How to Get 6 new Functions From Your Radar

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

From Boat Test

https://boattest.com/article/how-ge...Dxo&utm_content=224788662&utm_source=hs_email

 

[O C Diver]

I guess new is a relative term. Atleast 5 of the 6 have existed for 7 to 10 years.

Ted

 

[psneeld]

I guess new is a relative term. Atleast 5 of the 6 have existed for 7 to 10 years.

Ted

Yep, not new where I'm from either.

I think all of them are now going on 20 years after Raymarine came out with the Pathfinder series....at least for smaller rec craft.

Bird spotting not so much with the smaller Raymarine, but by 2001 we were selling I think it was the 12kW Furuno radars to the charterboat sport guys for bird spotting.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I would agree, I have the same on my radar. Just the title. The one thing I found to be true is that you have to have an electronic compass in order to use the charts/radar over lay

 

[psneeld]

But good info for many boaters as many never get much practice with their radar and probably don't use but a fraction of their worth.

 

[mvweebles]

I guess new is a relative term. Atleast 5 of the 6 have existed for 7 to 10 years.

Ted

Which one hasn't existed? AIS? That was on the near horizon when I was last delivering in the early 2000s.

Decent content but title is misleading. Sort of "Breaking News: Dog bites man!' Story.

How many people run their radar offset? I generally run so center is offset into lower half - 2/3rds of range is in front of boat, 1/3rd behind.

Peter

 

[O C Diver]

Which one hasn't existed?

The volume of digital information that can be displayed on the radar screen itself has steadily increased over the last 30 years. I much prefer a less cluttered screen when radar information is critical, but to each their own.

Ted

 

[RickyD]

Which one hasn't existed? AIS? That was on the near horizon when I was last delivering in the early 2000s.

Decent content but title is misleading. Sort of "Breaking News: Dog bites man!' Story.

How many people run their radar offset? I generally run so center is offset into lower half - 2/3rds of range is in front of boat, 1/3rd behind.

Peter

I do that as well as it is important to see what is coming from behind. I'm getting old and I can't turn my head and neck around like Linda Blair on The Exorcist. I still have to get up and look now and then to be sure the dinghy is still looking good. Quickly scan the horizon. Then back to the chart plotter and radar. My Furuno has a "Bird" setting so it does that automatically when desired. It is not quite yet 1 year hold and I'm loving it. I don't have Ais yet. Maybe someday.

 

[tiltrider1]

I no longer run radar chart overlay. I find to much critical data gets lost. I also don’t use the offset. Like others I want to know what’s coming up from behind. Finally, I limit the amount of data displayed on the radar screen, I don’t want to loose sight of critical target information.

Now I do have a second screen that shows my chart and data so it is not a case of going with out the data. If I had only one screen I am not sure what I would do.

 

[High Wire]

I no longer run radar chart overlay. I find to much critical data gets lost. I also don’t use the offset. Like others I want to know what’s coming up from behind. Finally, I limit the amount of data displayed on the radar screen, I don’t want to loose sight of critical target information.

Now I do have a second screen that shows my chart and data so it is not a case of going with out the data. If I had only one screen I am not sure what I would do.

Agree. My Garmin has the overlay feature but I don't like the amount of clutter it gives. Things like small FG runabouts and kayaks get lost. I prefer the side-by-side display. Chart on the left, Radar on the right. If the ranges are similar then it is easy to compare. Unfortunately the chart display is offset and the radar is centered. I haven't found a way to center the chartplotter. Close enough.

 

[mvweebles]

I no longer run radar chart overlay. I find to much critical data gets lost. I also don’t use the offset. Like others I want to know what’s coming up from behind. Finally, I limit the amount of data displayed on the radar screen, I don’t want to loose sight of critical target information.

Now I do have a second screen that shows my chart and data so it is not a case of going with out the data. If I had only one screen I am not sure what I would do.

Certainly personal preference on offset. In open water, I typically run in 6-mile range giving about 13-14 miles total visibility. For ease of math, let's say I'm running at 6-kts. And let's say an approaching vessel is traveling at 12 kts. If he's approaching from ahead, I will "see" him when he's 1-hour away, and we will pass 20-mins later. If he's approaching from astern, I will see him in fhd same 1 hour, but it will take over an hour before he passes me.

If I offset the display so roughly 8-9 miles ahead and 4-5 miles astern, the initial sight time obviously changes, but the amount of time to make a course adjustment is now about the same for either scenario. Further, I may need the extra time in a passing situation (vs being overtaken) as I may be obligated to make a course correction.

That's my thinking. At least in open water. Other situations would be different.

Peter

EDIT - agree about overlay. I may ping it briefly to verify if an echo is an ATON, but do not run with overlay as a normal practice. Haven't liked it since the first I saw it 20 years ago.

 

[rslifkin]

I'm not a fan of overlay either. Charts should be charts, just with any AIS and ARPA / MARPA targets visible on the chart. Radar belongs on a separate screen except when using overlay to check chart location accuracy in an unknown area.

 

[psneeld]

Always more than one way to skin a cat.

I am used to the olden ways.... but for beginners...the overlay can be if nothing else a training aid to develop radar reading skills.

Not every tool available is useful in all situations these days...as others have posted about info overload...but there are times for some people I see that they benefit from it.