radar heading

[green74]

i have a 2001 furuno 1723c radar,plotter,sounder. my question is since the gps is there, does my radar still need its own heading sensor? it seems a little off when entering the inlet.

[JD5652]

Yes...your radar does need it's own heading sensor....especially on that day when your GPS goes on the blink.

I'm not familiar with that particular model Furuno radar, but most radars need to be calibrated once installed to make sure the heading sensor is accurate. I have a Model 1943 Mark II Furuno and it has a heading sensor calibration procedure.

You might want to check your owners or operations manual...or call Furuno on your particular model.

[yachtjim]

If you want to use radar overlay you do. If you just run it in head up mode (most typical) you will not. Most people like to run their radar so that if a buoy is directly in front of you it will show on the top of the radar screen. For this functionality you will not need a heading sensor.