Raymarine’s breakthrough new Cyclone Pro radars are a hit with the fishing community after recently becoming available in New Zealand.
Fishers targeting work-ups and other bird-related activity have been impressed by the product’s bird mode.
FC Boats’ Jesse Marshall recently sold a new FC700 amphibious hardtop to another keen local fisher who had insisted on a Cyclone Pro 110w open array radar after seeing it in action at the boat show in May.
After overseeing its installation, Jesse was there as the new radar was first put through its paces.
“Everyone on board was literally blown away,” he says. “The amount of detail was amazing. We were just staring at the screen with our mouths open!
“The radar picked up a single bird a mile or so out and, thanks to the Cyclone’s Doppler target tracking, we could clearly watch its signature as it flew towards us and then, changing its colour signature, flew away again.”
Like many keen fishers, Jesse had been waiting since the show to experience the Cyclone Pro radar for himself.
“It was so worth the wait,” he says. “I would strongly recommend it to anyone keen on fishing.”
Another impressed by the Cyclone Pro’s performance is Lusty and Blundell service manager and Whangaparoa Coastguard member, Reg Werner.
Reg spends many of his leisure hours on the local Coastguard patrol boat, which was recently fitted with a smaller, 55w, Cyclone Pro.
“The difference was incredible,” he says. “The individual signals were so crisp and clear we could literally count the number of boats in the marina.”
Although the crew were not specifically looking for flocks of birds, they couldn’t help but notice as the radar picked them up.
“Even though they were 2-3 miles away and not visible to us at all, the birds were as clear as anything on the screen and, had we been fishing instead of on patrol, we would have headed straight for them.”
Although only 110 watts, Raymarine’s new Cyclone Pro boasts the same power as a 12kW standard open array radar, giving owners a greatly extended range, even in adverse weather conditions. They are built to withstand extreme winds (up to 100 knots) and, thanks to their 60rpm rotational speed, can deliver 360-degree awareness and accurate tracking of up to 100 distinct ARPA targets in real-time, even when the vessel is at full speed.
Raymarine’s new Cyclone Pro radars integrate seamlessly with Raymarine Axiom, Axiom+, Axiom Pro, and Axiom XL chartplotter multifunction displays, are backed by Raymarine’s three-year warranty. They are now available through Lusty and Blundell’s nationwide network of marine dealers and at their three showrooms in Albany, Whangarei and Tauranga.
Photography: Raymarine