Radar - 'North up' or 'Head up'?

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Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

I always set 'head up' on my radar display; it seems more natural to 'see' relative to ship's head and I don't have to perform mental gymnastics to sort things out when all I am interested in is traffic separation. However, I was reading some of PBO's excellent samplers - articles available online - and came across the radar plotting article August 2004 which is available PBO online sampler The article I am referring to is 'MARPA or AIS' What interested me is that they had set their radar to North up.

What do others feel about North up vs Head up?
 
They had it set to \"N up\" because...

Well, if the photo captions can be believed, the reason they had it set to North Up was that they were using True Motion as the display mode, and most Raymarine kit can only show True Motion in North Up.

Most of the time, I use my radar/plotter in N Up, in Relative Motion mode, with the radar image overlaid on the plotter.
 
Re: They had it set to \"N up\" because...

North Up every time. I have seen the pros and cons for both listed out and I remember that synchronising with view ahead was the only pro for head up display.
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

whilst it may seem to be stating the obvious most people have a plotter screen live more than a radar one.

It follows that if they use the plotter head up they will almost certainly use the radar the same way - especially if they are on the same screen or overlaid!!!!!

Sailing craft tend to have the units set to N up planning power boats to heading up.

All my units are heading up.
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

I've sailed with different skippers who like it either north up or head up.

Some say that they like north up because it matches the chart plotter, especially on a split screen. I can see the point of this, but my own PERSONAL preference is head up as if I see something on the screen at roughly 10 o'clock, I automatically look over the port bow to identify it.

That's my twopence worth and I'm sure others will have different views. At the end of the day, if you're comfortable with whichever, then fair enough.
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

You don't have a category of both. We have a couple of linked displays. The radar only is head up and the overlay on the chart plotter is north up, for the all of the reasons that people have identified.
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

if you use the radar in head up mode, the course mark will be always in one place on the radar screen, this can cause a permanent mark on the screen after long use
personaly if i have an option, will use north up mode or the same picture as on you chart
regards
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

Ahhh the age old debate.......
I work for an Acoustic Positioning company where we position all sorts of underwater stuff and depending on who you speak to in the industry depends on which they want to see - basically if you are developing any piece of equipment give the operator the ability to select them all please.
Regards
Paul
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

What about Course-Up? That's my preference except when in overlay mode 'cause it is heading stabilised, unlike Head-Up, and doesn't need any "translation".
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

an interesting distinction - for me at 20 knots with the radar on 1 mile they are effectively the same thing! Mid channel with it on 8 miles the targets are so big it might as well be the same thing too come to think about it!
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

Used to be deck officer in the merchant navy and found I liked nortj up, but it was down to the individual officer to change it to how they liked it at the start of a watch. Must be a personal thing.

Mike
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

At sea I go head up but then change to North up when entering a harbour/close land, cos it starts to look like the charts. I always have the plotter north up.
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

It would be very interesting, if we have an instructor present, one who conducts radar training courses, to talk us through the issues of head up, north up and select as appropriate.
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

In poor vis using radar for collision avoidance Head up is best IMHO. it doesnt require any brainwork to translate what you see.

North up allows you to relate the radar picture to the chart more easilly.PS Im not an instructor ,just a regular radar user.
 
Re: Radar - \'North up\' or \'Head up\'?

Can you expand on 'professional seafarers'. Does that include yacht delivery skippers, charter skippers, fishing boat skippers, cargo vessels, naval vessels?
 
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