Radar or Not ?

[Jesse]

I've been on the water working and playing for lotsa years, in all sorts of conditions, and to me darkness and fog can get a bit scary. The old timers held megaphones to their ears listening for the sound of surf or engines, later turning your loudhailer to listen gave some advantage over that. Now the modern radars are almost like watching it on HD television, and the pricing is very low. I've sailed with radar and without it and consider it as important as a compass and GPS. It removes the pucker factor from darkness and fog.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Jesse

I've been on the water working and playing for lotsa years, in all sorts of conditions, and to me darkness and fog can get a bit scary. The old timers held megaphones to their ears listening for the sound of surf or engines, later turning your loudhailer to listen gave some advantage over that. Now the modern radars are almost like watching it on HD television, and the pricing is very low. I've sailed with radar and without it and consider it as important as a compass and GPS. It removes the pucker factor from darkness and fog.

Back in the 80's before chartplotters and GPS was readily available the electronic systems mariners fitted were autopilots and Radar. I still consider these as more important than chartplotters and basic coastal navigation tools.

Chartplotters which are however very nice and thesedays endemic have allowed many people to start boating and get on the water without undergoing basic navigational training.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by David M

Hah..me too. I enjoy watching flights taking off and arriving at SFO and OAK when I am in the area. I tag them using ARPA. It's sort of a geek thing to do when I am not busy with other things.

I've seen that before. Seaplanes taking off from the North end of Lake Washington in Seattle making dotted lines on the radar.
That was before ARPA. Interesting though.

[monte]

Im picking up a new lagoon 380 in a few minths and have been debating whether to add radar. After reading here I think I will. The factory fitted unit is a
RADAR HD DIGITAL RAYMARINE 18" 48 NM 4 Kw for about $3500
I would be interested in fitting a SIMRAD
Broadband 3G Radar that supplies for around $1500 ? instead but how will it intergrate with the Raymarine E90W chart plotter display? Am I best to stick with raymarine ?
Thanks
Rob

[Dulls]

Originally Posted by Strygaldwir

There has been one time I needed radar. Got caught in a HEAVY downpour in the Florida keys and a nother boat almost rammed me (came within 10 feet). There were two time where I REALY would have liked Radar. Both in unexpected rain squalls.

Having said that and since using it. I find it very nice on those lonely nights when there are lights that I have trouble identifying. Nice to turn on MARPA and see if they are really moving or not, if they're going to run into me or not. So, at night, in rain, (haven't done fog) Good. During clear days, for me, not useful.

Rain squalls can hide the contact so of limited use but in fog excellent. So i am not sure if your radar would have helped in that situation. We have radar because the boat came with it, other then that we would not have it but usefull in the foggy areas of the world.

[Seahunter]

While radar is not required on vessels under 1600 GT, USCG " Rule 7 states that proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and operational. In other words, whoever has one must use it."
As with AIS, it's only as good as the USR. Most radars are not set up correctly to see anything. (Read the manual) or better, get somebody who's experienced with radar to help set it up for you. One's learning curve can be greatly enhanced if the proximity alarms are set to be "on", so as not to be staring at the screen for hours (not required). While not required on most recreational boats, it's highly recommended if traveling near or through major shipping lanes.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by Dulls

Rain squalls can hide the contact so of limited use but in fog excellent. So i am not sure if your radar would have helped in that situation. We have radar because the boat came with it, other then that we would not have it but usefull in the foggy areas of the world.

If you know how to correctly tune a radar they are very good in rain....

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

If you know how to correctly tune a radar they are very good in rain....

very true but only up to how heavy the rain and/or how powerful the radar

[Dulls]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

If you know how to correctly tune a radar they are very good in rain....

if you know how to tune a radar you will know its limitations in rain....

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Dulls

if you know how to tune a radar you will know its limitations in rain....

I think the point was that rain doesn't necessarily negate radar to only fog...up to pretty heavy rain can be tuned out pretty easily to still pick up important targets

[gravosa]

rain fog fog rain rain fog....radar is exelent "tool" for navigation as well if no one told you that before.

[sck5]

if you sail where there is fog then get one. fog is what got me to go buy one. Since then I have sailed up and down Chesapeake Bay several times at night when there can be multiple boats and ships in sight at the same time all night. It is really nice to take the guessing part out of the constant question "Where the hell is that boat going? (and how far away is it anyway?)"

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by monte

Im picking up a new lagoon 380 in a few minths and have been debating whether to add radar. After reading here I think I will. The factory fitted unit is a
RADAR HD DIGITAL RAYMARINE 18" 48 NM 4 Kw for about $3500
I would be interested in fitting a SIMRAD
Broadband 3G Radar that supplies for around $1500 ? instead but how will it intergrate with the Raymarine E90W chart plotter display? Am I best to stick with raymarine ?
Thanks
Rob

If you are already getting the raymarine, I would just use it for a while and see how you like it. Not sure if anyone is ever sure how well things talk with each other.... Maybe ask that question of a install tech in your area.

[forsailbyowner]

several times cruiising up the east coast Ive run across fishing boats anchored or drifting with no lights on. With no moon they can be a real haphzard especially when the dodger is salt encrusted. I picked up my Furuno 1623 for a pittance. made some cockpit screens and fitted sheets in trade. Look used, bargains abound

[Tia Bu]

I did a cruise up to Maine last summer with an AIS receiver and OpenCPN on a laptop. It would have been nice to have radar, too, but it just wasn't in the budget. I had also spent a lot of time in those waters back in the day on boats equipped with radar. I've got to say, if I could only afford one or the other, I think I'd go with the AIS. The commercial traffic is what really makes me nervous in the fog, and at least a couple of times I called commercial traffic when the AIS plot showed me they were close by on a collision course. They responded immediately, altered course, and were most appreciative of the contact.

Now that I think about it, I was equipped with a good radar reflector, so the commercial guys saw me on radar but didn't know what I was or where I was headed. And since I wasn't transmitting AIS information, they didn't have that nice AIS plot calculating and displaying the Closest Point of Approach on a graphical display like I did. (You would think they would have a MARPA radar.) I don't know exactly why, but I caught the problem before they did, and often with just minutes to spare. The AIS is the newer technology and is impressive stuff.

So, FWIW, I think for foggy waters I would select, in order of preference: 1) an AIS receiver, 2) an AIS transceiver, 3) a radar and an AIS transceiver, if I could afford them.