Banksy
New Member
I was reading somewhere that if I am at sea I need to have a radar reflector. I have a small sports cruiser Glastron GS 249 with no radar arch, so my question is what radar reflectors are mostly used for a 25ft craft?
Radar reflector for small vessel ?
- Thread starter Banksy
- Start date
jamie N
Well-Known Member
There's no requirement to have a reflector, but it is undoubtedly safer to have one. There are basically 2 types; active & passive. The active (RTE) will receive a 'ping' from another vessel's radar, amplify it and 'ping' it back, giving a much greater chance of being seen on the radar screen.
The other types are passive, and merely reflect the signal back to the vessel. These types are far more common, cheaper and almost always less effective.
This RYA sheet gives a good outline, and this states it also from an RTE perspective, but is quite oddly written.
The other types are passive, and merely reflect the signal back to the vessel. These types are far more common, cheaper and almost always less effective.
This RYA sheet gives a good outline, and this states it also from an RTE perspective, but is quite oddly written.
Plum
Well-Known Member
There are regulations. International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty that sets minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. However, section V of SOLAS applies to ALL vessels, including leisure, and has a specific paragraph relating to radar reflectors, see below. I have never heard of a leisure boat in UK waters being stopped or checked by anyone of authority but I do know of someone who received a fine for not having one in European continental waters.
SOLAS V regulations | pleasure craft regulations | RYA
You first need to ask yourself, do you want to comply with SOLAS V(or not) or do you want to show up on the radar screen of a ship?
Banksy
New Member
Well it's fair to say that if it's a regulation I should comply and yes I would like to be seen by other ships. This is the article I read initially.
Plum
Well-Known Member
Then maybe one of these Echomax 230 Midi Radar Reflcetor | Force 4 Chandlery
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Momac
Well-Known Member
Mostly these are used (but are allegedly useless)
Momac
Well-Known Member
Top of the range is active radar reflectors
jamie N
Well-Known Member
If it's not an active RTE, then you can't count on being visible. I have the above on my boat, and as far as a radar signature is concerned it turns it from a 24' wooden (stealth) blip to a 100m steel "..don't bugger about with me!" signal.
It makes me laugh seeing £50k boats with £50 'reflectors'!
People should save money and wear a tin foil hat instead.
It makes me laugh seeing £50k boats with £50 'reflectors'!
People should save money and wear a tin foil hat instead.
bluetooth
Well-Known Member
Or install AIS transmit as well as receive.
piratos
Well-Known Member
Hi.
I do not agree that they are useless. Often we cannot see sailingboats on radar - but those using this type of reflectors are indeed visible. We usually pass an area where many small dinghies are drifting while fishing. As they usually use a radar reflector they are absolutely visibable on Radar, while bigger sailigboats without are not.
Momac
Well-Known Member
That's interesting .
Momac
Well-Known Member
Plum
Well-Known Member
This is an interesting report https://assets.digital.cabinet-offi...540f0b6024400008d/Radar_reflectors_report.pdf skip to page 30 for the conclusions
Jamie Dundee
Well-Known Member
Jamie Dundee
Well-Known Member
To be fair a lot depends on the radar. Mine picks up kayakers, paddle boarders, pot markers and birds, my old 3G didn’t.
piratos
Well-Known Member
Agree 100 pct. My point was that its still better than none at all
IanCC
Well-Known Member
Lodestone
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately COLREGs do not address AIS so the correct instrument to avoid collision is RADAR. To quote the MCA:-
"Collision avoidance must be carried out in strict compliance with the COLREG. There is
no provision in the COLREG for use of AIS information, therefore, decisions should be
taken based primarily on systematic visual and/or radar observations."
So the right bits of kit to avoid being hit are a RADAR reflector or active device, working EFFECTIVE nav lights, good knowledge of COLREGs and the MK1 eyeball.
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Alicatt
Well-Known Member
A bit of thread necromancy:
We had a water police control at the weekend here in Belgium, they inspected our boat and everything was fine except for we needed a bigger fire extinguisher at 2kg as well as the 1kg one we had onboard, also a better first aid kit.
The last suggestion was that we should fit a radar reflector... Do they work?
Reading the test report now, with it in mind that most of the boats in our haven have the Plastimo style reflectors
We had a water police control at the weekend here in Belgium, they inspected our boat and everything was fine except for we needed a bigger fire extinguisher at 2kg as well as the 1kg one we had onboard, also a better first aid kit.
The last suggestion was that we should fit a radar reflector... Do they work?
Reading the test report now, with it in mind that most of the boats in our haven have the Plastimo style reflectors
srm
Well-Known Member
Probably used on the same principle as St Christopher charms and other such amulets. Some years ago testing gave an effective range of up to 500 metres.
Seriously, physics does not scale down because you are on a small boat. You still need an effective reflector and size matters. I have picked up seagulls and plastic fishing floats with a then old radar way back in the 80's so a fairly basic set. This was in ideal conditions with a mirror calm sea. As soon as there are some waves we get reflections off the water, known as sea clutter, and this soon masks other returns.
Modern radars require a consistent echo to display a target, as to avoid a screen covered in sea clutter, random returns are filtered out. Most radar watch keeping is automated using ARPA, with alarms to alert the watch keeper of potential close quarters situations. The system needs consistent returns to calculate a target's CPA and TCPA which means an effective reflector.
If you are only boating in enclosed bays and coastal waters a reflector with an effective range of two to three miles should be sufficient. If you are going out amongst large commercial ships you need to be able to provide a consistent echo out to 5 miles plus as this is the range at which collision avoidance decisions start to be made, with alteration of course to give a safe passing distance made at about three miles off.
Unfortunately, an effective passive reflector is large, so most leisure boats make do with something sub optimal. I recently sold my boat. It had a large passive radar reflector that I know works, having been illuminated by ships' searchlights. They obviously saw us but could not see our lights, pointed the search light on turned it on. I explained this to the new owner. He removed the reflector as it spoilt the look of the boat.