Leaking radar dome

Hydraulicjump

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
646
Fluid Motion Model
C-30 CB
Hull Identification Number
FMLT2911F415
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Necky Looksha VII, Liquidlogic Remix, Jackson 4Fun
Vessel Name
La Barka (2015)
A month ago when I powered up my Garmin 5212 system I got error code 006 indicating my radar was not functioning properly. There is nothing in the Garmin lit that tells you what this really is. A search of the Internet suggested that the problem lay with corrosion of the magnetron in the dome. Fortunately, with the help of Andrew the wizard, Garmin shipped me a new dome. When I swapped the old one out, the problem (I think) was revealed.

I store the boat "on the hard" on a trailer, sometimes putting a cover on and sometimes leaving it off if I am going to use it soon. The mast is down during this, leaving the radar dome on its side. When it is like this, rain or water from a washdown flows down the bottom of the dome and across the power and NMEA connections. Last fall, I distinctly remember getting a shower from the dome when I put it up, showing that it was leaking and trapping rainwater.

Sure enough, when I examined the old dome, the nut that seals the female power connection to the dome was loose. This was the obvious entry point for water. The new dome has a much more robust connection, suggesting to me that Garmin figured this problem out.

So a caution to those of you who store your boats on the hard, but uncovered: check the two connections on the bottom of the dome to see if they are seated properly. Of course, if you live here in California, you have until sometime in late October to do that.

Just sharin'

Jeff
 
Jeff,
At our last Rendezvous Garmin addressed this issue with all of our tugs. There is also supposed to be an "O" ring at the connector and sometimes that is missing and it allows water to infiltrate, so be sure that ring is there, also a bit of dialectic grease in there helps a lot.

Mike Rizzo
 
Yep -- as Mike mentions, we also had Garmin on hand at the PNW Bremerton annual gathering last year as well... and they did the exact same upgrades to all of our Tugs. Great service from Garmin.
 
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