Radar detectors on board - useful?

dalex

dalex

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Hi folks,
I bought myslef one of those speed camera detectors today for use in the car. It says it is a wide band radar detector picking up ku and s band radar. It occurred to me, that it would be a good check to see if my own ships radar was transmitting, on a yes/no basis and it should pick up the generated pulses.
It now occurs to me that this might also be of use to give at least an audible notification of radar emissions whils you are out at sea. Clearly the directional info wouldn't be there, but it should be sensitive enough to pick up incoming scans, thus telling you, there was traffic nearby. Useful idea or what? For 29 quid (which is what I got mine for, it wouldn't be a big outlay. I plan on taking mine afloat this season, and monitor the results.
What do you think?
 
Play d'eau is fitted with a Sea-Me active radar detector (S band detection only) which has LED indication of radar emissions. With our own radar off, it flashes endlessly when at sea so an audible warning would be a pain!

With our own radar on, the side lobe transmissions trigger the sensor non-stop. You can imagine how long the audible unit would be turned on!

So no audible warning for me.
 
These are actually illegal in a car now I believe, and if caught with one you can be fined. I also believe the range is insufficient to be useful in a boat. If you want to locate ships at sea fit AIS and/or use your own radar.
 
Are there any X & S band detectors available, (there used to be a couple watchman for one) with a range of say 20 miles. As said, around the coast useless with all the radars about, but in the middle of the Atlantic it would be useful to get the short handed sailor to have a good look, after what can be days of seeing nothing.
 
I have a Lokata marine radar detector on board beleza, we never use it. It just sits there and bleeps if it picks up another ship, but always long after we've picked it up on radar. It advantage I suppose is that you can unship it and use it to get a bearing on a ship using radar, but nothing you cant do with a radar set.
 
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Just noticed I should have said X band (not S which, I believe, is used primarily for close quarters work).


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Other way round, S band (aka 10cm) is for long range work and X band (3cm) is for close quarters work.
 
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On the subject of radar detectors, has anyone had experience of C.A.R.D. ?

Is it still in production ?

Is there a UK supplier ?

J

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I have one, inherited with the boat. It does work but has little use as AIS plotting is more useful. However, it is a low power consumption solution.

Don't know if it is still made or if there is a UK dealer, mine was installed in the UK between Nov 1999 and spring 2001 by the previous owner.
 
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These are actually illegal in a car now I believe

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Not yet illegal n the uk although our wonderful authorities are seeking to ban these.
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I also believe the range is insufficient to be useful in a boat.


[/ QUOTE ] Not sure about the range - I'll have to take it on-board to try it, but might get a fair indication from the seafront.
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If you want to locate ships at sea fit AIS and/or use your own radar.

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The use of this would not be a big outlay for those boaters who are financially lesser equipped than the so-called playstation boat owners can afford. Of course, your own radar is ideal, but not practical on an 18ft day sailer just up a river with shipping for friends, or coastal sailing near container ports etc (mind you the blimmin thing might be going off all the time with pings from vts in such places..). Maybe even useful on small speedboats etc. Just a thought really, but I'm disturbed at the potential limited range, therefore usefulness.
And no, I don't think owning one of these is a license to speed.
 
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