Radar Reflector Review,to Have or Not to Have?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Maine Sail

Really? They do work I see it everyday up here in Maine where they invented fog.


I'll let my radar tell me what works and what does not...

You dont know if the best returns are coming from the radar reflector or an active (powered reflector), or the mast, outboard, Stainless steel etc.

You are in a fog prone area and people working that area need to take higher precautions and spend more money on specific safety devices for that area.
However, the rest of the world doesnt have fog, either at all, or to any reasonable extent.
In the last 5 years I have been in fog only once, in the Med, for an hour or so. Untill I got to the USA and was fog bound for days through Florida on the ICW... something to do with the warm gulf stream...

So people that transit through an area once need to consider the local safety aspects, but a radar reflector that works (ie an active one) costs more than AIS!!!!!!

Who in their right mind is going to spend hunders on a product that is usefull for 2 or 3 days in 5 years?


Mark

[atoll]

Originally Posted by David M

MarkJ has circumnavigated the world. I think that qualifies him as an authority.

so have i more than twice!

but i never saw any fog on my first circumnavigation untill the straights of gibraltar.

so far in this discussion i think "maine sail" has provided the best argument for having one

though i think the owner has agreed to fit one now,and as others have said it is a no brainer for the price of $20 for the plastimo octohedral

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by atoll

but i'm not that worried about a vessel that is 3 miles away, its the one that is less than a mile.

Ocean fog with visability less than 1NM. How many days per month in the Bay of Biscay during the month of your transit?

though i think the owner has agreed to fit one now,and as others have said it is a no brainer for the price of $20 for the plastimo octohedral

The Plastimo 16” octahedral is inexpensive at ￡16 and lightweight at 0.65kg
but failed to meet ISO8729 in either tested position.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Ocean fog with visability less than 1NM. How many days per month in the Bay of Biscay during the month of your transit?


The Plastimo 16” octahedral is inexpensive at ￡16 and lightweight at 0.65kg
but failed to meet ISO8729 in either tested position.

Yep, your right. No brainer.
No brains at all. Just placating you?

in august and september off the uk , northen spanish and portugese coasts generally have thick fog(50meter vis) every morning and evening during calm periods up to 15 miles off shore.

couple that with large fishing fleets and yoyo's in beneteaus............

[Captain Jeffry]

Originally Posted by David M

MarkJ has circumnavigated the world. I think that qualifies him as an authority.

Firstly, I agree with Mark that an aluminum mast is better than many of the passive reflectors.

Secondly, I still use and will continue to use a reflector as it gives me more time to worry about too many other things aboard...

Met a gent and his wife in Bahia Tortuga, Baja Coast, last March. He just completed a circumnavigation of the globe participating in the ARC. His anchor dragged in 20+ gusts in 25 ft of water. He was not on board at the time and Ernesto came to get me and his wife to get aboard and re set his anchor. When we got close I saw his chain was at a steep angle downward. I asked the wife how much scope was out. she said 3:1. I asked if this happend at other anchorages on the lap around... she said all the time. We re set with 7:1 and when we got ashore, i told the husband what had happened. His response was " WELL..! if I use 7:1, everyone else needs to as well." I told him to ask around to those on shore and all interestingly concurred they were already 6/7:1. He face turned bright red..

Lots of buffoonery out there even for people who have lots of sea miles.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Ocean fog with visability less than 1NM. How many days per month in the Bay of Biscay during the month of your transit?


The Plastimo 16” octahedral is inexpensive at ￡16 and lightweight at 0.65kg
but failed to meet ISO8729 in either tested position.

Mounted properly (catch rain), it will make you more visible.

Two different boats

Tofino traffic picked us up 50 miles out with a octahedral (catch rain) in the spreaders.

With a back stay mounted octahedral (not catch rain), we did not show up on their radar.

Their radar is 710 m above sea level.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Captain Jeffry

completed a circumnavigation of the globe participating in the ARC.....


Lots of buffoonery out there even for people who have lots of sea miles.

Well he wouldnt have anchored on that circumnavigation!

The World ARC uses marinas.

[Caribsurf]

Read a test years ago (like before internet). And a bag of empty beer cans outperform all expensive reflektors.

Always an good excuse for all that beer you carry.


CS

[Captain Jeffry]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Well he wouldnt have anchored on that circumnavigation!

The World ARC uses marinas.

That explains a lot! Likely they did not participate in all of the ARC passages. Distinctly remember her saying the worse draqgging was in India.. Still, my point is, as you already suggested, 'miles are not an indicator of competence'.

[Cheechako]

I dont think your request for a cheap reflector is too much. In fog without radar, not sure what else you can do.....

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I dont think your request for a cheap reflector is too much. In fog without radar, not sure what else you can do.....

during a passage through the straights of gibraltar in thick fog,before the days of gps with ships passing close enough to hear the thump of their engines we did resort to hanging pots and pans in the rigging!

i wish we had had some beer cans to hang at the time......still have vivid memories of that passage

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

You dont know if the best returns are coming from the radar reflector or an active (powered reflector), or the mast, outboard, Stainless steel etc.

Actually up here in the foggy North we tend to communicate via VHF in the fog. I have often mentioned to a vessel showing up like sea clutter that they are presenting a poor radar return. I will often hear back from them in a few minutes asking "How is it now? Just put my reflector up." and all of a sudden I can see them clear as day.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

You are in a fog prone area and people working that area need to take higher precautions and spend more money on specific safety devices for that area.

And I responded because the OP specifically stated:

Originally Posted by atoll

this area is prone to thick fog,also heavy shipping and yachts / fishing boats not equipped with ais transponders etc.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

So people that transit through an area once need to consider the local safety aspects, but a radar reflector that works (ie an active one) costs more than AIS!!!!!!

Actually passive reflectors do quite well for the cost $40.00 - $60.00 and weight to carry, less than a pound.... I have had ample opportunity over many years to see the same boat both before and after hoisting a radar reflector. The differences can be seen on radar. Are they perfect? No, nothing is, but for the cost they do and can increase your chances of being seen.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Who in their right mind is going to spend hunders on a product that is usefull for 2 or 3 days in 5 years?


Mark

I guess folks who spend a lot more time than that in the fog... $40.00 - $60.00 does not seem like an un-wise boat expenditure when it comes to safety even if you are rarely in fog or limited visibility.....

[Hudson Force]

I would not rely on the smoothly curved surfaces of the aluminum masts to present myself as well as the cheep reflector that I've place on top of my mizzen mast.



I spend a lot of time in Maine and responders on the VHF tell me that I display a strong target. I've heard that these don't do as well in a larger offshore swell, but around the foggy islands in New England this does me well.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

I would not rely on the smoothly curved surfaces of the aluminum masts to present myself as well as the cheep reflector that I've place on top of my mizzen mast.



I spend a lot of time in Maine and responders on the VHF tell me that I display a strong target. I've heard that these don't do as well in a larger offshore swell, but around the foggy islands in New England this does me well.

That is not the catch rain position. The horizontal plates do absolutely nothing.

[stevensuf]

They did tests in one of the uk yachting mags im sure googling will find it, but most of the passive ones returned fairly weak signals, the biggger drum style plastimo ones almost met the iso standard ie the best was a just fail.

I agree with he fog around Gibraltar, twice got caught in it for almost a full day once, spanish coastguard appeared out of nowhere, **** a brick, large motorboat as well , never heard a thing, bloody stealth mode.

About the only time so far i really wished i had radar.