Furuno DRS12AX X-Class Radar
$5,200, plus antenna starting at $830; furunousa.com
Furuno has increased the available power for its X-band recreational radar, and added to the available radar performance for users of the TZTouch and TZTouch2 displays. The DRS12AX increases the maximum pulse length from 0.8 to 1.2 microseconds, a change that puts half again as much power on the target. The result is a radar that’s effective at all ranges, which helps navigators pick out noteworthy marks and headlands on far-off landmasses while also offering defined separation of targets in close, including a vector function that shows heading and speed of up to 30 marked targets. Anglers will flock to the bird mode feature, in which birds are readily marked without tuning the unit, and then tracked simply with an echo trails feature. With a lighter pedestal and low-noise motor, as well as no need for an external power supply unit on boats fitted with 24 VDC, the DRS12AX will be more pleasant to have aboard, according to Furuno, and pigtail cabling means it will be simpler to install. Open-array antenna choices are 3.5 feet, 4 feet, or 6 feet. Equipped with features boaters will use, this powerful package may stand up to future cruising needs.
This article originally appeared in the May 2017 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
