Anyone know where I can buy a small white radar reflector

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Frontier

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I have seen many MOBO's with the small white stick type radar reflector on the coachroof, yet can only find the clear cased ones with black ends for sale.

I think the white ones are a bit more unobtrusive.

Thanks

D
 
There were several semi official investigations into the effectiveness of radar reflectors in the aftermath of the Ouzo accident. The one thing that they agreed on was that the tubular type is of no use at all.
If you are feeling rich, the one that did work, which is the active type, sending out a signal when it is illuminated by a radar beam, would be even more unobtrusive.
 
The radar reflector that always comes out best in tests is the powered active one. On a motor boat, where the reflector will be lower down than on a yacht I would not go for anything else if I sailed in busy waters like the English Channel. Many of the small passive reflectors give poor results, particularly if mounted low down.
 
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'rain catching' position. How is this done?

[/ QUOTE ] If fixed, with a bracket that will hold it in this orientation but if suspended on a flag halyard etc with three short lines to the centres of the three top edges.

If any doubt about what is meant by the "rain catching position" place it on a flat surface ... that's the correct orientation
 
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They're quite unobtrusive to radars too!


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There is already a lot of metal on a MOBO, but that won't satisfy SOLAS. With Radar onboard and AIS very soon, hopefully I dont really need a reflector. I dont really have anywhere to put the monster units you see up yacht masts and the see-me's are a bit expensive.
 
Unless you have a steel boat, there isn't that much metal. Your engine(s) and fuel tank(s) add up to a lot more metal than on a ragtop, but they're down near or below the waterline, so won't do much good. Stuff like railings have a tiny radar signature because of their shape. As a result, I doubt if you'd show up much more than a raggie of equivalent size.

Imagine yourself with a load of dodgy diesel stopping both your engines in the shipping lanes off Dover in poor visibility. How happy would you be with your proposed setup then?
 
Dont believe that the boat will show up on radar without a reflector!
18m 35ton steel barge can be invisible to coastguard radar I know I've asked...... and was told that there was no sign of the barge on their radar, even after I gave them my position.

JUlian
 
Jeeze - this about puts the tin lid on it!

The guy asked if anyone knew where he could get one with white end caps fer Chrissake!

(I'm afraid I couldn't google anything any better than he could, but he didn't ask for a dissertation on radar visibility)
 
The See-Me may be a bit expensive, but compared to the cost of your boat its pretty small. In any case, how much are the lives of your family worth?
 
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Jeeze - this about puts the tin lid on it!

The guy asked if anyone knew where he could get one with white end caps fer Chrissake!

(I'm afraid I couldn't google anything any better than he could, but he didn't ask for a dissertation on radar visibility)

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Surely this is one of the most valuable aspects of these most valuable forums.

Apart from the fact that it is completely unavoidable anyway (only IPC own the threads and say what can and can't be posted) contributors who took the time to suggest that I reviewed my priorities in the light of x, y or z rather rather simply pointing the way to what I thought was the solution to my problem have helped me on more than one occasion.
 
Yes, wholly agreed. The tube radar reflectors are established as not fit for purpose and the original poster needed to know that otherwise he might have unrealistic expectations of what the so called "reflector" was achieving for him in safety terms; and that's dangerous.

I've removed my Blipper from the mast consequent of the Ouzo report and replaced it with Sea-Me. Like all safety kit it might seem expensive whilst reading YM in your favourite armchair at home but mid channel in fog it suddenly seems like money well spent!

rob
 
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...... I've removed my Blipper from the mast consequent of the Ouzo report and replaced it with Sea-Me. .....

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Why remove the Blipper ?

John
 
I take your point,
But at no stage has anyone said "I don't know of such a product - but were you aware that this type is ineffective anyway?"
Instead, the OP has been largely ignored and the same old well-worn subjects are dragged out into a kind of groundhog day - at best a reference to previous threads may have been appropriate.

And now that he can make an informed decision (if he wasn't aware of the issue beforehand) and if he still wants this type of reflector - he can paint the end-caps white!
 
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the Viking Trilens

[/ QUOTE ] The Viking Tri-lens actually comes in three sizes. The Qinetiq report covers the two larger ones. Cost in the region of £150 iirc.
 
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Why remove the Blipper ?


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Exactly, why indeed. Sea-Me doesn't work on both radar bands so removing a passive reflector which does would seem a strange thing to do, unless for some reason Sea-Me says so? Also Sea-Me is a powered device at the top of the mast and cables and connections fail on occasion, this would also to me be good reason for retaining a passive reflector.

Personally, I have used the Firdell Blipper reflectors for many years and despite the recent 'tests' rate them well in actual practice. In terms of sq mt apparent reflective area they might be below the ideal recommended these days (but I believe the tests said they only just missed a pass) but the do give a consistant return echo. Certainly over the years of my own observations using small boat radars that has been the case and confirmed also by sailing friend who was 1st Officer on a VLCC for many years.

Equally by my own observations the Mobri tube things favoured by our French friends are pretty near worthless, especially those mounted horizontally along yacht spreaders.

Mobos too may have big lumps of iron on board but they can be like stealth fighters on radar sometimes! Wet fibreglass sloping surfaces especially when viewed bows on do not give good or consistent radar returns and under way with bows up and engines down those big lumps of iron don't work.
 
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