Radar beams have a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension measured in
degrees of beam angle. Place the radar reflector above or below the
vertical angle to reduce or do away with clutter caused by the reflector.
Also, nine out of ten reflectors are useless anyway as they are improperly
mounted. The common ones should be placed in the rain catcher position with
one of the eight tri corners up and one down leaving the remaining six to
reflect with maximum efficiency. The second problem is low placement. Even
at 120 feet or so above sea level it's difficult for our 3cm (12 miles and
less for close in work) and 10 cm (out to 24 miles working range) systems to
reflect off objects buried in the trough or to discern objects lost in the
surface clutter of the ocean. Back to placement. High is better than
low. Radars, CARD Radar detection systems, and reflectors all work better
when placed as high as is possible on your boat. For radars a gimbaled
mount is the best choice but spendy. To close to the bridge deck or hull
and cabin top and clutter will always result. Higher mountings increase
range and improve the value of the display. For reflectors: if you have a
hollow wooden mast consider stuffing the interior with crumpled aluminum
foil (standard kitchen variety) you probably won't need the exterior
versions. For metal masts try using double reflectors mounted port and
starboard just under the cross trees and inside the shrouds. Seems to work
just fine.

Little practical common sense is a fine compliment to skull sweat.



"JaxAshby" wrote in message
ink.net...
Guess what the biggest cause of close in radar clutter is.

It's your radar reflector.

It also clutters the radars of other close by boats.

Causes many accidents. Take it down and see for yourself.

Takes a Mensa guy to figure that one out.

Yeppers sure does.

Jax