I wanted to check out something I heard about making your boat more visible to radar. Someone told me reflective tape gives the boat a greater chance to be picked up by radar. Does anyone know if this really works? If it does it seems like a good safety item. -- MZ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Metal tape might be of some benefit, but the metal or foil-covered corner reflectors used by sailors would be much more effective. "Practical Sailor" has done some reviews of these in the past. The main problem would be mounting them high enough so you can be detected at a distance. Mary Z wrote: > > I wanted to check out something I heard about making your boat more visible > to radar. Someone told me reflective tape gives the boat a greater chance > to be picked up by radar. Does anyone know if this really works? If it does > it seems like a good safety item. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hey Mary, this is a point I was also interested in. I´ve checked out several tests from a famous Sportsboat-magazine here, ask several maritime people, and one week ago a ask a technical person by Hagenuk on the Hanseboat (International Boat Show Hamburg). There is only one technical chance to be visible for Radar at almost every time, by use of the ´Ocean Sentry´, an active radar response engine. If a radar-pulse hits the Ocean Sentry, it sends back an short kind of reflective pulse which produces on the radar monitor a Reflex. The same Reflex is produced by an passive Refelktor of 0,6x1,2 metre. Several official approaved person had tested this under realistic conditions. It works, but it costs a fortune, so Hagenuk stops the production. Noone wants this system, there are only the last 3 left on stock. All the normal reflector stuff (kayakable) on the market, is more or less unefficial and expensive rubbish. There is a small chance to be seen by a modern radar, without realistic waves (tested waves under 0,5m) and the reflector mounted in 2m high (and with a minimum reflector diametre of 0,3 metre). Smaller reflectors are completeley useless. And the way in which the refflections hield are mounted is also very important. And only the shield area, standing in 90 degree to the radar-pulse is important to know! In common one can say, the higher the waves, the more unvisible you are for radar, it doesn´t count what you´ve done to your boat. If you want to be visible, take a big reflector (>0,3m) and mount it as high as possible (it must be HIGHER than the highest wave). But reflectors of any kind are a good psychological help for yourself. But - don´t trust it. Under really good conditions, it might work - but then you don´t need a reflector. In August, when we were travelling on the big ferry to England, we visited the ships bridge and have a long talk to the first Lt.. He told us an incident happens short time before. A sailing boats Skipper called hte ferry by VHF and ask if they could see him, he want to prove the visibility of his new radarfreflector (smaller one) mounted on top of his mast (quite high). The ferries Lt. had to denie his request, the sailing boat wasn´t visible on the radar!!! And he wasn´t so far away. Then - there are very differnt kinds of radars on the market an on the ships. I would only trust the newer generations of radar. BUT the biggest problem is, you NEVER could be sure that a radar-contact will produce an AHA-effect on the ship! There have to be a person at the radar. There comes the human factor! Okay, the new generations of steering system would produce an alarm if something is on the collision-course, or there would be an approximate course plotted on the monitor, but this systems are not always on the ships. So, safe your money and keep your eyes open and paddle beside the ships street. All the best Jochen Grikschat *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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