Analog radar cable testing
Digital Skipper |4/01, 2025

In situations where radar cables are frequently connected and disconnected from the radome, radar pedestal, display, junction boxes, or terminal strips, the radar cable can break. The following cable resistance tests are commonly used to test an analog video radar cable designed for use with hsb/hsb2/SL Pathfinder Series Radar Displays, C-Series Classic MFDs, and E-Series Classic MFDs:
Analog radar scanner communication control:
- Disconnect the radar cable connector from the display's radar connector and turn off the circuit that supplies power to the radar scanner (only open arrays). Measure the resistance between pin 6 and pin 10. The measured resistance should be 160 Ohms ... if so, proceed to step 5 in this diagnostic procedure.
- Remove/open the radar scanner cover and check the condition of the connector's pin 3 (blue) and pin 4 (green) wires. Repair the connections if necessary.
- Within the scanner, disconnect the connector from the scanner's processor board. Measure the resistance between pin 3 and pin 4 on the processor board. The measured resistance should be 160 Ohms ... if so, the radar cable has suffered a fault and should be replaced.
- If the measured resistance obtained in step 3 is not as specified, the radome has suffered a fault within its circuits. Since Raymarine's product repair center can no longer service analog radomes and analog open array pedestals, a replacement must be sought on the second-hand market (recommend searching on internet auction sites) or marine electronics may need to be upgraded.
- If all cable and scanner tests pass, measure the resistance between pin 6 and 10 within the display's radar connector. If the measured resistance is not 160 Ohms, the display has suffered a fault in its radar processor circuits. Since Raymarine's product repair center can no longer service radar displays and MFDs designed for use with analog radomes or analog open array pedestals, a replacement radar display or MFD must be sought on the second-hand market (recommend searching on internet auction sites) or marine electronics may need to be upgraded.
Regarding video, analog, and trigger wire tests, no tolerances are specified. The tester will primarily try to determine if the resistance tests indicate any open circuit readings. As mentioned above, a radar cable test fault may require replacement of the radome connector, radar pedestal connector, radar cable, radome, and/or radar display.
Below you can see replacement cables for analog video radome:
Below you can see replacement cables for analog video pedestal:
As stated above, the part number for Radome Connector R126 and the part number for Open Array Pedestal Connector R58056. Unfortunately, these two parts are no longer available. Since all Raymarine radomes and open array radar pedestals introduced over the past nine years have been designed with Ethernet communication interfaces, Raymarine ceased production of radar cables for radomes and open array radar pedestals with analog video interfaces several years ago. Consequently, the availability of radar cables for radomes and open array radar pedestals with analog video interfaces is now limited.