Furuno, the world leader in marine electronics, has introduced its cost-effective, high performance FR8252 X-band radar, designed to suit all types of vessels.

Offering a variety of power levels and range scales, the new series includes Furuno’s 6 kW model FR8062 (72 n.m. max. range), 12 kW model FR8122 (72 n.m. max. range) and 25 kW model FR8252 (96 n.m. max. range).

Ideal for fishing boats, workboats and pleasure craft, these advanced Furuno radars incorporate state-of-the-art video processing technology and logarithmic amplifiers with automatic tuning and anti-clutter controls. This dynamic picture quality is clearly shown on the FR8252 high-resolution 12.1-inch Color LCD displays. The use of a portrait style LCD helps operators observe the area ahead of the vessel. Its full-screen echo presentation capability gives a wider overview of the surrounding area.

The FR8252 features true color targets, and utilizes different colors according to their strengths. This is extremely helpful in discriminating target echoes from clutter. Marks, symbols, lines, text and echoes are all displayed in different colors to easily distinguish one from the other. When connected to appropriate sensors, the FR8252 can display True Echo Trail to present true target movements in accordance with their speed-over-ground and course-over-ground.

The FR8252 radar is available with a 4- or 6-foot, open array antenna. They offer additional flexibility for river use and high-speed craft through their high-speed antenna rotation speed. The antenna rotation speed can automatically be adjusted to achieve optimum detection, making them perfect for displaying crisp radar images in intricate waterways or congested sea areas.

As advanced as they are, Furuno’s FR8252 radar is extremely simple to operate, thanks to the neatly arranged front panel controls, two user-programmable function keys, a trackball and an easy-to-understand menu. Each radar offers a selection of useful features, including two VRMs and two floating-origin EBLs, EBL/VRM offset, off-centering to cursor position, zoom, echo trails, echo stretch, trackball cursor mark with range/bearing readout and a duplex guard zone alarm.

Furuno FR8252 operators can select from four presentation modes: Head-up, Course-up, North-up or North-up True Motion with optional heading and speed data inputs. In the True Motion mode, true echo trails can be displayed for easy recognition of moving and fixed targets. The radar guard zone lets you set a fan- or ring-shaped guard zone at any desired position. Users can choose between inward- and outward-bound target alarms. These alarms provide both visual and audible warnings whenever a target enters or exits the selected areas.

By adding the optional ARP11 Auto Plotter, you can upgrade Furuno’s FR8252 radar to provide automatic plotting of up to 10 targets and warnings against threatening targets violating preset CPA/TCPA limits. Match that with an optional AIS receiver and you now can see important navigation information, such as AIS and ARPA targets displayed together on the screen with symbols and data cells at the bottom of the screen.