How to Troubleshoot a Furuno 2000 Radar
A Furuno Radar is potentially the most important piece of equipment on your boat's bridge. Without it you and your crew are at the mercy of hidden reefs and rocks as well as other vessels. Radar is an acronym for radio detecting and ranging. It operates by measuring the time it takes for a pulsed signal to be reflected back from an object, as well as its bearing relative to your position. Problems that can occur with your radar include radar noise, spiral lines and antenna malfunctions.
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Instructions
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Set your Furuno Radar manually for best presentation. Set your radio transmission to maximum range. Set STC (sea clutter) to minimum. Set FTC (rain clutter) to minimum. Set the gain control to maximum. The screen should now show mostly radar noise. Adjust the gain control until there are only a few spots of noise on the screen. Select the appropriate working range without disturbing the gain control. Adjust the STC as desired. Adjust the FTC as desired. This will allow you to set up the radar manually for optimum presentation.
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Check to see if the antenna is turning if the radar turns on but will not transmit and the message "HD/BD" comes on the screen. This error message indicates that the display is not receiving bearing or heading pulse signals. If you have a radome antenna it will be more difficult to see if it is turning than if you have an open array antenna. Remove the cover on a radome antenna to check for proper rotation. Have an authorized Furuno dealer investigate further if the antenna is not turning.
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Apply a few levels of interference rejection ("IR") if you notice streaks or spiral lines on your radar. Furuno radars have several levels of IR to help mitigate these phenomena. Apply the first level of IR from the menu setting. Proceed onto higher levels until the interference lessens.
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Ensure that the radar is in transmit mode if heading alignments and sweep timing adjustments are unable to be made. Once the radar is in transmit mode, access the Installation Menu and press "ENTER."
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Use the menu setting to cancel the "Watchman" mode if your radar tends to transmit for approximately 30 seconds, beeps, then switches to stand-by mode for five minutes. The radar will have a notation of "Watchman" on the display screen when the function is active.
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Tips & Warnings
Normally the auto features are sufficient to set your radar's presentation. However, in certain circumstances you may need to tweak it manually.
Do not cut your radar's cable to shorten it. Have a qualified Furuno technician do this for you. If not cut correctly, it could lead to corrosion.
