CARD Collision Avoidance Radar Detector

[multihullsailor6]

I would like to buy a CARD Collision Avoidance Radar Detector unit but fail to find any supplier. This unit is/was called CARD in the US, the French had the same piece of equipment but the French name escapes me.

Can anybody here point me in the right direction - many thanks.

[Sea Frog]

I guess you need this one: index

[multihullsailor6]

Originally Posted by Sea Frog

I guess you need this one: index

Absolutely spot-on! Thanks.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by multihullsailor6

I would like to buy a CARD Collision Avoidance Radar Detector unit but fail to find any supplier. This unit is/was called CARD in the US, the French had the same piece of equipment but the French name escapes me.

Can anybody here point me in the right direction - many thanks.

I've never heard of this, but some of the active radar reflectors, like the Sea Me (Sea-me Active Radar Reflector. Safety at Sea. Drastically Improves Radar Visibility. Amplifies Radar Signal. Automatic Ship Detection. Marine safety equipment and Marine electronics.) have alarm outputs, so act as radar detectors as well as reflectors. If you really want radar detection then why not have an enhanced radar reflector in the bargain?

I assume you have an AIS transponder? Nothing against radar reflection and detection, but first priority should be AIS. Radar detectors are useless in crowded waters, but AIS can be programmed to sound an alarm only when risk of collision situations really exist.

[Tx J]

Originally Posted by multihullsailor6

I would like to buy a CARD Collision Avoidance Radar Detector unit but fail to find any supplier. This unit is/was called CARD in the US, the French had the same piece of equipment but the French name escapes me.

Can anybody here point me in the right direction - many thanks.

Only place I've ever seen them was very rarely on eBay.
They've only come up once or twice a year* , and always in used condition. Seemed like a good idea, but were likely too expensive for the limited market, and maybe also became technologically obsolete?

Have you checked Defender, Amazon, etc?
And run some Bing/Google searches? A careful innartoobz search usually finds almost anything, including for-sale items.



I filter most email into topical folders (using the Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird email programs), where they stay 'forever'.

I'll do an email message search on the "CARD" on this machine, but the retention only goes back maybe two years. My main machine with an email archive going back 10 years? is down with a slight prob; I know there are some eBay CARD's in there.
...SOL, searched 22K+ eBay folder messages for "CARD" w/no radar-related matches (20 for computer cards).

*(I have a number of automatic 'searches' set up in which eBay runs daily, and then sends me a batch of emails about any found/matched items with the search criteria I've set up, several of which are 'marine radar' related.
This is a handy eBay feature to use if y'all haven't tried it, set it up initially (search parameters can be tricky), and then wait for any matches.
Saves constantly browsing eBay for some hard-to-find items. I have a number of searches set up, and they seem to last forever (365+++...), or until you stop one.)


Sea Frog got it...looks just like the ones I remember from eBay, except for the brand name and labeling en Francias.
Kinda pricy though: 367€+...

[Pete7]

CARD was something from the 1980s and probably a good idea at the time al be it only giving the direction in one of 4 quadrants. However, in busy waters today it will be going off all the time. For a few dollars more you could have an AIS transponder giving so much more information when connected to a chart plotter.

[akprb]

Had one on our last boat and really not worth the cost or trouble to install. Tech has moved forward.

[Steel sails]

I had the" Active Echo" on Cheorae.
It sent out an enhanced signal in the x band and sounded an audible warning if we were scanned in the x band. I was told the signal made us look like a large steel ship.. It was taken off the market as the signal was considered too strong and misleading. Manufactured by Martec France.
There was some discussion about taking it off the market on the YBM forum.

I removed it when I installed broadband Radar.
Regards
Paul

[multihullsailor6]

I'm looking for a fairly cost-effective way of guarding me and my boat offshore on a dark night against the odd fishing boat without AIS. Even if my AIS (transponder) screen tells me there are no AIS ships within say 20M there is always the chance of the fishing boat being there who, in my experience, have their radar on all the time. At the speeds we sometime go an early warning system might be a good idea, especially for single-handers like me.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by multihullsailor6

I'm looking for a fairly cost-effective way of guarding me and my boat offshore on a dark night against the odd fishing boat without AIS. Even if my AIS (transponder) screen tells me there are no AIS ships within say 20M there is always the chance of the fishing boat being there who, in my experience, have their radar on all the time. At the speeds we sometime go an early warning system might be a good idea, especially for single-handers like me.

Active radar reflectors are not cheap; similar in cost to budget radar sets.

You do have radar, right?

Radar with guard zones set will give you a far more precise warning, than what you would get from a radar detector.

I think active radar reflectors with alarms are pretty cool, but it's not practical to carry every device ever invented. I do a lot of sailing at night and sometimes far offshore; for me AIS plus radar seems enough. AIS catches 90% of potential situations, and radar guard zones catch the odd fishing vessel not broadcasting AIS. I would probably add a second radar set (powerful open array) before an active radar reflector. YMMV.

Sent from my D6633 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[yachtgemini]

Roger

A few comments...

I had the Lokata first, then the CARD and now a SEE ME.... so I have a little experience with these units.

The information returned on each of these units is very limited and all most useless in busy waters.

These units were all single band radar detectors and most ships seem to have switched away to the other frequency.... well that is what I thought. I had the opportunity to travel with a boat that had a dual band SEE ME and found many / most ships had the radar scanner spinning but no transmission, hence no alarm.

My experience of fishing boats in European waters suggests most have AIS and frequently their radar is left on standby! This would suggest a radar guard zone / AIS may give you better protection.


I have an AIS B unit and always travel at night with a radar guard zone... it simply works.

Ross

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by yachtgemini

Roger

A few comments...

I had the Lokata first, then the CARD and now a SEE ME.... so I have a little experience with these units.

The information returned on each of these units is very limited and all most useless in busy waters.

These units were all single band radar detectors and most ships seem to have switched away to the other frequency.... well that is what I thought. I had the opportunity to travel with a boat that had a dual band SEE ME and found many / most ships had the radar scanner spinning but no transmission, hence no alarm.

My experience of fishing boats in European waters suggests most have AIS and frequently their radar is left on standby! This would suggest a radar guard zone / AIS may give you better protection.


I have an AIS B unit and always travel at night with a radar guard zone... it simply works.

Ross

My experience is that they often shut down AIS transmit while fishing, presumably so as not to show to other fishermen where the good spots are. I don't know whether they keep their radars on standby, but in my experience they usually detect me a few miles off (probably by AIS) and start broadcasting again. Plus they're usually little up pretty brightly.

In my experience, radar guard zone is the most effective tool, but none of this is a substitute for good watchkeeping. The OP is single-handing; I would not sleep underway anywhere near any coast or areas with a lot of fishing going on.

Sent from my D6633 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[hpeer]

If you are interested in a SEAME unit I have one for sale at a consignment shop.

Drop me a PM and I can hook you up or we can work it out together.