Are radar reflectors still necessary and relevant?

oceanfroggie

oceanfroggie

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 Aug 2006
Messages
9,877
Location
EU27
www.derg.ie
On a motor cruiser are radar reflectors still necessary and relevant?

The super structure on mobos above 25ft and large large engine blocks seem to give a pretty decent echo compared to a 30ft yacht. Not an issue for Dutch steel cruisers obviously, but more for grp. If mercant shipping is maintaining lookout using AIS rather than radar, what's the view?
 
In my opinion still necessary and relevant.

however I agree totally irrelevant (same with AIS ) in respect of big ships as I wouldn't expect them to go round me, I can see them and I alter course, usually head for shallow water or keep outside shipping lanes where possible.

Closer to shore though and its helpful to see smaller craft, its crazy when you have to try to avoid an intermittent wake pattern.
 
oceanfroggie said:
If mercant shipping is maintaining lookout using AIS rather than radar, what's the view?
Click to expand...

That's a very big "if".

Increasing numbers of ships have an integrated ECDIS with AIS info displayed, but there are still a lot out there with the legal minimum of a three-line text display, often tucked away in a corner of the bridge. Many watch officers regard AIS as little more than a toy, and/or believe its sole purpose is to enable shore authorities (US Homeland Security, Coastguard monitoring TSSes, etc) to spy on them. By contrast, they live and die by their radars, which will be front and centre on the bridge. I get the impression that radar even takes priority over visual lookout a lot of the time.

I would definitely buy an active radar target enhancer before I bought an AIS transmitter.

Pete
 
Not true, I've called up large ships in very rough weather (for up to date forecast) 2-3m swell and breaking waves and they have always said they had spotted me on radar, this was in a 40' yacht. My radar reflector was 15m up a mast but the mast was probably at 45deg.

So radar reflector seems a good aid to safety.
 
oceanfroggie said:
On a motor cruiser are radar reflectors still necessary and relevant?

The super structure on mobos above 25ft and large large engine blocks seem to give a pretty decent echo compared to a 30ft yacht. Not an issue for Dutch steel cruisers obviously, but more for grp. If mercant shipping is maintaining lookout using AIS rather than radar, what's the view?
Click to expand...
There was a review a few years back on the reflector types and the question at the end was, is it more dangerous to have one
-as you think it does something effective- or not to have one and pay alot more attention. They seemed that ineffectual, alarmingly.
 
gjgm said:
There was a review a few years back on the reflector types and the question at the end was, is it more dangerous to have one
-as you think it does something effective- or not to have one and pay alot more attention. They seemed that ineffectual, alarmingly.
Click to expand...

Don't forget that the law requires you to have one, even if you privately suspect it's doing little good.

Pete
 
oceanfroggie said:
On a motor cruiser are radar reflectors still necessary and relevant?

The super structure on mobos above 25ft and large large engine blocks seem to give a pretty decent echo compared to a 30ft yacht. Not an issue for Dutch steel cruisers obviously, but more for grp. If mercant shipping is maintaining lookout using AIS rather than radar, what's the view?
Click to expand...

So far as I know they're a SOLAS requirement
 
I have recently switched from a standalone radar set to one which overlays the data on the chartplotter. I now find it quite reassuring that the red triangles of my AIS returns are overlaid with a radar reflection and anything which helps maintain that is something which I tend to welcome.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top