RE: TWL: Selecting a Radar System
Safety and practical questions addressed to anyone.
Do you really want/need a radar display on the flybridge?
Safety: Is it true that the radar antenna can "fry your brains" if your head is positioned in its vicinity?
Practical: If it's a nice day and your up top, why bother using one? What circumstances have you up top needing one?
-- Jim
Hi, Jim
I use my radar display on the flybridge most of the time. I can't tell you
if it "fries my brains," but that may explain a lot of things.
I use it in good weather so that I can rely on it in poor weather. I try to
train myself how objects that I can see compare to the radar image. I also
try to guess distances and then check my radar to see how close I am. These
things are handy when you need them in poor weather.
In conclusion: This is your brain. This is your brain with the radar on.
Any questions?
Todd & Teresa Mains
M/V Pingino
Portland, Oregon
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-trawler-world-list@samurai.com
[mailto:owner-trawler-world-list@samurai.com]On Behalf Of Jim & Rita Ague
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 1:21 PM
To: trawlerworldlist
Subject: RE: TWL: Selecting a Radar System
Safety and practical questions addressed to anyone.
Do you really want/need a radar display on the flybridge?
Safety: Is it true that the radar antenna can "fry your brains" if your head
is positioned in its vicinity?
Practical: If it's a nice day and your up top, why bother using one? What
circumstances have you up top needing one?
-- Jim
Jim,
Good questions. Lets try this from a different angle.
If you have a radar on board, and it is operational, it must be on and
monitored. This is part of the COLREGS. So, if you are driving from the
flying bridge, it makes sense to have a screen up there. Otherwise, you
have to have someone below monitoring it.
just a thought,
derrick
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim & Rita Ague ague@iex.net
To: trawlerworldlist <>
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 4:20 PM
Subject: RE: TWL: Selecting a Radar System
Safety and practical questions addressed to anyone.
Do you really want/need a radar display on the flybridge?
Safety: Is it true that the radar antenna can "fry your brains" if your
head is positioned in its vicinity?
Practical: If it's a nice day and your up top, why bother using one? What
circumstances have you up top needing one?
-- Jim
Derrick Young wrote:
Jim,
Good questions. Lets try this from a different angle.
If you have a radar on board, and it is operational, it must be on and
monitored. This is part of the COLREGS....
Is this true across the board - for all vessels, all sizes, and in all
types of service? If so, there are a lot of recreational boaters out
there that are breaking the law.
Mel Knott
Sandpiper
West Indian 36
Annapolis, MD
I have followed a lot of discussions about this and the consensus is that
the only real problem is getting close enough to a swinging antenna that it
physically hits you in the head.
I use my radar more for weather observation than any other use.
Thunderstorms occur on "nice days" , Navigation is the second use and fog
is a poor third.
Frank
At 04:20 PM 7/31/00 -0400, you wrote:
Safety and practical questions addressed to anyone.
Do you really want/need a radar display on the flybridge?
Safety: Is it true that the radar antenna can "fry your brains" if your
head is positioned in its vicinity?
Practical: If it's a nice day and your up top, why bother using one? What
circumstances have you up top needing one?
-- Jim
I've asked an admiralty lawyer friend of mine for his comment and will
let the list know when he responds. I have my own doubts about the
strick applicability of this rule.
There is essentially only one section of the ColRegs that seems to imply
that radar must be used. Here it is:
Steering and Sailing Rules
RULE 7
Risk of Collision
(a) Every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the
prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of
collision exists. If there is any doubt such risk shall be deemed to
exist.
(b) Proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and
operational, including long-range scanning to obtain early warning of
risk of collision and radar plotting or equivalent systematic
observation of detected objects.
(c) Assumptions shall not be made on the basis of scanty information,
especially scanty radar information.
Melvin Knott wrote:
Derrick Young wrote:
Jim,
If you have a radar on board, and it is operational, it must be on and
monitored. This is part of the COLREGS....
Is this true across the board - for all vessels, all sizes, and in all
types of service? If so, there are a lot of recreational boaters out
there that are breaking the law.
--
Bob McLeran rmcleran@ix.netcom.com
M/V "Sanderling" Docked at Point Patience Marina
Hailing port: Wianno MA Solomons, MD
Hampton 35 Trawler
Does this regulation pertain to small pleasure boats, or is
it directed at vessels over a certain tonnage and all vessels
carrying passengers for hire?
If you have a radar on board, and it is operational, it must be on and
monitored. This is part of the COLREGS. So, if you are driving from the
flying bridge, it makes sense to have a screen up there. Otherwise, you
have to have someone below monitoring it.
Brian Hall
"Any Sea"
For those who are interested (and I guess we all should be) the
International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea and the
Inland Navigation Rules can be found online through this URL:
http://www.cgaux.org/cgauxweb/public/pubframe.htm
To answer Brian's question, very briefly, the rules apply to all
vessels. Congress has also enacted specific regulations to implement the
ColRegs, and has delegated specific rule making authority to the
Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Transportation (Coast Guard).
There are a few exceptions and exemptions, but none to exempt "pleasure
boaters."
The web site, above, has links to the congressional enactments, as well.
Brian Hall wrote:
Does this regulation pertain to small pleasure boats, or is
it directed at vessels over a certain tonnage and all vessels
carrying passengers for hire?
--
Bob McLeran rmcleran@ix.netcom.com
M/V "Sanderling" Docked at Point Patience Marina
Hailing port: Wianno MA Solomons, MD
Hampton 35 Trawler
At 04:20 PM 07/31/2000 -0400, Jim & Rita Ague wrote:
Safety: Is it true that the radar antenna can "fry your brains" if your
head is positioned in its vicinity?
-- Jim
Your galley Microwave has about 1500 watts, many radars have 4000-10,000
watts of focused beam microwaves. You don't want that pointed at your head
or anywhere else every couple seconds. but the beam is narrow and doesn't
radiate much, just stay out of the beam. Fibergalass flybridges do not
protect you either, remember when they use to install domes in front of the
flybridge, not a good idea.
David Stahl
Kennett Internet Services, 112 S. Union Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-444-9008 Visit our web site at http://www.kennett.net
Jim,
Safety: Is it true that the radar antenna can "fry your brains"
if your head is positioned in its vicinity?
Well, Amana didn't call their microwave ovens "Radar Ranges" for no reason.
While at a totally different power level(MW vice KW), military radars can and
do kill birds that fly into the beam. On HMCS Huron, the crew regularly had
to remove dead birds from the top of the bridge after missile firing exercises.
And consider all the fuss about cellphones. It's just not worth the possible
trouble.
<<Practical: If it's a nice day and your up top, why bother using one? What circumstances
have you up top needing one?>>
A nice day is a good time to practice so that when the fog rolls in you
understand what you're looking at.
IMHO
Mike Eedy
M/V Excalibur
North Bay ON
Mikey@efni.com