"Jeff Morris" wrote ...
Don White wrote:
Someone at our local boat show was bragging up this model
http://ca.binnacle.com/online/produc...dept%5Fid=5120

For a smaller sailboat like mine, I'd buy...
http://ca.binnacle.com/online/produc...dept%5Fid=5120



The first item, a Davis Radar reflector, is a good item. I keep one
folding up as a reserve to the Firdell mounted high on the mast. The
second, a Mobri, is considered by many to be useless. "Essential
invisible" according to the US Sailing test.

http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Stud...ector_test.htm

US Sailing and West Marine have given the Mobri bad press. So if the Mobri
reflectors are 'essentially invisible', why does the USCG specify them
(since 1998) as the internal radar reflectors for unlighted buoys?

See http://www.uscg.mil/systems/gse/gse2...ions/450-D.pdf and note
Section 3.3.1:

3.3.1 Internal radar reflectors. The radar reflectors for unlighted buoys
shall be Mobri Marine M3 or M4, or equivalent, as specified in the drawings.
Radar reflectors shall be installed in the buoys by inserting them into
preformed slots of the appropriate size. The slots may be either cut or
melted into the can or nun upper body, as shown on the drawings. A plug of
foam shall be inserted to completely and snugly fill the gap between the
bottom of the radar reflector and the outer surface of the buoy body.

The USCG Ocean Engineering Division didn't specify the less expensive Davis
reflector. Funny that, eh?

Cheers

Bil