Radar/ais detector

Tahitibelle

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Following on from the Solar panel thread, does anyone have experience of the MER-VEILLE radar detector device.

Made in France and as Jesters know our French cousins are pretty handy at making sailing boats go fast in deep water, so it should have some pedigree.

It looks a useful device, if it does what it says on the packet www.ciel-et-marine.com. More basic, but perhaps more practical than running an AIS receiver, especially since more vessels under 300 tonnes have RADAR than AIS at this stage of the game.

Does it pick up both RADAR and AIS signal or only RADAR? Will it pick up a RADAR signal when the transmitting vessel's RADAR is on standbye mode. how much power does it use?
 

co256

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Hello Nick,

I have no experience of these myself but again, the mini transat sailors certainly use them but then they are restricted by their class rules as to gps plotters etc.

Obviously, any of these electronic gadgets do not free you from your obligation to keep a look out, which I am sure you do anyway, but they do bring some peace of mind and I think that's the main issue really....

....how easily, or not, can you switch off from the fact that you are alone and need rest from time to time?

Guy.
 

andlauer

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Merveille

Bonjout
It does waht it says: it detects active radars.
in open sees, some boat don't have any active radar...
it's a good stuff mandatory, for example, in the Figaro 2 class.
Eric
 

Babylon

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Does it pick up both RADAR and AIS signal or only RADAR? Will it pick up a RADAR signal when the transmitting vessel's RADAR is on standbye mode. how much power does it use?

A radar detector will only pick up transmitted radar. AIS is a transmitted signal containing information like VHF, not a radar transmission. A ship's radar on standby is not transmitting.

I have a similar unit, a C.A.R.D which is an American product no longer made. When it picks up a radar signal it does two things:
1. It emits an audible beep (can be set to low or loud)
2. Its analogue display has eight points of the compass, along each of which is a line of LED which light up depending on the relative bearing of the signal.

EG 1 - you're asleep in mid-Atlantic, the loud alarm goes off, you wake up and peer at the display, the line of LEDs on your starboard bow are lighting up every time the unit receives a pulse of radar, you poke your head out the hatch and see a ship on your starboard bow, you assess the situation and act if need be.

EG 2 - you're awake in the Channel, its foggy, the low alarm is beeping, the line of LEDs astern of you are lighting up as it receives pulses of radar, you've got AIS anyway, so you already know that its only the Le Havre ferry passing astern of you, after a while the LED display shifts from astern to your port quarter.

I assume this French unit operates on the same principle.
 

sailor211

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i have one its excellent
detects radar x band and s band
you can set the range i use about 8 mile time to get out of bunk look in apropriate direction and take action if necessary

similar to C.A.R.D. unit from U.S.

nice company to deal with


great when you do not see anything for days
no guarantee that ships have radar on but same goes for ais etc

mike
 

lenseman

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Basically, the 'CARD' acronym stands for Collision Avoidance Radar Detector.

Over the years these CARD devices have been sold under various names (LO-KATA Watchman, Sea-Me etc.) is the nothing more than an Alford Slot Antenna (first invented in 1946) with a Schottky Diode detector and a basic amplifier. They are technically very easy to make and some are more sophisticated and have more bells and whistles built in.

http://highfields-arc.6te.net/biogs/aalford.htm

The are very useful as the basic amplifier triggers the loudspeaker or other audible device to wake you from your slumbers.
 

G12

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Glad you showed me this. I was thinking about what to buy and the Sea-Me seemed to be the only option but this looks great and it's cheap as chips too :)
 

Spuddy

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My French will get me un cafe et une baguette but that's it. This gadget could be just what I want but can't make out any techy details - can a kind soul summarise for me please ?
 

G12

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Dude, google translated the page for me in to some fairly intelligible english. There is also the English instruction manual to view on the site. The English isn't perfect but you get the idea.
I think if you install the google toolbar into your browser then it asks automatically if you would like to translate - mine did.
 

Wunja

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Dude, google translated the page for me in to some fairly intelligible english. There is also the English instruction manual to view on the site. The English isn't perfect but you get the idea.
I think if you install the google toolbar into your browser then it asks automatically if you would like to translate - mine did.
Hint: Click on the picture! But I couldn't find a price or way to purchase it!

I've just bought a NASA AIS radar unit from Ebay.
 

Spuddy

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Ah, they've put in an "English.doc" clicky in the few hours since I last looked; tricksy French. Thanks for the tips.
 
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