Radar Love

[Gazmn]

Thanks for the pics Jeff

You have a great system. Very inspiring.

I would keep the system even if I didn't use it much. Take your time learn how to use it.

& of course...


Enjoy your Mac

[BOAT]

So did anyone ever tell us exactly what it is that radar is used for??

It's to find boats in the fog? That's it?

I thought it was something that could tell me when a storm is coming and show me the rain and stuff. Gee, I guess if you can figure out a way to get an internet connection out in the middle of the sea you can get all of that pretty cheap or even free, right?

Is RADAR a dinosaur? (And why is it spelled RADAR, so it works backwards too? RADAR - see, I spelled it backwards - it still works - catch you coming and going I guess).

[RGF]

FINALLY! Someone is gonna tell us how to get internet at sea for FREE!!! No radios, no sat phones, no subscriptions or ongoing monthly fees. Yay!!! Please continue BOAT... Pray tell

[BOAT]

I dunno, that's what I am asking - how do you get internet out at sea?

[Gazmn]

Well... Radar, among other tools, can help you to see when your eyes alone are not enough. Such as at night, especially when moonless, fog. Limited vision during a storm,for collision avoidance, coming or encroaching storms etc.
Fishermen can use it to locate birds feeding on bait fish & use this info accordingly.

3 & 4g broadband can be used in those manners and also entering in and around harbors for slip or mooring search etc.


I

So did anyone ever tell us exactly what it is that radar is used for??

It's to find boats in the fog? That's it?

I thought it was something that could tell me when a storm is coming and show me the rain and stuff. Gee, I guess if you can figure out a way to get an internet connection out in the middle of the sea you can get all of that pretty cheap or even free, right?

Is RADAR a dinosaur?

I'm not telling anyone they must or should have it. I'm reconfigurig what I already have & value. & was looking for mod ideas & input

[BOAT]

Okay, RADAR is for seeing things in the dark and in fog. I assume you would need to have your eyes fixed on the RADAR screen every second to do this, right? Sort of like using your depth sounder to feel your way around a reef. This is scary stuff - people who sail Puget Sound and all those other places I see on charts that have so many buoys and lights and rocks and piles that I can't even read the chart.

Yeah, you guys are navigating - that's hard. Out here where I am it's wide open, there is nothing to run into, unless the RADAR can pick up submerged cargo containers and submarines and whales.

That would be cool, if there was something that could see partially submerged logs and stuff that make holes in your boat when you hit them at high speed.

[mastreb]

One of the primary uses of radar is to set a "fence" around the boat and have the radar alarm if a contact (another ship) enters the fence. Many people consider this to be an effective method of watch-standing in off-shore situations where you're short-handed or single-handed, and many people motor or sail through the night asleep with a radar watch.

I'm not recommending that, but without radar you have no eyes at all at night if you're single-handed, offshore.

I never came up with a good use for a radar on the Mac. Also, since it can't be mounted effectively on the mast, it would have to go on a pole on the stern, and lose quite a bit of its range (which is based on height off the waterline.

For fog, chart-plotters, a bow watch, and listening have always worked well for me even in the very busy San Diego bay. Everyone slows down to five knots here when its socked in, and all the pleasure boats run for cover.

I will be putting a radar on the big boat.

[BOAT]

Never used one - don't even know what they look like - but it sounds like a great idea I guess if it can make a sound alarm when people enter your "fence".



That would be great because it would wake you up if you were sleeping or even if your not sleeping it would alert you with a sound when someone crossed your 'fence' so you would not need to have your eyes looking at the radar screen all the time. That seems like a good idea with an alarm thing.

[yukonbob]

For fog, chart-plotters, a bow watch, and listening have always worked well for me even in the very busy San Diego bay. Everyone slows down to five knots here when its socked in, and all the pleasure boats run for cover.

I will be putting a radar on the big boat.

Ive always hated compressed air horns (the manual recharging ones are a better idea but Ive had the pump stop working), and would rather have a big old brass bell. Go slow, watch your bearings and make noise. Something really cool about pushing through the fog with horns in the distance.

[RGF]

Yes, you've seen radars on boats, Boat, or do just mean the screen part. As to your original thought, no, there's no free internet "at sea". Again, I wish! So yes, when you are offshore in SW Fla and a summer storm pops up it's nice to have radar... Crank up the Bigfoot or at least batten the hatches.

[BOAT]

I don't know much about internet either - I guess internet requires a phone line at least, right? And even with that your not gonna get a 'high' 'speed' internet from a phone line so even if you had a phone 2000 miles out at sea you would never get 'high' 'speed' internet to render pictures of the sky with radar colors for rain and storms and stuff.

I did see 'high' 'speed' internet on top of a motorhome once - it use satellites and a big dome on top of the motorhome - but I don't know if his 'high' 'speed' internet worked when he was traveling or not -

I guess that would be the next big thing for boating: 'high' 'speed' internet available out in the ocean (maybe they can put underwater cell towers in all over the ocean floor)

[mastreb]

There are four possibilities for Internet at sea:

1) Satellite phone. This is expensive, slow, high-latency internet with about 256kpbs service, which means extremely slow web and good speed for email and chat.

2) Single-side band (SSB) HAM radio with a PacTor modem. This is old school 80's technology that gives you access to shore stations and works variably (depending on the weather, time of day, etc. all over the world. Mostly it's for email and weather faxes. Web is basically useless, as this is true modem speeds of about 4800 to 9600 bps. Usually you would buy a subscription to "sea mail" or one of a few other services that cater to cruisers.

3) SPOT data. (out only, no receive) This is satellite message service, it can send "text" style messages using one-way satellite throughout most of the world. No real data service possible, it's just for letting people know where you are and that you're okay.

4) Sirius XM WX weather service. This is receive-only satellite weather service that works over most of the globe. Also comes with satellite radio service.

Honestly the only effective data service is Sat phone. Everything else is only for very specific use cases. A lot of full time older cruisers like SSB + Modem because it has a low recurring cost, but it's bulky expensive equipment and requires a HAM radio license.

That's it. No other options exist.

[Gazmn]

While it's related to the SPOT technology; There's also the Delorme inReach Explorer which people here have used like Jimmy Alonzo in P. R. & we were able to follow his travels.

But it's not an internet hotspot or hotpoint for you to use your browser while sipping a latte out in the middle of waterworld

Got one - Now I gotta get an adventure & use it

[Gazmn]

Okay, RADAR is for seeing things in the dark and in fog. I assume you would need to have your eyes fixed on the RADAR screen every second to do this, right? Sort of like using your depth sounder to feel your way around a reef. This is scary stuff - people who sail Puget Sound and all those other places I see on charts that have so many buoys and lights and rocks and piles that I can't even read the chart.

Yeah, you guys are navigating - that's hard. Out here where I am it's wide open, there is nothing to run into, unless the RADAR can pick up submerged cargo containers and submarines and whales.

That would be cool, if there was something that could see partially submerged logs and stuff that make holes in your boat when you hit them at high speed.

I have to admit I have gadgetitis. & hide my inadequacies behind shtuff. That being said, I do really try to get my head out of my ___ MFD & take in the scene...
& when I succeed in doing this I realize - It's Beautiful out there - Enjoy

I guess you're really where It's At Boat - Don't knock it, just keep an eye out for the partially submerged stuff

[RGF]

Forward looking sonar is already here and will only get better and for partially submerged you could always mount a FLIR camera on the bow (showing on your MFD of course)