mounting radar under Solar panels

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Evan Gatehouse - 05 Aug 2007 07:04 GMT

I'm pondering where to place the radar on my catamaran. I'm building a
radar arch to support solar panels, and was thinking of mounting the
radar scanner under the panels to avoid shading them.

The only problem I have is that the arch will be build with carbon
fiber tubing (ex-windsurfer masts). Anybody know how much radar
blockage carbon tubes about 2" diameter, perhaps 6' from the scanner
might produce? Its a JRC 1500 with a 5.2° horizontal beam width.

Evan Gatehouse

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Martin Schöön - 05 Aug 2007 08:52 GMT

> I'm pondering where to place the radar on my catamaran. I'm building a
> radar arch to support solar panels, and was thinking of mounting the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Evan Gatehouse

Quick and dirty: As much as metal tubing. Don't count on seeing
anything useful in that direction.

Longer: It depends. How close to the antenna will those tubes be?
What frequency? etc...

Signature

Martin Schöön "Problems worthy of attack
show their worth by hitting back."
Piet Hein

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Brian Whatcott - 05 Aug 2007 13:49 GMT

>I'm pondering where to place the radar on my catamaran. I'm building a
>radar arch to support solar panels, and was thinking of mounting the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
>Evan Gatehouse

Aluminum tube would be worst-case. 2 inch at 72 inch is under 2
degrees of aperture, and that might account for 2 dB of loss
of transmit power with a much greater hole in the return (there's a
fifth power in there...)

But carbon fiber is in an insulating matrix, and would account for
less of a loss. The location wouldf work for me.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

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John Cassara - 12 Aug 2007 14:37 GMT

Why not act a little grown up and run at 3/4 throttle for most of your ride.
Save's fuel, wear and tear on the engines drives and you. The people around
you may also like you a little more.

> I'm pondering where to place the radar on my catamaran. I'm building a
> radar arch to support solar panels, and was thinking of mounting the radar
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Evan Gatehouse

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justwaitafrekinminute@gmail.com - 13 Aug 2007 19:12 GMT

> Why not act a little grown up and run at 3/4 throttle for most of your ride.
> Save's fuel, wear and tear on the engines drives and you. The people around
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> - Show quoted text -

Wow, two identical posts in two threads. What happened? Someone get
you with a rooster tail this weekend? Out boating where you should not
have been? Something has obviously gotten you going :O

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Boat Forum / Building / August 2007

mounting radar under Solar panels