Introducing Halo Radar Support

June 18, 2024 • 2 min read

Radar overlay and control of B&G and Simrad Halo radars has arrived in Orca.

Radar is an excellent navigation tool that serves many use cases. In heavily trafficked areas, you can use it as a collision avoidance system. If a storm is brewing, you can use it to track rain showers. And in poor visibility – such as at night, or in foggy conditions – it helps you spot obstacles and dangers that would be impossible to see otherwise.

Last year, Orca introduced support for Quantum radars. Now the Halo radar range from Simrad and B&G is also supported by Orca. Halo radars are incredibly powerful, with industry-leading 360-degree sweeps at close range and high-quality short, medium, and long range detection thanks to its CHIRP bursts. 

Powered by Orca Core 2

Orca connects to Halo radars via the Orca Core 2. Setting up your radar is effortless. Just connect your Core 2’s high-bandwidth ethernet cable directly to the radar or via a network switch, and radar controls will appear in Orca.

Any change you make in Orca will be updated on your other radar-enabled devices. Orca will use Halo A, your primary radar configuration, for dual-range radar setups.

Orca Core powers many of the advanced features in Orca.

For information about how to connect Core 2 to your radar, see the Simrad and B&G radar connection guide.

Using Halo radars in Orca

Radar is shown as an overlay on top of your Orca Charts. Orca Core 2’s built-in GPS and compass align the radar overlay perfectly with the chart. Advanced processing algorithms deliver a crisp and detailed radar image, ensuring that every small detail your radar picks up is visible in Orca.

Controlling your radar is incredibly easy with Orca. Your Radar Controls live inside the Control Center, which you open from the top right corner of your chart.

Orca gives you all of the core radar controls you expect, from changing between standby and transmit to sensitivity and noise reduction. Adjusting controls is fast, and your changes are instantly applied to the radar overlay in the chart.

For more information about radar controls and which radar functionality is supported, see the Radar controls guide. Halo radar support is available from Core version 0.27 and onwards.

Join the modern way of boating

Want to upgrade your boating experience with radar access on all your devices? 

Order your Orca Core now. Orca gives you a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and free express shipping, so you can try it risk-free.