Furuno Debuts Solid State Radome with Doppler Tech

 

The DRS4D-NXT is a Solid-State Radar with pulse compression and Doppler frequency shift sensing technology, built into a compact 24” Radome. This “NXT” (read “next”) generation Radar is designed for use with both NavNet TZtouch and TZtouch2 MFDs. The DRS4D-NXT is packed with new features, including the notable “Target Analyzer”, facilitated by Furuno’s Doppler technology to automatically change the color of targets approaching your boat to clearly show any hazards. Green echoes are stationary targets, land or approaching targets moving at a velocity of less than 3 knots. Echoes dynamically turn red when targets are approaching the vessel at a speed of 3 knots or faster. It works the same when following another vessel. If the target is getting closer at a speed of 3 knots or more, the echo will be depicted in red on the screen. “Target Analyzer” works independently of one’s own ship speed.

 

Using Furuno’s advanced Doppler technology, the new DRS4D-NXT Radar acquires and tracks targets in virtually every sweep, or just a few seconds. Almost instantly, users will see the target’s speed and course vector. If the target is hazardous, it will also be displayed in red, making it easier to identify and predict its course. The NXT Radar’s ARPA signal processor will display and track up to 100 targets in a single sweep. The entire target theatre can be viewed, monitored and tracked simultaneously, at any range. For an even more detailed display, target trails and Furuno’s True Trail feature can be utilized, allowing users to graphically see the direction in which a target is moving, independent of the user’s own vessel’s motion.

 

The resolution of this dome Radar features a 3.9-degree horizontal beam width, but Furuno took it a step further by incorporating its exclusive RezBoost beam sharpening technology to increase performance. With RezBoost set to maximum, the NXT Radome’s beamwidth is synthetically sharpened to the equivalent of 2 degrees, providing enhanced target separation that was previously only available on larger, open array Radar antennas.

 

An all-new “Bird Mode” is another standard feature of the DRS4D-NXT. With a single selection on the MFD, the Radar automatically adjusts settings for echo enhancement to help you locate birds. For those fishing fanatics, finding the birds is an important step to zeroing-in on the bite.