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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Standard Tril-lens radar reflector deal

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/23/2007 : 10:40:22

After doing a fair amount of research and considering opinions offered in the [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14998"]radar reflector thread I started[/url], I decided that a Tri-Lens Standard radar reflector was what I wanted. What I didn't want to do was spend two boat bucks + buying one. I spent a good week off and on, searching for the best price online. For about $180 plus shipping [url="http://www.downwindmarine.com/xcart/home.php"]Downwind Marine in San Diego[/url] had the best price by nearly $20. I called and talked to the folks at Downwind Marine and they were willing to offer us a group discount for members of the association. They are offering the [url="http://www.downwindmarine.com/xcart/product.php?productid=106905&cat=558&page=1"]Tri-Lens Standard radar reflector[/url] to us at $169.96 plus shipping (and tax if you live in California). In fact they've offered their entire online catalog at a discount to our membership, more details on this later.
Here's the deal:

<ul><li>This is an online deal only, no phone calls, no walk-ins to their store in San Diego. If you live in the SD area and want to visit the store, please feel free, but if you want the discounted price, you'll need to get on the computer to do so.</li>
<li>To purchase the radar reflector go to the link above and add it to the cart. Click on Checkout</li>
<li>Ignore the California State tax entry in your total , it will not show up on your final invoice unless you live in CA. Click on Continue to Checkout</li>
<li>Create a new login on the next page by clicking on Click here to register (unless you're already a customer). They don't sell any information collected BTW.</li>
<li>Choose your shipping option & click Continue</li>
<li>On the invoice page at the bottom, in the box marked "Customer Notes", enter the special code for this deal. The code can be found by logging onto the Assn. Members Area in the top right of the main page of the site.</li>
<li>It's very important that you enter this code, otherwise they won't know to give you the discount. Also be aware that the vendor will be checking with our secretary to verify that you are a member in good standing prior to shipping your item(s).</li>
<li>The website will appear to charge you the regular price, but they'll adjust that at the store, and you'll get an in-house invoice with the correct price charged against your credit card. I can verify that this works, I did a test run last week with them to purchase my radar reflector. In the notes area in their return email I was given the actual price charged against my card.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> David, Thanks for helping with this joint endeavour. Here's the message I propose to include with each of your club members' orders: The parts in (brackets) are YOUR ORDER'S actual specifics. Thanks for participating in The Catalina 25, 250, & Capri 25 International Association's special purchasing program with Downwind Marine. Your(radar reflector)was in stock and is now in our outgoing (DHL) shipment. You should receive it (Mon April 23) . PLEASE DISREGARD THE TOTAL AMOUNT ON THIS INVOICE, AS IT HAS BEEN AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED BY THE WEBSITE. Your card was actually charged $(179.21)and you will receive "IN House" Invoice #(04070206) for that amount with your shipment. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
</li></ul>Now, on to the rest of the deal. Downwind Marine has also offered their entire online catalog to our membership at a discount as well. As a general rule you can expect about a 5% discount over the listed price on the website (remember, these are online prices only, no walk-ins, no phone calls). This is only an estimate, the discount on some items like electronics (radars etc.) may only be a percent or two, and it may be a bit more on other things. To get the discount on other items, just enter the special code mentioned above in the Customers Notes box as before.

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - delliottg on 04/23/2007 10:42:23

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2007 : 12:19:07

by the way guys - with the exception of actually posting this in the members area David did 100% of the legwork on this deal.

Think about selling the association to some of the vendors you deal with day in and day out. It is thinkgs like this that make our membership meaningful.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2007 : 13:41:13

So do low flying (landing) aircraft see those things as unidentified pings?

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2007 : 14:45:47

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 So do low flying (landing) aircraft see those things as unidentified pings?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Seaplanes might--that would be a good thing!

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2007 : 22:06:07

Thank you David!

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

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USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2007 : 09:21:54

With the exception of military aircraft on low level training runs, and the coast guard/customs etc, aircraft don't use radar while flying low or landing.

Ground radar can see you. Civilian radar usually has basic returns turned off nowadays, just looking at beacon returns from aircraft equipment. Whether civilian or military, we are moving so slowly that there are algorithms that cut out targets like us. Higher speed (for the US anyway, in Europe they might be called medium speed) trains move fast enough to fool this sometimes, and a radar operator will sometimes think a train is a low flying aircraft. But not a boat.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2007 : 14:12:49

I'm going to mount the reflector tomorrow, or possibly this evening if the rain lets up a bit. I'm concerned about the wiring in the mast. I know I'm going to be drilling very close to the conduit on the front side of the mast. Does anyone know how thick the conduit is? The drawing on pg 16 in the manual shows it, and it looks like maybe 1/2" plastic but that's only a guess. The mounting bracket has two ears on it that should let me get out onto the sides of the mast a ways, I just don't want to drill into anything I shouldn't.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2007 : 18:30:23

David, can you use #10 or #12 threaded screws and drill and tap for them? Then use screws that are just long enough to go through the mast and no longer. You should be able to avoid any contact with the conduit. I had the mast down yesterday and the conduit is not very big (maybe 3/4" diameter) and is dead center in the front of the mast. I think you'll be fine. How high up are you going to do the mount?

Edited by - Nautiduck on 04/26/2007 18:31:59

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2007 : 18:54:05

Randy,
The documentation says to use rivets, and I'm not sure I have a tap that small. I need a decent tap & die set though... I need to look at the bracket when I get home this evening.

As far as the mounting point, I'm still debating right above the spreaders or at the top of the mast. The documentation says that at the top of the mast is better, but the owner of the company said at the top of the spreaders was fine, and higher isn't always better. Not sure what to think about that.

The mounting bracket looks like it could possibly clear the forestay w/o occluding my masthead light, but I haven't been out there to take any measurements. I'm a bit worried about the weight at the top of the mast although minimal research has indicated that the reflector weighs considerably less (2/3 - 3/4 less or so depending on manufacturer) than a radome which I also eventually plan to install, but haven't purchased yet. However I may install the radome on a stick on the back of the boat, I haven't decided yet. The reflector is only 5.5 lbs, so I wouldn't think it'd be that big of a load up there. I also don't know how my other three headsails approach the top of the mast, I know my 110 doesn't quite reach it, so there's no problem with it snagging the reflector, but I've got a 135, 150 & spinnaker that I've yet to hoist, so I may just go with the above the spreaders mount, and worry about the radome mount when it's time to do so.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2007 : 20:02:29

I think I'd go just above the spreaders and call it good. Rivets should work fine and not intrude at all in the interior of the mast. I just bought a rivet gun. Less than $20 and easy to use.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2007 : 17:04:16

Voila:

It's 5' above the spreaders, which gives me enough separation should I want to mount a radome either above or below it. Specs call for 1 meter separation, so I should be good.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2007 : 09:41:34

Nice job David, it looks good. Question, it looks like you have a rope clutch mounted to the port of your genoa track. Is that for the jib sheet?

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2007 : 10:08:40

I hate to admit it, but I'm still figuring out where all the various lines go best. Currently I'm running my main & jib halyards on the center and outside clutch respectively on the stbd side, and my reefing line and spinnaker downhaul on the port side. I've also got a spinnaker halyard that can be run in the inside clutch on the stbd side, but I've had no opportunity or desire to fly my chute yet. I never got to sail the boat before I bought it, and while we got about a three hour introduction to the boat from the PO, the finer points of line management, etc. weren't covered.

Is the clutch on the port side not stock? I knew the deck organizer wasn't, mostly because it's not the standard gear manufacturer, plus it leaks (as does the radio antenna).

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