FAR-3210 6ft XN13A

Common issues

• Antenna pedestal motor or gearing wear causing slow start-up, stalling, or hunting during rotation
• Waveguide or RF cable connector corrosion at the mast base leading to reduced transmit power
• Display unit backlight or LCD degradation reducing daylight readability
• RF interconnection cable gland failure allowing moisture ingress at the deck penetration
• Chart or software database not updated, causing chart/radar overlay position mismatch on the ECDIS
• Antenna radome or open-array bearing seal wear allowing water ingress into the drive unit
• Interswitch or network faults between radar and ECDIS causing intermittent loss of overlay
• Gyro or heading sensor input dropout causing the radar picture to lose north stabilisation

Inspection checklist

• Check antenna rotation for smoothness, unusual noise, or hunting behaviour
• Inspect waveguide/RF cable gland at the mast base for corrosion, cracking, or water ingress
• Verify transmit power or tuning indication against the manufacturer's commissioning baseline
• Check display brightness, contrast and pixel integrity in daylight conditions
• Confirm heading and speed log inputs are valid and radar is correctly stabilised
• Test ARPA target acquisition and check for erratic or dropped tracking
• Verify chart overlay alignment with ECDIS position (offset check)
• Check earthing/bonding of the antenna unit and mast structure
• Confirm guard zone and CPA/TCPA alarms trigger correctly
• Review software and chart update status against the last service log entry

Service intervals

Typical wear limits

Ranges are typical for this design class. Always confirm against the manufacturer documentation for your serial number.

Critical spares

• Magnetron (only applicable if this unit is magnetron-type - confirm transmitter type before ordering, solid-state units have no magnetron)
• Antenna rotation motor or drive belt
• Display unit backlight or LCD module
• RF waveguide gasket/seal kit
• Antenna pedestal bearing set
• Power supply unit (PSU) board
• Mains and interconnection fuses per the wiring diagram

Safety

• High-voltage components inside the transceiver/antenna unit - isolate and prove dead before opening
• Non-ionising RF radiation near the antenna while transmitting - keep clear of the exclusion zone marked on the unit
• Working aloft at the antenna mount requires fall protection
• Lock out antenna rotation before any hands-on work near the scanner

Class survey

Radar is statutory navigation equipment surveyed under SOLAS V rather than Continuous Survey Machinery. Class/flag state checks valid type approval, correct installation, and a functional test (including ARPA and guard-zone alarms) at annual safety equipment/radio survey. Keep test records available.

Estimated lifetime: Not conventionally rated in running hours. X-Band marine radar systems of this class typically remain in service 10-15 years before full renewal, with the transmitter module or major RF components sometimes replaced once or more within that span.