PC-based radar does have advantages: flexible, versatile, fast, and easy to manipulate. But unlike dedicated radar sets that rarely fail, I have rarely seen PC's go more than a couple days without crashing - especially crash-prone Nobeltec on top of crash-prone MS Windows. Each user has to balance convenience with system stability/reliability. Given the space limitations and recreational usage aboard his 31' Camano, Scott Bulgar made a great selection. On the other hand, Mike Maurice logs a tremendous amount of sea time (I am sure he exceeded my 2004 log of ~15,000nms/2000 engine hours). The Pacific Coast has no ICW and precious few harbors so deliveries involve a lot of offshore work, often several days at sea and fog is common. Reliability is critical so Mike understandably recommends tried-and-true CRT radars. I was aboard a lot of new, expensive boats this year with the latest/greatest in electronics. Here are a couple radar-related items I liked: 1. Use PC radar as primary but install a low-cost conventional radar as back-up (starting at under $1500 - not a bad idea for many boats). 2. Furuno's black-box solution. This seems to be the direction of new commercial installations. Furuno firmware (same as the NavNet) but with the flexibility to interface any VGA LCD screen - including weatherproof and touch-controlled screens seen in bank ATM's. For those listees attending a Trawler Fest this year, let's continue the discussion at one of the Radar Seminars. Peter www.seaskills.com