Marine Radar Facts

If you are new to boating you might be weighing the pros and cons of whether to purchase a marine radar. Here we give you an overview of what radar can and cannot do for you as a boater. Radar stands for radio detection and ranging. A marine radar pulses the environment around you with electrical signals. When the signal hits an object it bounces back to the radar's receiver and the radar is able to process the signal and develop some information about what kind of obstacle is out there.

What Can Marine Radar See?
Marine radar can detect a variety of different objects by analyzing the strength of the returning signal. Depending on the sensitivity of your radar, it may be able to give you some idea of what is returning the signal and how far away it is. Radar can detect things like a seagull, a buoy, a weather system, a landmass or another vessel. However the "view" of your radar is limited by the signal strength and beam. Imagine shining a flashlight in to the darkness. The light sends out a beam and only objects caught in the beam can be seen. Radar works in the same way, only objects caught in the signal can be detected and so the position of the radar's antenna is a primary factor in what it can detect.

Can a Radar See Through Rain?
Depending on the strength of your radar signal, it can peer through the darkness and through the fog, even through rain.  However moisture in the air, such as heavy rain and fog, can cause slight attenuation or weakening of the signal. Large objects in close range will most likely still be detected but small objects further away may be missed.

Marine Radar Alerting
Not only can marine radar detect potentially unseen objects, it can alert you to their presence using an audible signal. Some marine radars include an alarm guard feature that can be configured for a 360 degree area around your boat at a specific distance. This feature keeps you out of trouble should you be occupied steering the boat and forget to check the radar screen.

I Have a Very Small Boat. Do I Still Need Radar?
Marine radars are suitable for even small boats. However, you might find it more effective to protect yourself against collisions by ensuring that your boat can be seen by a bigger boat's radar. In order for your boat to return an electronic pulse, the pulse must be reflected by the boat. Some materials absorb rather than reflect the signal, making it hard for radars to detect them.  Wood and fiberglass make poor reflectors and so a small fiberglass boat is hard to see on a radar screen. To make sure your boat reflects radar coming from a probing vessel, you can invest in a radar reflector. The radar reflector is made of highly reflective metallic material and is specially designed to reflect a radar beam back to its source, making it easy for your boat to be detected.  

Depending on the size of your boat and the conditions in which you typically navigate, a radar or a radar reflector can play a significant role in your boating safety.