Dave wrote: Local SAR folks, etc., who have been questioned on this all agree: [no reflector] that close to the surface is going to make you stand out against surface return. Hard to prove a negative, but I've tried similar devices in at-sea tests with the USCG, carrying various radar reflectors on top of locator beacons -- there really was a reason for this! -- and neither of our two Coast Guard 41' boats (UTBs) nor the H-65 helicopter assigned to us could pick out our deflectors at any range -- and the helo was homing in on the locator beacon at the time. The link provided by Derek also states that the minimum operating height for these reflectors is four meters -- so good correlation with Dave's point. Active search and rescue transponders (SARTs) are the only things likely to provide radar reflectivity at the deck height of a kayak, but are obviously only for distress use. Jack "Joq" Martin *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Apr 23 2009 - 18:31:15 PDT
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