I was at a seminar last spring where it was suggested that we should carry a tube style radar reflector on our kayaks. His suggestion was that we strap it under our deck lines. This would make them more visible on a radar screen. I pondered this after the seminar, and wonder about the merit of this suggestion. On the deck of a kayak, the tube is only a few inches above the water level. Wouldn't it still look like random surface scatter? Thoughts? This is one version of the product I am talkingabout. I provide this as an example, not an endorsement: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mobri-S-2-sailboat-radar-reflector-radar-brand-new_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a1Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a0Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem160329781016QQitemZ160329781016QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Derek wrote: > I was at a seminar last spring where it was suggested that we should > carry a tube style radar reflector on our kayaks. His suggestion was > that we strap it under our deck lines. This would make them more > visible on a radar screen. I pondered this after the seminar, and > wonder about the merit of this suggestion. On the deck of a kayak, the > tube is only a few inches above the water level. Wouldn't it still look > like random surface scatter? Thoughts? Derek, I think you have it exactly right. Local SAR folks, etc., who have been questioned on this all agree: nothing that close to the surface is going to make you stand out against surface return. Waste of time unless you can get a significant return, above the average wave height. To achieve this, think 10 foot mast with a serious radar reflector on top. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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/ ***************************************************************************
On Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 6:31 PM, Martin, Jack <martin.jack_at_solute.us> wrote: > > 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.... My experience also over many years and many tries. Even a sailing yacht we could see with our eyes we could not pick out on a radar screen; both 10cm and 3cm radars. We had difficulties even on a calm sea picking out sailing yachts. It's common for aircraft to have transponders (that transmit a signal when triggered by the reception of a radar signal) and I've often wondered why this method has never made it into popularity among the maritime crowd. They are now going to separate transceivers which display received messages on the radar screen. Handy information for pirates since they can also receive that information which gives them ship name, type, size, speed, and course. As far as carrying a radar reflector on a kayak, you might as well wear a tinfoil hat for all the good it would do you. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** 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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