If you're simply looking to set up a guard zone and alarm, you probably wouldn't need to read a book or attend a course, but you'd need to understand the effects of sea clutter etc. If you want to safely plot targets that enter that zone, I think you'd struggle to self teach yourself. We use a Halo20 connected to a Zeus 3s and it's a user friendly system, but I'd definitely recommend spending the time to interrogate all of the menus before setting off in the fog!
Radar doesn't actually crop up in a YM Offshore exam but the day long course is recommended for as part of the syllabus. It goes through plotting in detail, but the simulator used could do with updating - it's very basic. Onboard training is the way to go for radar IMO.
