Watch out on East Coast roads tonight! ;)

[Athene V30]

Only radar will do that reliably.

Reliably? Maybe with a well tuned set, a competent operator and all other boats having effective radar reflectors!

 

[pvb]

Reliably? Maybe with a well tuned set, a competent operator and all other boats having effective radar reflectors!

Is it pedant's day today? It will give "some warning" reliably, if the operator can't understand it that's another problem. As for tuning, most modern radars autotune very efficiently. And radar reflectors aren't what they're cracked up to be!

 

[Triassic]

I did wonder if it was a web issue rather than an "AIS" one. I do appreciate nothing is totally reliable, I can't afford the weight or power for radar but I do see a lot of mention of AIS and just wondered if it was as useful as it appears. Thanks.

 

[Gargleblaster]

Reliably? Maybe with a well tuned set, a competent operator and all other boats having effective radar reflectors!

I often found when using radar crossing the channel that other yachts would not appear on my radar because of ineffective radar reflectors or none at all. But these same boats probably don't have an AIS transponder so that is not going to help you at all.
In a recent trip from Greenland to the Southern Ocean I found that I seemed to be the only vessel that didn't have an AIS transponder with the exception of one or two open fishing boats. I found the AIS receiver built into my radio for identifying potential near misses, and allowed me to call up the vessels and let them know that I was worried about the Closest Point of Approach. It was sufficient to only turn it on every couple of hours to see if there were any other vessels around to save batteries.
I have my CPA set to one mile and TCPA to 15 minutes.

 

[Athene V30]

Is it pedant's day today? It will give "some warning" reliably, if the operator can't understand it that's another problem. As for tuning, most modern radars autotune very efficiently. And radar reflectors aren't what they're cracked up to be!

A small boat without a radar reflector will not show up on radar consistently - OK if you hit it might be a bump not a sinking.

I do have a little experience in this area (as one who controlled fast jets and used them as a weapon system) and would not touch 'auto' tuning. It is easy to over compensate in misty / cloudy conditions so small contacts get lost, a yacht in a reasonable swell disappears behind a wave so isnt a regular echo so may be 'filtered' out.

Trust your radar if you want - I wont - but then as individuals we have choice! Whilst my boat has a radar on it over last season I put it on once when I was bored to see how it works. Being sited at the chart table it is in the wrong place for me to be of any use as in poor conditions I want to be in the cockpit, looking and listening.

 

[jimi]

A small boat without a radar reflector will not show up on radar consistently - OK if you hit it might be a bump not a sinking.

I do have a little experience in this area (as one who controlled fast jets and used them as a weapon system) and would not touch 'auto' tuning. It is easy to over compensate in misty / cloudy conditions so small contacts get lost, a yacht in a reasonable swell disappears behind a wave so isnt a regular echo so may be 'filtered' out.

Trust your radar if you want - I wont - but then as individuals we have choice! Whilst my boat has a radar on it over last season I put it on once when I was bored to see how it works. Being sited at the chart table it is in the wrong place for me to be of any use as in poor conditions I want to be in the cockpit, looking and listening.

I've always had my radar display at the helm, that works for me. I've had a few situations where its been invaluable (foggy passage back from Scillies, picking up unlit buoys at night etc

 

[pvb]

I've always had my radar display at the helm, that works for me.

Me too - it needs to be able to be seen easily.