The Simrad HALO24 (MPN 000-14535-001, UPC 9420024173770) is Simrad’s compact 24-inch dome radar with VelocityTrack Doppler technology – delivering 48 nautical mile range from a single compact antenna housing along with industry-first 60 RPM ultra-fast rotation at close range for the highest-resolution collision avoidance display in the recreational marine radar market. Sized for sailboats, fishing boats, and smaller powerboats where a compact 24-inch dome antenna fits the mast or hardtop mounting without the size and cost of larger open-array radars. Pulse compression technology delivers high-quality short, mid, and long-range detection without compromise at any range – resolves small targets at close range while maintaining the long-range reach to 48 nm. Simultaneous Dual Range mode lets you monitor two distance ranges at once – watch far-away weather cells building on a long-range scan while simultaneously tracking close-range collision hazards on a short-range scan. The defining 60 RPM operation at ranges up to 2 nautical miles delivers a complete 360-degree sweep every second – almost real-time view at close range, the ultimate display for collision avoidance in crowded waterways or poor visibility. VelocityTrack Doppler technology automatically checks every target on the screen using the Doppler effect to determine if the target is moving toward your vessel or away – color-codes potential hazards in red (approaching) vs green (moving away) for instant visual identification of collision risk without manual target selection. No limit to the number of Doppler-tracked targets on screen at one time. Beam sharpening provides enhanced separation between small or distant targets that would otherwise blur together on conventional radars. Preset operating modes: harbour (close-range coastal navigation), offshore (open-water long-range), weather (precipitation detection), and bird (highly sensitive mode for finding bait-following bird flocks – useful for offshore fishing). Compatible with Simrad NSS Evo3, Evo3S, NSS 4, NSO, and GO chartplotters via Ethernet – displays radar on the chartplotter with overlay, target tracking, and full radar operation through the chartplotter interface. Also compatible with sister-brand displays (parent-company ecosystem). 2-year limited warranty.
The Simrad HALO24 is the compact 24-inch dome radar with VelocityTrack Doppler technology – Simrad’s premium recreational radar that delivers 48 nautical mile range, ultra-fast 60 RPM rotation for collision avoidance, and Doppler-based target tracking in a single compact dome antenna sized for sailboats, fishing boats, and mid-size powerboats. For owners who want serious radar capability without the size, weight, and complexity of larger open-array radars, the HALO24 is the right call.
What ‘HALO’ means in the Simrad lineup. HALO is Simrad’s premium radar platform – the high-performance line above the entry-level 3G / 4G broadband radars but using the same fundamental pulse-compression technology refined to a higher level. The HALO series includes: HALO20 (the entry-level 20-inch dome), HALO20+ (the 20-inch dome with Doppler), HALO24 (this product – 24-inch dome with Doppler), HALO 2000 (the open-array variant for serious offshore use), and HALO 3000 (the largest open-array for commercial use). The HALO24 is the sweet spot for the recreational market – the largest dome antenna size before stepping up to open-array, with the longer range and Doppler capability that distinguishes serious marine radar.
The 48 nautical mile range – what it really means. Maximum radar range depends on target size, atmospheric conditions, and antenna height. The HALO24’s 48 nm spec is the maximum detectable range under ideal conditions for large targets – commercial ships, weather cells, large coastlines. In practice for typical recreational use: large vessels at 20-30 nm, small fishing boats at 8-15 nm, weather fronts at 30-48 nm. The long range matters for weather avoidance (seeing storms building 30+ nm away) and for early detection of commercial traffic at offshore distances. For typical coastal cruising, the long-range capability is meaningful for trip planning even if you don’t routinely scan at maximum range.
60 RPM ultra-fast rotation at close range. The breakthrough feature of HALO24 (and the HALO20+ / HALO 2000 / 3000 variants) is the industry-first 60 RPM rotation at close range – meaning the antenna spins 60 times per minute, delivering a complete 360-degree radar sweep every single second. Compare to typical radar antennas that rotate at 24 RPM (2.5 seconds per sweep) or 36 RPM (1.7 seconds per sweep). The faster rotation matters for collision avoidance because radar’s primary safety function is showing you nearby vessels in real time – the 60 RPM update is closer to ‘real time’ than the 2.5-second sweep of older radars where targets can move significantly between updates. Specifically, the 60 RPM mode activates automatically at radar ranges up to 2 nautical miles – exactly the range where collision avoidance happens. At longer ranges (where targets move less per sweep), the radar uses normal rotation speeds.
VelocityTrack Doppler – automatic collision avoidance assistance. VelocityTrack is Simrad’s Doppler-based target tracking technology that automatically checks every radar target’s velocity relative to your vessel. The Doppler effect causes the radar’s reflected signal to shift slightly in frequency based on whether the target is moving toward or away from you – VelocityTrack analyzes this shift on every target automatically. Approaching targets get color-coded red on the radar display, receding targets get color-coded green. Stationary targets (land, buoys, weather cells) get colored neutrally. Practical benefit: at a glance, you can identify which targets pose collision risk (the red ones approaching) vs which targets you’re moving past (green) vs which are fixed (neutral). Major safety improvement vs traditional radar where every target looks the same and you’ve got to manually track each one to figure out its motion.
Pulse compression technology – what it does. Pulse compression is the modern marine radar technology that delivers high-quality target detection at both close and far ranges without the trade-offs of older ‘pulse’ radar (which had to choose between short-range resolution and long-range reach). The HALO24’s pulse compression delivers: high-resolution close-range detection (resolving small targets like buoys, small boats, channel markers at close range), long-range detection (the 48 nm maximum reach), and Dual Range simultaneous operation (the radar can show both close and far ranges at the same time without choosing between them).
Dual Range mode – watching near and far simultaneously. Dual Range mode is one of the most useful HALO features for practical navigation. The radar simultaneously displays two distance ranges – typically a close-range scan (1-3 nm) for collision avoidance and a long-range scan (10-48 nm) for weather and overall situational awareness. You see both on the same display (typically split-screen on the chartplotter, or side-by-side panels). Practical benefit: keep watching for storms building offshore while still tracking close-range collision hazards from passing boats – no need to constantly switch between range settings to do both functions.
Preset operating modes. The HALO24 includes preset modes optimized for different operating scenarios: (1) Harbour mode – tuned for close-range detection in coastal navigation with high sensitivity to small targets like channel markers, buoys, small boats. (2) Offshore mode – tuned for open-water long-range detection with reduced sensitivity to wave clutter for better visibility of actual targets. (3) Weather mode – tuned for precipitation detection, showing rain bands and weather cells in detail. (4) Bird mode – highly sensitive mode tuned to detect flocks of birds following baitfish schools, useful for offshore fishing to find feeding birds that signal fish activity below. The presets let you quickly optimize the radar for the current operating conditions without manual tuning.
Chartplotter compatibility – Simrad ecosystem. The HALO24 integrates via Ethernet with Simrad chartplotters: NSS evo3, NSS evo3S, the new NSS 4 series (NSS4-10/12/16), NSO multi-display systems, and GO series chartplotters. Full integration includes: radar display with chart overlay (radar targets superimposed on the chart for spatial reference), MARPA target tracking (manual acquisition and automatic tracking of specific targets), AIS integration (combine AIS targets with radar targets for unified target picture), and full radar operation through the chartplotter interface (gain, sea state, EBL / VRM controls). Also compatible with sister-brand chartplotters from the parent company’s other marine brands via Ethernet.
Install considerations. Plan for 6-12 hours for an experienced installer – radar installations require careful antenna mounting, Ethernet cable routing, and chartplotter integration. Tasks: mount the 24-inch dome antenna at typical radar height (15-25 ft above waterline for typical sportfishers and sailboats – the antenna height significantly affects radar range, higher is better), route the Ethernet cable from antenna to chartplotter helm location (avoid running parallel to other electronics cables to minimize interference), wire 12V power to the radar with proper fusing, connect Ethernet to compatible chartplotter, and run the radar setup procedure to calibrate the heading sensor alignment and tune the radar for your specific installation. For sailboats with masthead radar mounting, plan additional time for masthead cable routing.
