Garmin GMR 426 xHD2 4kW 6' Open Array Marine Radar

The GMR 426 xHD2 is Garmin's 4-kilowatt 6-foot open-array radar, sold as a complete network unit with both the pedestal and the antenna in the same package. The xHD2 platform is Garmin's modernized magnetron radar, sitting below the higher-output 12kW xHD2 units in the lineup but well above the dome-radar tier in terms of long-range performance and target separation. For boats in the 30-to-50-foot range that want serious offshore radar without paying the price difference for the 12kW pedestal, the 426 is where most operators land.

The 6-foot array is what buys you the 1.1-degree horizontal beamwidth, which is the spec that separates this radar from shorter open-array units and from dome radars at the same power level. A narrower beam puts more energy on a specific bearing, which means a tighter return on each target and better target separation when two boats or two buoys are close together on the same range. At 72 nautical miles of maximum range, the long-range picture stays useful for traffic and weather rather than just maxing out the display. The 8-bit true color processing on the pedestal turns the magnetron returns into a sharper image than older 4-bit and 6-bit xHD radars produced, which matters most in busy bays and crowded coastal water where you're trying to distinguish a 25-foot boat from a navigation buoy at 2 miles.

The 24 and 48 RPM rotation speeds give you two operational modes: standard 24 RPM for normal cruising and 48 RPM for collision-avoidance situations where you need the picture to refresh faster than the boat is closing on a target. The motor is housed inside the sealed pedestal and the speed change happens in software with no mechanical reconfiguration. Power consumption is 65 watts typical, which is light enough that the radar doesn't measurably load the house bank during normal use. The input voltage range of 10 to 32 volts DC handles both 12V and 24V house systems without an external converter.

The full Garmin xHD2 feature set is available on this radar. MARPA target tracking handles up to 10 simultaneous targets with vector overlays for course, speed, and closest-point-of-approach calculations, which requires a heading sensor on the same NMEA 2000 network. Dual Range splits the antenna output to display two range scales on the chartplotter at the same time, which is the right operating mode for harbor entries where you need both close-in detail and longer-range traffic awareness. Echo Trails draws digital tracks behind moving targets so you can see course and closing speed at a glance. Bird Mode boosts gain and tunes the echo filter to detect feeding bird flocks for offshore fishing. Guard Zones with audible alarms let you draw watch perimeters around the boat for anchored or fog-bound operation. Dynamic Auto Gain and Dynamic Sea Filter manage clutter rejection in real time based on what the antenna is seeing.

Installation runs through the Garmin Marine Network with the included Ethernet cable. The complete unit (pedestal plus 6-foot array) weighs roughly 65 pounds and wants a structural mounting point on the radar arch or hardtop with enough swing radius for the 6-foot array to rotate freely. The radar is the Marine Network device, the heading sensor is a separate purchase if you don't already have one, and a compatible Garmin chartplotter is the third piece of the puzzle. Most current GPSMAP and echoMAP units with Marine Network Ethernet support work with this radar. If you're running an older unit, send us the model number and we'll confirm compatibility before you order. The package includes the pedestal with the 6-foot array attached, the Marine Network cable, the power cable, and the mounting hardware. Plan on a marine electronics installer for the wiring and the network configuration unless you have experience pulling Ethernet through a boat.