The Quantum 2 Q24D upgrade and wired RayNet cable were purchased. The September 29 invoice is paid and records a ship date. Receipt, installation, and successful onboard operation remain unconfirmed.
The original symptom
The radar did not broadcast a visible Wi-Fi network during onboard testing. It seemed to be taking stealth a little too seriously. A direct battery supply did not change that behavior. I recorded three solid green LEDs and one flashing green LED.
An external-antenna diagnostic attempt also failed to produce a visible Wi-Fi signal. At that point, I sent the unit for factory evaluation.
Factory evaluation
The factory reported that the unit communicated with its test display, but produced weak and intermittent radar returns. Its diagnosis identified a faulty array or antenna.
That was more specific than the initial suspicion of a Wi-Fi-board problem. It also meant that my original symptom and the factory diagnosis needed to stay distinct in the record.
Costs, options & sourcing
Raymarine’s initial September 4 support estimate was roughly $650 for an out-of-warranty repair. After the unit was evaluated, the September 25 bench quote was $1,050. The initial estimate was a ballpark; the later quote was the actual repair option I had to evaluate.
| Option | Quoted amount | Decision / terms |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-price factory repair of the Q24W | $1,050, plus applicable tax and shipping | Declined in favor of the upgrade. Factory diagnosis: faulty array/antenna with weak, intermittent returns. |
| Quantum 2 Q24D upgrade E70498 | $1,938.74, plus tax and shipping | Accepted September 29. The quoted $2,584.99 list price was reduced by a 25% trade-in offer. This is a historical offer for my case. |
| 10-meter A80275 Quantum RayNet cable | No additional charge with the accepted upgrade | Confirmed in the September 28 reply and included in the agreement. |
| Decline repair and have the old unit returned | $275 maintenance and investigation fee, plus shipping and tax | Not selected. Raymarine also offered to scrap the unwanted unit at no charge. |
Raymarine clarified an important billing point: the $1,938.74 upgrade price replaced the maintenance-and-investigation charge; it was not added on top of it. Asking that question before accepting avoided an expensive misunderstanding.
Sources: Raymarine support and evaluation emails dated September 4, 25, and 28, and the acceptance dated September 29, 2026. Prices and the included cable are the terms of this particular offer, not a promise of today’s retail price.
The replacement decision
The upgrade’s equipment price was $888.74 more than the factory repair quote, before tax and shipping. That was a meaningful extra expense, but it bought the selected Q24D upgrade rather than spending $1,050 repairing the original unit.
The agreed package included a 10-meter A80275 Quantum RayNet data cable at no extra charge. I prefer a wired connection for the new installation. The existing displays are Raymarine Axiom Pro 12 RVX units. The missing Wi-Fi network had already supplied quite enough mystery.
The invoice retains the original model in its repair description, while identifying the supplied part as E70498. The accepted correspondence names the Q24D upgrade. I am recording that as an upgrade purchase; checking the received hardware and its labels remains part of completing the project.
The bill, including the attempt that didn’t work
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Quantum 2 upgrade | $1,938.74 |
| Agreed A80275 cable | Included; no additional charge |
| Shipping and handling | $30.00 |
| Tax | $137.81 |
| Factory invoice, paid in full | $2,106.55 |
The earlier RMA amount was $326.35: $275 for evaluation, $30 freight, and $21.35 tax. The final upgrade replaced that assessment, as Raymarine confirmed. I have used the final paid invoice as the factory total and have not counted the earlier assessment or the shipping label again.
The unsuccessful external-antenna test also had a cost. My DigiKey order contained a Murata MXHS83QE3000 measurement probe ($37.25) and a 2.4 GHz antenna ($2.99). Shipping was $8.49, tax $3.72, and tariff $4.47, bringing that order to $56.92. It did not restore a detectable Wi-Fi signal, so those parts belong in the cost record even though they did not solve the problem.
Documented spending so far: $2,106.55 + $56.92 = $2,163.47. That includes the purchased solution and this diagnostic attempt. Mounting supplies, any additional cabling, installation labor, and commissioning expenses are not yet fully itemized. This is not the final installed-and-tested project cost.
The factory’s September 29 reply said the package was set to ship that day, and the invoice records that ship date. The records do not yet confirm arrival or onboard testing.
Sources: DigiKey order confirmation, the initial RMA confirmation, Raymarine’s billing clarification, and the paid September 29 invoice. The spending total includes the diagnostic order and the final factory invoice, with the earlier assessment counted once.
What will complete the project
- Confirm the received radar and cable match the agreed upgrade.
- Plan and complete the mounting and cable route.
- Verify communication with the displays.
- Check radar operation aboard the boat after installation.
Selecting the replacement is one milestone. This page will distinguish that decision from a completed, tested installation.
I keep the detailed private record for this project in NautiFile, the boat-records app I’m building for equipment, service history, documents, photos, and expenses. Read the story behind NautiFile.
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