RE: [Paddlewise] radar signature

While taking a tour of one of the new Puget Sound ferries, I questioned the
1st Officer about the effectiveness of their radar(s). He stated that their
radar would NOT pick up ANYTHING close to the water even if it was a
reflecting surface. He stated that they were unable to "see" small (14-16
foot) aluminum open fishing boats with outboards. 

>From his comments, I inferred that increasing the radar reflecting cross
sections of a kayak without using some sort of a mast to elevate the
reflector, would be a waste where other vessels are concerned (I am not
speaking of downward looking radar from aircraft)...

Eric  

-----Original Message-----
From: juliom_at_cisco.com [mailto:juliom_at_cisco.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 1999 11:25 AM
To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] radar signature


> I've been saving one of those wine-box bladders of aluminized(?) mylar to
> put on a paddle blade as a radar reflector. Would that work? e
> Elaine Harmon - eilidh_at_dc.seflin.org - eharmon_at_cs.miami.edu

Radar reflectors are made of several surfaces perpendicular to 
each other.  The effect of this arrangement is that radar waves
are reflected back in the same direction in which they came.  

You can try this effect on a pool table--throw a ball to a corner so
that it bounces on two walls, and see how the ball comes back in a
direction paralell to the initial throw.

An aluminized paddle blade would only be visible to radar if
it happened to be a the right angle when the radar antenna points
at it; this is very unlikely.

Now some food for thought.  Why do kayakers need to be visible
to radar?  A ship that navigates by radar is probably to big
and restricted to do anything about that little dot in the screen
that is not supposed to be there.  Would it not be better for us
kayakers to have radar and become aware of big ships in fog long
before they pass over us?

my two cents,
- Julio



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