Radar support is an advanced functionality of Orca Core. It allows you to view a Radar Overlay on your Orca Charts and control your Simrad or B&G radar directly via Orca. Simrad and B&G radars are brands made by Navico, so this article will refer to Navico radars.
Radar controls in Orca integrate seamlessly with your existing Navico chartplotter. Any change you make in Orca will also be reflected on your other systems that are connected to your Navico radar.
Orca supports connecting to the following Navico radars:
HALO 24, 20+, 20, 8, 6, 4
4G
Only Orca Core 2 supports connecting to Navico radars.
Supported functionality
All basic controls are supported, from changing modes (Harbor, Offshore, Weather, Bird, Custom) to range, sensitivity, and noise reduction. The following functionalities are not yet supported:
Doppler / VelocityTrack color coding
Guard zones
Target trails
Setup sector blanking
Setup heading offset
For dual-range radar setups, Orca will connect to the primary radar configuration.
Connecting to a Navico radar
Orca supports the following connection topologies via the the Orca Core 2's 4-pin male ethernet cable:
Direct connection – an Ethernet cable between the radar and Core
Connection via a Switch:
Connection via a Standard Ethernet Switch
Connection via a Navico Ethernet Switch – such as the Navico NEP Switch
Once connected, Orca will automatically detect the Radar and show Radar Controls in the Control Center. For information about controlling your Radar, see the article: How do I control my Radar?
1. Direct Connection
Direct connection is only recommended if you do not intend to access the Radar from any other devices.
For direct connection, you will need:
An M12 4-pin male to RJ45 female adapter¹
The Navico radar interconnector cable²
2. Connection via a Switch
Connection via an Ethernet switch is recommended for when you have multiple devices controlling your Radar.
Orca Core should be connected directly to the same switch as your radar. Chaining multiple switches between the Orca Core and your radar may prevent Orca from discovering your radar.
2a) Connection via a Standard Ethernet Switch
For connection to a Standard Ethernet Switch, you will need:
An M12 4-pin male to RJ45 female adapter¹
A male to male RJ45 cable
The Navico radar interconnector cable²
2b) Connection via a Navico Ethernet Switch
For connection to a Standard Ethernet Switch, you will need:
An M12 4-pin male to RJ45 male adapter³
The Navico 5-pin male to RJ45 female adapter cable (x2)⁴
The Navico radar interconnector cable²
Recommended connection equipment
M12 4-pin male to RJ45 female adapter:
We recommend the following high-quality and cost-effective adapter: Amphenol RJS-12D04FM-RS8001 (Mouser webshop)
Navico radar interconnector cable
This cable should come in the box with the radar. It is usually long (up to 30m) and white. Here is an example: Broadband 3G/4G Scanner connection Cable
Please ensure that your interconnector cable fits your radar
M12 4-pin male to RJ45 male adapter
We recommend the following high-quality and cost-effective adapter: L-COM M12RJ454D-0.5 (Digikey webshop)
Navico 5-pin male to RJ45 female adapter cable (x2)
One of these cables should come in the box with the radar: SKU: 000-0127-56
Please note that you will need two of these cables to complete the setup. One should go between the M12 4-pin male to RJ45 male adapter and the other between the Navico switch and the Navico radar cable.
Do I need a Navico MFD for the initial setup of the radar?
Orca Core does not yet support Radar commissioning (the process of bringing a radar system from installation into fully operational status). Commissioning, which is essential for initialising and configuring radar systems, must be conducted through a compatible Multi-Function Display (MFD).
Once commissioning is completed through the MFD, the radar can be connected to Orca Core 2 for integration and usage and the MFD is then no longer required.