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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: debating...
Posted By: Jerry In Response To: debating... (risto)
Date: Saturday, 23 December 2000, at 1:14 p.m.
: Yes, exactly, and this is why I posted that question: where these kaykers
: really visible with no metal reflectors other than what one might have
: anyway (thermos, keys, knife, ...stuff like that). Let's hope the guys who
: posted the earlier information come back, see this, and tell us.I really couldn't answer that because I simply don't know. I don't know if the people seen on RADAR had reflectors or not. I'm basing this stuff on my training and schooling I recieved in the navy, and experience. I can tell you what I suspect though.
I suspect that an individual who picks up a kayaker on RADAR does genuinely and honestly see the person on RADAR. However, I'm willing to bet that is most if not all cases the person who sees a kayaker on the RADAR, sees them first with their eyes, then looks over at the RADAR screen and says 'Oh I've got kayakers on RADAR."
The whole point behind RADAR is to see and object, obstacle, or target before you see it with your eyes. So if you see the person with your eyes, then locates them on RADAR it's kind of moot. Secondly, I really think the only persons who might really be looking at the RADAR screen with any seriousness would be professional mariners, freighters, tankers etc..., and they can't get out of the way most of the time anyway. The other group of professional mariners tug boat skippers, water taxi captains etc..., probably do most of their piloting via the naked eye and only depend on the RADAR when it's crappy out. So most likely ther're going to see you first.
The group that in my opinion you really have to watch out for are the recreational boaters. Most of them don't have RADAR of any type. And of the ones that do, most don't know how to use it. Secondly, like the second group of professional mariners, recreational boaters probably rely more on their eyes than they would a RADAR screen anyway.
: What I was mainly thinking about was: will it be useful? If high waves create
: interference on radar then the operator will turn down the sensitivity to
: get rid of the "snow" the waves create. And that will include
: the weak echoes a kayak would reflect even with a small reflector on a
: pole.I would say that it would really depend on how much of a return the reflector created, the sea state, the operator him/herself, and the RADAR itself. But like I originally stated I don't think I'd bother. It's not that reflectors don't work or have their place, but in my opinion it's not an option that will really add that much. But on the other hand every little bit can help. I'd say it really comes down to you. Either way let me know what you do, and how you decide to do it because I'm interested in how you go about setting it up.
Peace and Happy Holidays
Jerry
: If that reflector thus would be rendered useless, why should one take any
: inconvenience flying it, even if it were feasible?: Have you actually rolled with it?
: greetings,
: risto
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