Is radar worth the investment for recreational anglers?

[JonC]

1 minute ago, Saintly Fish said:

Get an echomax mini and mount it just above the outlaws sticker. 

But I like to go along with my head out of the hatch? 

[Saintly Fish]

Just now, JonC said:

But I like to go along with my head out of the hatch? 

Buy a stool

[Saintly Fish]

1 minute ago, JonC said:

But I like to go along with my head out of the hatch? 

Buy a stool

or mount it on a broom handle and stick it in your rod holder

[Odyssey]

Echo max or the tetrahedral rain catchers the rest are rubbish....

 

 

[MegaByte]

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

 

[Maverick]

1 hour ago, Saintly Fish said:

Get an echomax mini and mount it just above the outlaws sticker. 

That's what I have, not sure if it works or not but it certainly looks good 👍

[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.

[JonC]

45 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.

 

The furuno monochrome displays are meant to be really good. They have only just stopped selling them I think 

[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.....

[JonC]

I saw this on Fb, very good prices 

[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 😉 

[JonC]

20 minutes ago, Odyssey said:

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 😉 

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

[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

[JonC]

4 minutes ago, GPSguru said:

 

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. It transmits at 5W , which is double that of standard class B. Also, like Class A, it 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.

 

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.

 

[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 .................

[JonC]

5 minutes ago, GPSguru said:

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 .................

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?  
 

[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! 

[JonC]

7 minutes ago, GPSguru said:

 

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)

 

Your image of the Thames is similar to mine, I was walking the dogs on the beach a few minutes ago.

I think that if I do the same thing tomorrow I will get similar results but there will be boats there. The problem is that only stations making themselves visible will be seen, there will be plenty of vessels without Ais, as well as loads of random sailing markers that get dropped in without any warning. 
If everyone had Ais it would be great but they don’t and I know boats that do definitely turn it off when fishing. 
 

[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

 

[JonC]

 I can see 3 decent size vessels, one being a commercial trawler, no Ais marks on my app