Schoonertrash wrote:

No, I work on commercial ships and live on sailboats. I'm sure someone will explain it shortly.

"JaxAshby" wrote
That radar beam only has a beam of angle beginning at a good distance from
the antenna, typically tens of feet.
Also, there's multiple beams and power outside the specified beam angle.

"Schoonertrash" wrote in message ...
Radar beams have a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension measured in
degrees of beam angle.

The dimensions mentioned are usually the loci of the half power points;
ie, points where the power is half that at beam center equdistant from
the antenna. A short distance outside these "dimensions" there is still
0.04 then 0.03, etc as much power as at the center and even 0.1 may be
much more than found at beam center 20 miles out.