I bought a Garmin GPSMAP 5212 Reman from Hodges Marine in Florida (I have bought alot from them & they have great prices) for sale at $1304 vs $1999 Garmin List Price.
After much research, I found a very affordable RADAR LEVELING SYSTEM Mount for my Garmin Radar... WALTZ MANUFACTURING
From their Website:
About Us
In the early 1990’s Roger Waltz was delivering a sail boat with a fixed radar mount from Tahiti to the U.S. They were on the same tack for over two weeks on the leg from Rangaroa, French Polynesia to Hilo, Hawaii, at never less than a 20 degree angle of heel. If the light of another vessel was seen at night, the radar and VHF were turned on. Calls on channel 16 to request course and speed of the unidentified vessel would be made, if the radio calls were answered at all, they were not in English. In order to determine course and speed to avoid a collision course they had to drop sails and/or change course to eliminate the heel to enable the radar to reveal the vessel’s position, speed, and course.
In 1993, Roger Waltz installed radar on his own boat and wanted to avoid this type of problem which will occur on any boat with a fixed radar mount that regularly may heel greater than 10 to 15 degrees. The gimbaled radar mounts available at the time were expensive. After consulting with his engineer brother Don a simpler and less expensive device was conceived. Neighbors in Roger's marina requested similar radar mounts for their boats and thus the Waltz RLS was born
Many improvements and modifications have been made since that time. Don Waltz, CEO of Waltz Manufacturing, has the responsibility of manufacturing and distribution of the Waltz RLS. Attention to detail, quality, service and reliability are paramount in our desire to provide a product of unequaled value.
Practical Sailor magazine has awarded the Waltz RLS ‘Best Buy’ among gimbaled radar mounts.
I dealt directly with the owner, Don Waltz. He was very accommodating, even making a special custom bracket for me, to mount my GPS Antenna and secondary VHF Antenna above the Radar unit.
I highly recommend them. Great product at a very reasonable price! This was not have been the way I was going to mount my radar unit, but when I found I could get a Self-Leveling system at this price, I bought it!
Part Number: 010-00572-03
Suggested Retail Price: $ 1999.99 USD
Sharpen your radar picture with high definition. The GMR 24 HD radar scanner offers a whole new level of radar performance, safety and situational awareness.
GMR 24 HD features high-powered Digital Signal Processing, providing sharper radar imagery and improved target separation to recreational boaters, professional mariners and yachtsmen.
This 24" (60.96 cm), 4 kW high definition radar has a 3.6 degree beamwidth and a 48 nm range. With automatic pulse optimization technology, the radar matches pulse widths and repetition rates with the nautical mile range that is selected. This gives you powerful 4 kW radar penetration and unbelievably clear echo definition at all ranges up to 48 nm.
To help you avoid traffic on the water, the GMR 24 HD provides the option of MARPA target tracking when combined with a multi-function display and an optional heading sensor. MARPA tracking allows you to track the bearing, course, speed and predicted closest approach of up to 10 targets. In addition, like all Garmin radars, the GMR 24 HD has self-contained signal processing, which provides you with a more precise, easy to read signature.
The GMR 24 HD transmits data over the Garmin Marine Network, a 100 MB plug-and-play proprietary network that gives you the ability to expand your boat’s system as needed. Once connected to the network, you can use any network-compatible Garmin chartplotter as your radar screen. And as an aid to locational awareness, you can overlay the GMR 24 HD radar image on the chartplotter's map page. You also can split the on-screen display so you can view the map and the standard radar page simultaneously.
Physical & Performance: |
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Unit dimensions, WxHxD: | 24" diameter, 9.6" high (61 cm diameter, 24.4 cm high) |
Weight: | 20.1 lb (9.1 kg) |
Waterproof: | yes (IPX7) |
Antenna sweep: | 24/30 rpm (dual rotation) |
Transmit power: | 4 kW |
Power input: | 10.5-35 V DC, 33.5 W |
Beam width: | 3.6° horizontal, 25° vertical |
Maximum range: | 48 nm |
Minimum range: | 20 meters |
Features & Benefits: |
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Garmin Marine Network™ compatible: | yes |
High definition (outstanding target separation with less screen clutter): | yes |
MARPA target tracking (collision avoidance): | yes (requires heading sensor; sold separately) |
Guard zone alarm: | yes |
Additional: |
Connector with removable collar |