Radar and AIS installed on your boat. Done right.
NMEA Certified MEI installer serving Nassau County and Suffolk County marinas. Garmin GMR Fantom, Simrad HALO, Raymarine Quantum radar — plus Class B AIS transponders and VHF with built-in DSC and AIS receive.
Radar and AIS are the two most important safety electronics on any boat operating in Long Island Sound, the Great South Bay, or offshore. Radar shows you what’s around you in the dark and in the fog. AIS tells you who those vessels are, where they’re headed, and how fast. Together they give you a complete picture of traffic around your hull.
We handle the full installation — from mounting the radome or open array on your arch or tower to integrating radar overlay on your chartplotter via NMEA 2000. Every radar install includes transmit/receive testing and heading alignment before we leave the dock.
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Radar systems we install on Long Island boats.
Modern solid-state marine radar is lighter, faster to acquire targets, and draws less power than the magnetron radar it replaced. Garmin GMR Fantom, Simrad HALO, and Raymarine Quantum are all solid-state units that connect to your chartplotter via Ethernet, putting radar overlay on your navigation display with zero additional wiring at the helm.
Radar placement matters. A dome mounted too low picks up wave clutter. An open array on a badly positioned mount becomes hard to read in a chop. We assess your vessel, your typical operating area on Long Island Sound or the South Shore bays, and your range requirements before recommending a unit and mount location.
Garmin GMR Fantom
GMR Fantom 18x, 24x, 54 — solid-state with MotionScope Doppler. Detects and color-codes moving targets. Integrates with all GPSMAP chartplotters via Garmin Marine Network Ethernet.
Simrad HALO
HALO20+, HALO24, HALO3, HALO4 open array — pulse compression with VelocityTrack Doppler. Pairs with NSS, NSX, and GO chartplotters over Ethernet.
Raymarine Quantum 2
CHIRP pulse compression dome with Doppler — connects via Wi-Fi or Ethernet to Axiom and Axiom Pro. Accurate short-range performance down to 20 feet.
Open Array Radar
Furuno DRS, Garmin GMR 24xHD, Simrad HALO3/4 — narrower beamwidth and longer range than dome units. Required for vessels regularly running offshore.
AIS systems — receive-only to Class B transmit.
AIS (Automatic Identification System) broadcasts vessel identity, position, course, and speed to other AIS-equipped vessels and to shore stations. A Class B AIS transponder transmits your vessel data while also receiving all traffic nearby. AIS data overlays directly on your chartplotter via NMEA 2000 — showing vessel name, MMSI, COG, SOG, and CPA for every transmitting vessel around you.
This is especially valuable on Long Island Sound and the East River approaches where commercial traffic is dense and fast-moving. A loaded tanker doing 14 knots closing on your position in the fog is exactly the scenario AIS is designed to alert you to before it becomes a problem.
Class B AIS Transponders
Garmin GDL 60, Vesper XB-8000, Digital Yacht AIT3000 — transmits at 2W every 30 seconds. Requires VHF antenna or splitter, NMEA 2000 connection, and MMSI registration. We handle wiring, setup, and MMSI programming on site.
VHF + AIS Combos
Standard Horizon GX2400, Garmin VHF 215i, Icom M510 — VHF radios with built-in AIS receive and DSC. Single antenna, single unit. AIS targets feed NMEA 2000. Most cost-effective solution for recreational boats.
AIS Receivers
Garmin GDL 50, Vesper WatchMate — receive-only, no MMSI required. See commercial traffic and proximity alerts on your chartplotter without transmitting your own position.
What a properly installed radar and AIS system does for you.
Fog and Night Navigation
Long Island Sound fog rolls in fast in spring and fall. Radar gives you real-time situational awareness of vessels, buoys, and shorelines when visibility drops to zero. Solid-state units acquire targets quickly and maintain them reliably even in heavy rain clutter.
Collision Avoidance
Doppler radar highlights moving vessels in a different color from stationary targets. AIS adds vessel name, MMSI, and CPA data on your chartplotter. Together they give you enough information to make safe passing decisions before you can see the other vessel visually.
Radar Overlay on Chartplotter
Modern radar overlays the radar picture directly on your navigation chart. You see radar returns in the correct geographic position on top of your GPS chart. We set up heading sensor alignment and range calibration so the overlay is accurate from day one.
NMEA 2000 Integration
AIS transponders connect to your NMEA 2000 network and share target data with every display on your vessel. Radar heading data also feeds the network for stabilized radar overlay. We build or extend your NMEA 2000 backbone to accommodate new devices.
Antenna Placement & Mounting
Radar performance depends heavily on where the antenna is mounted. Too low and sea clutter masks close-in targets. Too high and the beam overshoots small boats nearby. We assess your arch, tower, or hardtop and mount at the optimal height for your vessel size and operating area.
MMSI Registration & Guard Zones
A Class B AIS transponder requires MMSI registration to transmit legally. We program your MMSI, vessel name, call sign, and dimensions into the unit. We also configure guard zones and proximity alarms on your chartplotter so AIS targets alert you when they enter your defined safety radius.
Ready to talk? Or keep reading below.
What Long Island boat owners say about LIME.
Perfect 5-star rating on Google. Every review is a real customer from a real Long Island marina.
★★★★★
LIME did a full Garmin helm build on my 307. NMEA 2000 network, Panoptix sonar, Halo radar, and autopilot. Flawless installation. Everything talks to everything. 5 stars without question.
— Mike T., Grady-White 307
★★★★★
Had another "installer" mess up my electronics. LIME came in, diagnosed the wiring nightmare, fixed it correctly, and upgraded the whole helm. These guys know what they're doing.
— Rich S., Contender 39 ST
★★★★★
Best in the business on Long Island. NMEA certified, professional, and the cleanest wiring I've ever seen. Worth every penny.
— Dave F., Regulator 31
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need radar if I already have AIS?
Yes. AIS only shows vessels that are transmitting AIS — it does not detect kayaks, sailboats without AIS, lobster pots, or debris in the water. Radar detects everything with a radar cross section regardless of whether it is transmitting anything. The two systems are complementary, not interchangeable.
What is the difference between a Class B AIS transponder and an AIS receiver?
An AIS receiver only listens — you can see other AIS-equipped vessels but they cannot see you. A Class B AIS transponder both transmits and receives. It broadcasts your vessel name, MMSI, position, course, and speed so commercial traffic and other boats can see you on their displays. For offshore use or any area with commercial vessel traffic, a transponder is the safer choice.
Which radar is best for a center console on Long Island?
For most center consoles running the Great South Bay, Jones Inlet, and offshore to 40 miles, the Garmin GMR Fantom 18x or 24x and the Simrad HALO20+ are the most common installs we do. Both are solid-state, low-power, and perform well in the short-range conditions of bay and inlet navigation. For boats running farther offshore we typically recommend a larger dome or open array.
Can radar and AIS overlay on my existing chartplotter?
In most cases yes, if the radar is from the same brand family as the chartplotter. Garmin radar overlays on GPSMAP, Simrad overlays on NSS/NSX, and Raymarine Quantum overlays on Axiom. AIS data from any NMEA 2000-connected transponder overlays on any compatible chartplotter regardless of brand.
How long does a radar installation take?
A dome radar on an existing arch with a compatible chartplotter typically runs 3 to 5 hours. Open array installs, new arch or tower mounts, and simultaneous AIS transponder installs add time. We quote each job individually after assessing your vessel.
Do you install radar at marinas in Nassau County and Suffolk County?
Yes. We are fully mobile and work at marinas throughout Nassau County and Suffolk County including Freeport, Amityville, Bay Shore, Babylon, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Greenport, and Montauk. We come to your slip with all tools and hardware. No haul-out required.
Ready to schedule your marine electronics service?
Three ways to get started: call, text, or submit a quote request online. We respond same day during the season.
Portal-to-portal billing · 4-hour minimum · Written estimate before we start