Furuno Marine Radar - Manual (Page 23)

When it comes to safety on the water, no other piece of
electronic equipment on your bridge is as important
as your Radar. For more than 30 years, Furuno Radars
have consistently won the prestigious NMEA (Nation-
al Marine Electronics Association) award for Best Ra-
dar. Whether you are looking for a compact 2.2kW unit
or a commercial grade 50kW Radar, Furuno is the sin-
gle largest source of Radars you can rely on. This book
will help you learn about what a Radar is, how it works,
and how to get the most from what is perhaps the most
important navigation device you will ever own.
Table of Contents
1-3) Principles of Radar
3-5) Radar System Configurations
5-6) Radar Terminology
6-8) Radar Controls
9) Targeting Birds
10-11) Range, Bearing and Position
12-14) Advanced Radar Operation
15-18) Radar FAQ's
19) Additional Resources
20) Radar Mark Definitions
21) Maintenance
Boats of all types can benefit from having a Radar
onboard for navigation and situational awareness..
4. MAINTENANCE
Regular maintenance is important for continued performance of the Radar. Before reviewing this section,
please read the safety information which follows.
DANGER: ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD
This equipment uses high voltage electricity which can endanger human life. At several places within
the unit there are high voltages sufficient to kill anyone coming in direct contact with them. While the
equipment has been designed with consideration for the operators safety, precautions must always be
exercised when reaching inside the equipment for the purpose of maintenance or service. For this reason,
only qualified personnel totally familiar with electrical circuits and service manual should work inside the
display or scanner units. A residual charge remains in capacitors and other devices for several minutes after
turning off the power. Therefore, before beginning any maintenance work, wait for two or three minutes to
allow the residual charge to subside.
PERIOD ITEM
3 to 6
Months Scanner unit fixing bolts and nuts are exposed to the marine environment and are thus subject
to corrosion. Check bolts for tightness and corrosion, replacing any corroded bolts and coating
new bolts with anticorrosion sealant.
Foreign material such as salt deposits, oil, etc., can accumulate on the radiator (antenna) and
cause a considerable drop in Radar performance. Wipe the radiator clean with a freshwater-
moistened cloth. Because the radiator is constructed of reinforced plastic, do not use gaso-
line, benzine or any other commercial cleaners to clean the radiator as they can damage the
integrity of the radiator and remove paint from its surface.
Check the waterproofing gasket for wear. The gasket should be coated with silicone grease to
preserve elasticity.
Open the scanner unit and visually check that all screws on terminal board are secured tightly.
Wipe the screen clean with a soft cloth to remove any dust. Do not use chemical cleaners to
clean the screen as they may remove paint, markings and any anti reflective coating that may
be on the screen.
6 Months
to 1 Year Check the scanner drive motor brushes. The life of these carbon brushes is about 2,000
hours. If their lengths are less than 6 mm, replace them with new brushes, which are 11 mm
long.
Carbon dust given off by the scanner drive motor brushes may fall into the slits of the timing
disk. This may cause the sweep on the display to jump. Check the slits for carbon dust and
foreign material.
1 Year Check that all wiring on terminal boards is secure. Check that all plugs and jacks are properly
seated.
Table 3 above outlines a suggested regimen of maintenance that you may follow to get the best performance from your Radar.
Preventive maintenance greatly extends the life of the equipment. A maintenance program should be established and should
at least include the items listed above.