Radar detectors?

[scarlett]

Has anybody used one of those detectors designed for speeding radars in their boat? And was it any use?

What I have in mind is that one of the 'bands' covered may be the same as one of the ships' radars and as it is proposed to ban the sale of the speed camera detectors, action is necessary soon. There are many for sale for less than £100 and may be better than nothing in dense fog if they give a warning.

Ta

 

[Thistle]

I don't know if the frequencies used are the same as marine radars (though I doubt if they are) but I don't think this sounds like a good idea at all. At best the device could only tell you that a radar emitter was somewhere within range. It wouldn't give you any idea of range, bearing, or of direction or speed of travel of the other vessel. Nor would it give you any information about vessels not using radar or about land.

I'll give it a miss, thanks.

 

[bruce]

there is a product on the market called 'CARD' radar detector that will show relative location of radar to your boat.

 

[scarlett]

I know of the gadget CARD but it is nearly the price of a cheap radar set over here. I also believe it cannot intecept all the radar bands in marine use. But I might be wrong.

 

[jackho]

For £129 you can buy an A.I.S. engine (NASA) which can display ship movements as an overlay on your charts provided of course you use a laptop or similar as a chart plotter. Just a thought!!!

 

[Gazza]

I've just completed a Transatlantic circuit and had a Watchman Radar Detector fitted (cheaper than a CARD, but doesn't give direction of signal). It worked well, but I did find, over 9000 miles, a significant number of ships, including a massive bulk carrier, that did not have their radar on. This seemed to happen day or night, and when I spoke to one ship on VHF he gave the impression that it was normal procedure.

I've been told that shipping companies lease radar rather than buy it, so costs are kept down with less use.

I would certainly think about upgrading my radar to a more modern design that allowed periodic and automatic sweeps if I did it again.

Radar detectors (marine ones anyway) work well, but only when the other vessel has its radar on!!

Gary Miller