Garmin Marine Radar: Safe Navigation in Any Condition

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When it comes to safe navigation, visibility is everything — and Garmin Marine Radar delivers the confidence you need whether you’re navigating in fog, rain, or total darkness. From offshore cruising to night fishing trips, Garmin’s Fantum™ and GMR™ radar systems provide powerful, precise awareness of your surroundings, ensuring you stay safe and in control on every voyage.

Learn Radar Basics in this Video by Garmin. Understand better how LiveScope works and how you can benefit from this Series on the water.

The Power of Garmin Marine Radar

Garmin radar technology helps you detect other vessels, landmasses, weather fronts, and obstacles — even when visibility is near zero. Using advanced signal processing and target tracking, Garmin radar paints a clear, detailed picture of your environment right on your chartplotter screen.

Two of Garmin’s leading radar types are:

1. Garmin Fantum™ Solid-State Radar

Garmin’s Fantum™ technology uses solid-state pulse compression to deliver high-resolution imagery with minimal power draw. Unlike traditional magnetron radar, Fantum radars start instantly and provide sharper target separation, so you can distinguish between boats, buoys, and shorelines with incredible clarity.

Fantom 254 / Fantom 256

Fantom 254 and Fantom 256 are both powerful, high-end solid-state open-array marine radar systems designed for enhanced situational awareness on the water.

The "254" designation refers to the 4-foot antenna, while "256" refers to the 6-foot antenna. 

Key Features:

  • Instant power-on — no warm-up required
  • High-resolution target separation
  • Quiet operation and low power consumption
  • Compatible with Garmin GPSMAP® and ECHOMAP™ series displays

Popular Models:

 

Fantom 18 Dome Radar (Black)

(010-02584-10)

Fantom 18 Dome Radar (White)

(010-02584-00)

Both models feature a compact, solid-state marine radar design for boats that offers advanced features like Doppler-based MotionScope to highlight moving targets, dual-range viewing to see both near and far objects at once, and radar overlay to display the radar image on a chartplotter. 

 

Fantom 24 Dome Radar (Black)

(010-02585-10)

Featuring a 24-inch, solid-state dome radar that provides advanced marine navigation by detecting and highlighting targets like other boats, weather, and birds. 

Key specifications include 50 watts of power for long-range detection up to 48 nautical miles, MotionScope technology to show moving targets in different colors, and high-speed rotation (up to 60 RPM) for faster updates.
 

2. Garmin GMR™ Open-Array and Dome Radars

The Garmin GMR™ Series offers exceptional range and accuracy for serious boaters and anglers. Open-array radars like the GMR Fantum 124 provides superior target tracking at long distances, while compact dome radars are ideal for smaller boats needing close-range precision.

GMR™ Series

Shop GMR Series for a line of marine radar systems designed to enhance a boater's situational awareness, helping with navigation, collision avoidance, and finding fishing spots.

These systems include features like MotionScope technology to highlight moving targets, pulse compression for high-resolution imaging, and true echo trails to track other vessels. 

Key Features:

  • Long-range performance (up to 96 nautical miles)
  • Dual-range display for near and far targets simultaneously
  • Advanced MARPA target tracking and motion detection
  • Perfect for offshore cruising or deep-sea fishing

Why Marine Radar Matters for Offshore and Night Boating

Even the most experienced boaters can’t rely solely on visual cues. When visibility drops, Garmin Marine Radar gives you eyes where you need them most:

  • Navigate safely through fog and darkness
  • Detect approaching weather systems early
  • Avoid collisions with buoys, landmasses, or other vessels
  • Track moving targets using MotionScope™ technology
  • Overlay radar onto your chartplotter maps for real-time awareness

For anglers, radar isn’t just about safety — it’s about precision. When paired with Garmin Livescope™ real-time sonar and other fishing electronics, your helm becomes a fully integrated command center. You can monitor weather patterns, track nearby vessels, and spot fish activity simultaneously.

Integrating Radar with Your Garmin System

Garmin’s marine radar seamlessly connects with compatible chartplotters and networked systems via Garmin Marine Network or NMEA 2000®, giving you total control at the helm. Pair your radar with:

Shop Garmin Marine Radar at Suncoast Marine & Auto

At Suncoast Marine & Auto, we carry a complete selection of Garmin Fantum™ and GMR™ radar systems, radar mounts, and compatible accessories. Whether you’re outfitting a small center console or a luxury yacht, we’ll help you find the right radar solution to fit your vessel and boating style.

Shop top products now:

Stay safe. Stay aware. Stay connected — with Garmin Marine Radar.

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