Is radar worth the investment for recreational anglers?

[Maverick]

4 minutes ago, MegaByte said:

I didn't really think my present boat was big enough for radar, but then I was given a set, so I made room.

 

You are going to need more sticks Brian, there's more electronics there than you could shake one stick at lol

[Maverick]

So back to the original question the answer is............................................................YES

But how to sell it to the other half..................................Safety of Children, always worked for me even when I needed (read as wanted) new tackle, It's safer to use lol

[JDP]

Ive never had one or felt the need for it here or the UK on a recreational boat. Not saying that I wouldn't use it if I had it though. When I worked on a trawler at night in the UK it was what we mostly used, over gps. 

Ive seen fog three times in the last 25 years over here, so not something we often see. If we were outside fishing and fog were to move in, there would be no way I would try and enter out harbour bar crossing untill it cleared, I would simply hold out in the  lee of the Island offshore. 

Given the boating traffic and car ferries crossing the Solent, I dare say I would be getting radar if I was living back there now. The quality of them these days is good and the prices quite reasonable.

[Odyssey]

https://www.raymarine.co.uk/about-us/offers/radar-savings.html?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=UK radar promo&utm_content=promo image&fbclid=IwAR3ov5SMrlShynEhV2e5ANSJX8wRVXgSfyxBa9V9ms7MmSYyUhPykSL6G8U
 

Good price.....

[Odyssey]

If I didn’t already have a great set up I’d be after this.... 

@Andy135dont bother with that Lowrance upgrade, get some Radar for when you finally bring your boat to Wales for real fishing 😉 

[Andy135]

2 minutes ago, JonC said:

Do they show the dogfish up as targets? Is that a thing? That’s the only way he’ll be getting one. 

If it's a thing, I'm all in!

[GPSguru]

 

I thought long and hard about it when my boat was built, and in the end decided that AIS was more useful and also I really didn't want a raydome cluttering up the A frame.

Here, we just don't get a huge amount of Fog, we get thick mist, we get inshore radiation fog (clear once less than a  mile out to sea), but that is about it.

I have no reason to go out in fog, or to go out when fog is forecast, my angling is for pleasure, I don't do it for a living !  Also, the fog (visibility) forecast is pretty accurate, as fog only occurs under very defined weather conditions, so if you understand weather, then you understand the fog risk.

I use this Class B+ transponder ................. https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/623924

On the A Frame I have an EchoMax EM230 passive Can reflector, which I have tested using the other boat and it gives off a massive target.

Class B+ uses the same SOTDMA system as Class A, and has the same priority which ensures it will always transmit at its negotiated time slot. It transmits at 5W , which is double that of standard class B. Also, like Class A, the broadcasting of your ID is speed dependant .......... the faster you go, the more frequent your ID is sent.

Nothing wrong with Radar, but I feel it is a bit redundant on a pure leisure boat ................. We have it on my mates Offshore 25 and I think I have used it in anger once.

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by GPSguru

[GPSguru]

1 minute ago, JonC said:

I personally don’t get the point of Ais, in as much as so few vessels have it that you’d do well to find one to hit. There is a major shipping channel off Harwich and Felixstowe but just keep the fuck out of their way, those big container ships aren’t going to get out of your way.

 

More, and more boats have it now Jon, It is compulsory on certain size commercials, but even a lot of the under 10 fleet have it now. Also most, if not, all charter boats have AIS. I often speak to the charters when we are within AIS range ...................

OK, yes, you can turn off your ID transmission to remain silent, and some boats do this when they are on the fish ...............but not many..........

I can see all the AIS boat on the plotter and all I have to do is tap the screen to either send a DSC or setup a voice call ................. also, AIS does the maths to project their track and indicate a collision or risk warning  (the target turns red) ............ I can also see their past track / speed, which is useful when looking at fishing boats

To be very fair .......... I have had Rod/Line commercials call me during the summer months when they have been on the fish, which I found quite humbling ............. a downside is the CG tends to call you if a boat needs assistance nearby, but they always do that on DSC .............. however, asking me if I could tow a 55ft Princess  is a bit of a big ask !

Also,  RADAR  is line of sight, but AIS can 'see' around headlands etc .................

[GPSguru]

11 minutes ago, JonC said:

Yes in your scenario it makes sense, but on any given day in the north Thames are there will be no Ais stations showing on my Ais app? I know it’s only an app but surely it would show some?  
 

 

This is my area right now (21:49hrs) .................... if I was to go out and switch on the boat electrics you would see my boat inland at the head of the river, and zooming in would put it on my driveway, the GPS position accuracy of AIS is impressive .................

 

 

Here is your patch right now (21:50hrs)

 

[Odyssey]

Not sure I agree.... 

Radar allows you to pick up nearly all vessels, also marker buoys abs land to aid navigation. 
 

However, modern Radar don’t “light” up Radar bouys. 
 

Biggest advantage of AIS is ease of use along with the call sign of the vessel. 
 

I have both, but to choose between one or other, I’d have Radar. MARPA is so easy to use it makes collision avoidance a doddle. I just leave it on all the time, overlay on chart and navigation is simple 🙂 

Just my opinion mind... feel free to argue! 

[GPSguru]

4 minutes ago, Odyssey said:

Not sure I agree.... 

Radar allows you to pick up nearly all vessels, also marker buoys abs land to aid navigation. 
 

However, modern Radar don’t “light” up Radar bouys. 
 

Biggest advantage of AIS is ease of use along with the call sign of the vessel. 
 

I have both, but to choose between one or other, I’d have Radar. MARPA is so easy to use it makes collision avoidance a doddle. I just leave it on all the time, overlay on chart and navigation is simple 🙂 

Just my opinion mind... feel free to argue! 

The only thing I can add to that is all major navigation buoys will be AIS equipped in the near future ...............

I guess it all comes down to personal preference and I decided that AIS would be more useful for my type of boating ................

[suzook12]

The charter boat I use turns the AIS off also...... Fish are in such low stock levels, no-one wants to show the commercials where they are catching from

 

[Geoff]

That looks like a good investment Jon. Geoff.

[Scotch_Egg2012]

Typically late to this discussion,  I went through this scenario a couple of years back. 

I got caught out in a pea souper closed in so much we couldn't see 2 boat lengths in front no radar.  I ended up anchoring rather than run down Southampton Water. 

Decision was made to fit radar.  I have it on most times but probably had to rely on it maybe 3 times in the last year,  I think given the volume of commercial traffic in our area and the narrow channels we have to navigate Radar and a Radar reflector are a must, AIS a very good thing to have but bear in mind small craft don't need it so there will be boats out there without ais, radar will detect them. 

My profile picture was taken with us at 23kts coming back from the spoils after fog had closed in (it was clearer inshore) was sunny in the morning,  we had to navigate through several anchored ships at St Helens anchorage.  I have to say it was excellent to be able see everything including nav bouys. 

So I ended up fitting an echo max reflector, 3g radar and my VHF has an AIS receiver which overlays on my chart,  all this due to being caught out once which I vowed never again. 

It has allowed me to go out on days I wouldn't have before. I like the 3 or 4g because it has no main bang and will pick up objects very close,  I followed a yacht out of Pompey Harbour last year roughly 25 yds in front of us couldnt see him by eye but radar had him. 

Sorry for the essay but I would say get radar it is a game changer

Edited December 16, 2020 by Scotch_Egg2012

[Scotch_Egg2012]

In the process of it being fitted

[Andy135]

30 minutes ago, Scotch_Egg2012 said:

Typically late to this discussion,  I went through this scenario a couple of years back. 

I got caught out in a pea souper closed in so much we couldn't see 2 boat lengths in front no radar.  I ended up anchoring rather than run down Southampton Water. 

Decision was made to fit radar.  I have it on most times but probably had to rely on it maybe 3 times in the last year,  I think given the volume of commercial traffic in our area and the narrow channels we have to navigate Radar and a Radar reflector are a must, AIS a very good thing to have but bear in mind small craft don't need it so there will be boats out there without ais, radar will detect them. 

My profile picture was taken with us at 23kts coming back from the spoils after fog had closed in (it was clearer inshore) was sunny in the morning,  we had to navigate through several anchored ships at St Helens anchorage.  I have to say it was excellent to be able see everything including nav bouys. 

So I ended up fitting an echo max reflector, 3g radar and my VHF has an AIS receiver which overlays on my chart,  all this due to being caught out once which I vowed never again. 

It has allowed me to go out on days I wouldn't have before. I like the 3 or 4g because it has no main bang and will pick up objects very close,  I followed a yacht out of Pompey Harbour last year roughly 25 yds in front of us couldnt see him by eye but radar had him. 

Sorry for the essay but I would say get radar it is a game changer

Another great post. Definite food for thought...

[Saintly Fish]

When buying radar, can you cross fit? For example will a furuno radome work on Garmin plotters? 

[Scotch_Egg2012]

35 minutes ago, JonC said:

Have you got any pictures of the display? 
Do you overlay radar on your chart? I was thinking that might become a bit too busy to view easily. 

I thought I had a video if it but looks like I deleted it,  you are right it can get very busy.  I tend to split my display so half is just the raw radar screen the other has the chart and ais overlay.  

You can make the radar lobs more transparent on the overlay which is something I may play around with but the raw radar screen works for me as you can easily see anything on your present course and see if anything is on a collision course

[Scotch_Egg2012]

32 minutes ago, JonC said:

I’m trying to work out if it’s worth bothering buying tz iBoat charts for my iPad which I can overlay with my furuno scanner.

If it's not expensive it would worth having as an option,  I do tend to revert back to the full overlay when I come in the harbour and marina as it helps show moving craft over bouys etc

[Scotch_Egg2012]

47 minutes ago, Saintly Fish said:

When buying radar, can you cross fit? For example will a furuno radome work on Garmin plotters?

Some units I believe will work together some not,  it will depend on what comms protocol the plotter needs and what the dome supplies.

https://www.thehulltruth.com/marine-electronics-forum/1793-interfacing-garmin-furuno-products.html

May help

[Scotch_Egg2012]

5 minutes ago, JonC said:

The iBoat app is about £30 for what looks like the wash to lizard point so not overly expensive, same as Navionics 

I have navionics boating app as a backup on my phone,  so be worth having at that price

[Odyssey]

Good post @Scotch_Egg2012 ibmve had similar experiences. 
 

Most memorably perhaps last Xmas. Thick fog and about 150 boats heading out (fog arrived in 5 mins!) half turn around at barrage and go home, 25% stay local. Those who had Radar and could use it had a great day out.....