52 
Radars on board are probably the most used equipment during navigation. It is a good tool for the look out. We are so much dependent on the Radar that sometimes we use it more than we use our eyes for look out. But what if I say that radar is also most under utilized equipment on board. Don’t believe me, then try answering this questions in yes or no.
Most of the times I do not use any controls other than gain, sea and rain.
Did you say Yes or No ?
Whatever your answer, but most of the people use only these three controls for setting up a radar. And that is undeniable fact. This is even when Radars have so much more than these three controls. And when we do not use all the controls to set the picture, the picture might look cluttered.
Through this post, I want to discuss how best we can have radars paint a perfect picture of all the targets.
Basic operation of Radar
Before we start into the controls of the radar, it is important that we know how marine radars operate and some of the terms associated with the operation of radar.
A radio wave is transmitted and received back by the scanner. The time is calculated between transmission and receiving back this wave. The speed of the radio wave is known and thus the receiver unit calculates the distance of the target. After processing, it displays this information on the display screen. The rotating scanner also calculates the bearing of the target and displays on the radar screen.
Join now to access this article and much more.
Admin has placed this article behind a paywall, making it accessible only with a paid membership, which offers numerous perks:
- Contribute to creating a platform for reading and writing without ads.
- Enjoy all content here, including exclusive articles for members.
- Gain access to all exclusive articles for members.
About Capt Rajeev Jassal
Capt. Rajeev Jassal has sailed for over 24 years mainly on crude oil, product and chemical tankers. He holds MBA in shipping & Logistics degree from London. He has done extensive research on quantitatively measuring Safety culture onboard and safety climate ashore which he believes is the most important element for safer shipping.
Comments (52)