One other point here.
Although I'd normally agree that the radar should help show the buoys
against a land background and make your "path" clear, it's hard to judge
what you "do" see on "your" set against what we think you should see.
The point I'd stress, is "practice". Don't just use the radar when
conditions are bad. You need to use it frequently when conditions are
good, so that you learn to interpret what you see .... probably the
biggest problem most recreational (and a lot of professional) boaters
have using radar.

otn

Shen44 wrote:
Umm yep, and if you can see a path thru the returns then it'd be
great.
Unfortunately in that area there is no discernable path without the
colours of the nav aids. the rest are unmaked piles and other jun


Looking at the "chartlet" you sent, I can see your problem. However, it's no
different than many other places.
My only suggestion would be to run the area with radar in good conditions so
that you can get a feel for what the radar is showing versus what you see.
This can help to draw a "mind" picture of how your set shows various objects
and where the buoys are versus other junk.
Since they appear to be buoyed channels with nearby land, there should be a
visible path through.
Don't get hung up on using the lowest range scale .... use the one which shows
you the the greatest area (within reason ... i.e. you might want to be on 1.5
or 3 mi scale at times) so that so that your screen more closely resembles you
chart.

Shen