or marks for pointing out fish, shoals, navigation hazards and other points of interest.
The instrument has a front panel port to interface with a personal computer. It can download waypoints, or upload them to a PC.
