Radar target enhancers...

AntarcticPilot

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A) because they are complex RF electronics requiring precise dimensions and timing. They are also radio transmitters, and require type licensing, which is an expensive process.

B) There isn't a DIY version because they would be beyond the ability of most amateurs to assemble without a risk of them being out of specification.

This was thoroughly discussed on a previous thread - sorry, I don't have it bookmarked. But the people known for their electronic capabilities (some professional) all agreed that it wasn't a DIY job.
 

pandos

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A) because they are complex RF electronics requiring precise dimensions and timing. They are also radio transmitters, and require type licensing, which is an expensive process.

B) There isn't a DIY version because they would be beyond the ability of most amateurs to assemble without a risk of them being out of specification.

This was thoroughly discussed on a previous thread - sorry, I don't have it bookmarked. But the people known for their electronic capabilities (some professional) all agreed that it wasn't a DIY job.
I'll look for that thread..

I accept that they are complex electronics etc but so do ais transponders, vhf radios, aitopilots etc... But RTEs seem to be extra expensive for what they are...

Probably sell more if they were cheaper and manufacturers would probably make more in the long run...

I wonder is there a diy version that only detects other radar signals.

There is a French gizmo , which alerts if a radar signal is detected and which indicates the quadrant that signal is received from.. (I saw this on a link somewhere but cannot find now )
 

bedouin

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I'll look for that thread..

I accept that they are complex electronics etc but so do ais transponders, vhf radios, aitopilots etc... But RTEs seem to be extra expensive for what they are...

Probably sell more if they were cheaper and manufacturers would probably make more in the long run...

I wonder is there a diy version that only detects other radar signals.

There is a French gizmo , which alerts if a radar signal is detected and which indicates the quadrant that signal is received from.. (I saw this on a link somewhere but cannot find now )
There used to be something called CARD that was just a radar signal detector. I am not sure there is much of a role for this in these days of AIS - I think a simple AIS receiver would be more useful.

I think one reason the RTEs are so expensive is that they are not yet a mainstream product. I see no reason why they should be much more expensive than say a PLB but at the moment they sell in a small fraction of the numbers. I am not sure the technology it needs is massively different from what is used for WiFi so it they were selling in their millions they would come down to a few pounds.
 

AntarcticPilot

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I'll look for that thread..

I accept that they are complex electronics etc but so do ais transponders, vhf radios, aitopilots etc... But RTEs seem to be extra expensive for what they are...

Probably sell more if they were cheaper and manufacturers would probably make more in the long run...

I wonder is there a diy version that only detects other radar signals.

There is a French gizmo , which alerts if a radar signal is detected and which indicates the quadrant that signal is received from.. (I saw this on a link somewhere but cannot find now )
I think it's mainly type approval that's the barrier. RTEs have a limited market; they're a purely marine device, unlike PLBs which have a much wider market for walkers and mountaineering. So the cost of an RTE has to amortize the considerable costs of type approval. And l, as I mentioned, they have to be extremely precisely made - a delay of a microsecond would offset the return by 300m, so you're looking at nanosecond timing accuracy.
 

TernVI

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There's also the question whether having too many boats equipped with radar transponders is actually desirable.
It might mean that real, passive targets are not seen.

I think that 'the powers that be' considered a few options and decided AIS was the preferred system for vessels to actively indicate their presence to one another.
 

Roberto

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yep.

I have an RTE, I would say to me it comes first for detecting ships on the high seas -a number do not have AIS, the lower level being those not having anything at all, often not even navigation lights- , well it possibly depends where one is sailing; in coastal areas it beeps all the time so the beeper alarm is quickly switched off and the instrument simply makes you more visible to others.
IMO there is no or very little swamping of other targets, I sailed along with another sailboat having an RTE, I could easily see on the radar an incredible number of fishing buoys, other ships, as well as the enhanced target.
 

bedouin

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Are these devices not getting obsolete now with "broadband" radar as they don't detect the old fashioned radar deflectors etc.??!!
I see no reason an RTE shouldn't be designed to work with broadband. If anything it might be easier as the timing of the return might not be so critical. However I imagine the first generation of RTEs won't cover the correct frequencies
 

TernVI

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I see no reason an RTE shouldn't be designed to work with broadband. If anything it might be easier as the timing of the return might not be so critical. However I imagine the first generation of RTEs won't cover the correct frequencies
Is that based on any familiarity with RTE/SART schematics?
 

Hoolie

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Are these devices not getting obsolete now with "broadband" radar as they don't detect the old fashioned radar deflectors etc.??!!
I don't think that will be much of a problem in the future. AFAIK Navico is the only manufacturer to have produced commercial broadband radars and they seem to have abandoned the technology in their latest products. In any case commercial shipping is the main hazard away from the coast and they predominantly use conventional pulse radars.
 
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