The Fantom is a solid state radar compared to the others which are pulsed radar. The official specs show them all as using the same amount of power, but that is in operation. When they aren't operating, the Fantom will use slightly less power than the others because it can be turned completely off instead of put in standby with the magnetron heater still operating. However, this power savings won't be that dramatic in practical usage.

In other words, if you never use your radar, the Fantom will save you some electrons, but if you use it, there is no appreciable difference in operating power consumption.

The above is the unsaid secret that the marketing people hide wrt to power usage solid state vs pulse.

The solid state has doppler capabilities, but is poorer at weather detection. I've found the doppler functionality to be more of a gimmick than I had hoped, and the weather detection to be of greater value than I thought.

Don't misunderstand - the doppler works as advertised, but it just isn't very useful in practice. By the time it picks up a boat moving toward me at short range (the doppler function is very limited in range), I've already seen it visually. Perhaps I don't spend enough time with my head buried in a plotter in small harbors with many small boats speeding about in random changing directions.

The question you should be asking first is "which radar will work with my Garmin chartplotter". Your post implies that you already have the plotter and are looking for a replacement dome. The Fantom only works with specific plotters, so you need to make sure you have a compatible one if you want to go that route.

Mark

 

Hi,
We have replaced our 740 Garmin chart plotter with a 942 a couple years ago as the 740 died.
So the Garmin GMR Fantom would work with it. We are liveaboards and cruisers, cruising Mexico and anchoring a lot. Because we are replacing the dome we did want to upgrade where we could. It just seems that the jump from a xHD to a Fantom is a big one financially.
The xHD probably fits our needs and then some. We use the radar guard zone, the spin up every 20 min or so and we use it to anchor for swing zones etc. We do not fish or look for birds and there are never enough boats around, if any, to worry about. Ok occasionally there are a bunch of shrimpers or ships in some areas but not enough to make that a big radar issue. We would like to pick up small pangas to know if there are long lines or mile long fish nets but that is a lot to ask.
So the xHD is newer than our old HD and is priced right, on sale at 1,399. A big difference to 1,999. So if the power savings is not there then any further offerings we probably do not need. The idea of the Fantom being solid state and possibly upgradeable and the new technology is attractive. Also if there is not a good power saving for amp hours then that is a reason not to go with the Fantom. But for our needs not practical. As to why our radar is still not working after only 8 years is a question. I see old radars with the big old monitors that are black and white or green still running?
Anyway we need to suck it up and purchase something before we head back to Mexico this summer and they seem to be on back order. At least there are choices and that is good to have.
s/v Elegant`sea Chip & Debbie
Islander Freeport 36` "B" #29

 

Hi,
If you use the xHD to start up say every 20 min for 3-4 min so you can check out the guard zone and surrounding area will use the same electricity as the Fantom?
If while in standby for the 20 min the Fantom will use no electricity but will the xHD still use electricity while it is in standby?

We typically will sail for two days and nights to get from Manzanillo to Zihuatanejo. There is Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas along the way.
At night we can shut off the chart plotter which means no radar and just use the Garmin under-deck autopilot. Saves batteries. Or we can use the chart plotter, radar and autopilot using a lot of electricity even when motor sailing (we have a 100 watt alternator).
So you can see where the power consumption can be an issue.
Is this just a splitting hairs issue?
s/v Elegant`sea Chip & Debbie
Islander Freeport 36` "B" #29