Garmin® Expands its xHD Radar Offerings with New 4kW Open Arrays

Garmin the global leader in satellite navigation*, today announced two new xHD open-array radar models, which will give mariners high-definition picture quality in a robust yet affordable package. The GMR™ 404 xHD and GMR 406 xHD complement the powerful xHD family of open-array radar scanners, which now offer the same high performance in a 4, 6 or 12 kilowatt scanner.   

“The detail-rich GMR 404/406 xHD scanners are ideal for the budget conscious captain who demands more performance than a radome can provide,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “These new scanners bring premium high-definition digital technology to today’s more discerning marine market, and do so at an appealing price.”

With four kilowatts of power output, these dual-speed scanners combine 72 nautical mile maximum range with advanced video technology that yields nearly eight times more signal processing bandwidth than predecessor designs. With this high-end performance, mariners can count on improved resolution and target separation, plus better detection and presentation of small or distant returns that might go undetected on traditional analogue radar systems. The powerful 6-foot GMR 406 xHD features a 1.1-degree horizontal and 25-degree vertical beamwidth, while the 4-foot GMR 404 xHD focuses energy with a 1.8-degree horizontal and 25-degree vertical beamwidth.

For increased situational awareness in all environments, these new radar units also incorporate a Dual Range feature that allows a Garmin network-compatible multi-function display (MFD) to show two ranges simultaneously, so users can see both close and distant targets on one display. Like other Garmin radar devices, these new units also support MARPA (Mini Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) collision avoidance capability, which allows mariners to track the course, speed, and predicted closest approach of multiple targets (with optional heading sensor).

These new xHD scanners transmit data over the Garmin Marine Network™, a 100-megabit plug-and-play proprietary network that allows the user to expand the boat’s system as needed. When installed with Garmin’s GPSMAP® 6000 or 7000 series network multifunction displays, the GMR 404/406 xHD can display images in full colour using a multi-hued spectrum to indicate radar return, and you can overlay the xHD radar image on the chartplotter’s map page as an aide to locational awareness. 

The GMR HD radar pedestal has an RRP of €3299. The 404 xHD radar is available for a suggested retail price of €799 and the GMR 406 xHD is available for an RRP of €1499.

All Garmin radar units come standard with a full two-year warranty. These new xHD units are expected to be available in first quarter 2011.

For more information, visit www.garmin.com/onthewater. 

*According to Canalys report for sat nav sales made in 2009

About Garmin
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – most of which are enabled by GPS technology.  Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information visit Garmin's media centre at http://garmin.blogs.com/ukpr. Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.  All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

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