DIY Radar Detector - Possible?

[Jorodeta]

Hi, Been looking at the frequencies for Marine Radar, both commerical and leisure and believe that it may be possible to use a land based radar detector to identify. Will have to use several, or adjust the horn?

Anyone got any ideas - I know I can buy one and will probably spend more on this, but at least it will be repairable.

Any New VHF's coming out with AIS yet?

 

[Mrnotming]

www.shipplotter.com

 

[Jorodeta]

Will be in Malta next month (sorry just to fill with Diesel) on way back to Ireland!

I like the Shipplotter, nice idea. Can it be interfaced with Maxsea etc?

Use the Xaxero weatherfax, with the decoder and found it quite good, especially mid atlantic.

Just bugs me the way we now have DSC vhf radios, quite capable of doing this, especially as I am always worried about power usage.

I sail shorthanded so like anything that can help.

 

[lenseman]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi, Been looking at the frequencies for Marine Radar, both commerical and leisure and believe that it may be possible to use a land based radar detector to identify. Will have to use several, or adjust the horn?

Anyone got any ideas

[/ QUOTE ]
You can 'collect' the incoming radar signals by using a 45º cone mounted in the vertical axis with the 'pointy' bit facing down and directly below that, you mount your horn facing up so that any incoming radar signals get reflected from the cone and into the throat of the µwave horn.

The whole arrangement would need to be housed within a weatherproof fibreglass shroud for obvious reasons.

To test it out, you could sit at the end of any major runway in the UK for a 24 hour radar signal /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Anonymous]

What benefit do you hope to gain from one of these detectors? If they give range and bearing - or even bearing - that's fine, but just to be warned that there is a vessel within 48 nautical miles of you, with no information about its course, speed, or position, isn't really very useful.

 

[Jorodeta]

I hope to gain a lot! One year we sailed across to S.America, and on the 14 day, in the middle of nowhere was on a collision course with a frighter. They also were on watch and we had a chat! But after days at sea, no matter what anyone says you or the other person can become a little lax, especially after spending days out of any shipping lanes. This is a fact of life and it takes little reminders like this to re- engergise you, afterall you know something is there! As you will probavbly know, some ships dont even keep watch! Again a fact of cutting back ships crews to minimum and giving them a huge list of work, then flying out a crew to take them into harbour.