RACON NavAids.. What is the story??
 

I've probably been aware of these Nav Aids for awhile but never
encounted them until this week in the Puget sound..

I noticed an unusual 'smear' behind the radar return from a channel bouy
(part of the Puget Sound Traffic Control system). At first I was going
to try and tune it out but recognized that this shadow or smear
resembled the old "Boy Scout" Morse Code representation of the letter
"N" "- ." (who says Morse Code is dead).

I'm assuming that this is 10+ yr old technology since my older Furuno
1721 radar wasn't able to detect this NavAid ID while me newer Furuno
1721 mkII does.

Since I was surprised to find a RACON NavAid ID response, I'm wondering
how wide spread it's useage is, or is it another good idea that was
never fully implimented due to USCG budget short falls (like SSID, etc).

I only did a quick look at one Puget Sound chart and " at a glance " I
only saw a half doz. bouys with RACON designation ID..

Since the radar MFGers have now incorporated this capability, I would
hope that more and more Nav Aids would be upgraded to RACON..

My opinion, FWIW.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Steve wrote:

I've probably been aware of these Nav Aids for awhile but never
encounted them until this week in the Puget sound..

We have them in the Chesapeake, and have seen them elsewhere on the
east coast too. Mostly in areas with a lot of big ships.

I noticed an unusual 'smear' behind the radar return from a channel bouy
(part of the Puget Sound Traffic Control system). At first I was going
to try and tune it out but recognized that this shadow or smear
resembled the old "Boy Scout" Morse Code representation of the letter
"N" "- ." (who says Morse Code is dead).

I'm assuming that this is 10+ yr old technology since my older Furuno
1721 radar wasn't able to detect this NavAid ID while me newer Furuno
1721 mkII does.

Since I was surprised to find a RACON NavAid ID response, I'm wondering
how wide spread it's useage is, or is it another good idea that was
never fully implimented due to USCG budget short falls (like SSID, etc).

I only did a quick look at one Puget Sound chart and " at a glance " I
only saw a half doz. bouys with RACON designation ID..

Since the radar MFGers have now incorporated this capability, I would
hope that more and more Nav Aids would be upgraded to RACON..

My opinion, FWIW.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

grandma Rosalie

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 12:11:29 -0700, Steve wrote:

I've probably been aware of these Nav Aids for awhile but never
encounted them until this week in the Puget sound..

I noticed an unusual 'smear' behind the radar return from a channel bouy
(part of the Puget Sound Traffic Control system). At first I was going
to try and tune it out but recognized that this shadow or smear
resembled the old "Boy Scout" Morse Code representation of the letter
"N" "- ." (who says Morse Code is dead).

I'm assuming that this is 10+ yr old technology since my older Furuno
1721 radar wasn't able to detect this NavAid ID while me newer Furuno
1721 mkII does.

The manual for my JRC radar indicates that if "Interference Rejection"
is turned on, RACONs won't be displayed.

Since I was surprised to find a RACON NavAid ID response, I'm wondering
how wide spread it's useage is, or is it another good idea that was
never fully implimented due to USCG budget short falls (like SSID, etc).

I only did a quick look at one Puget Sound chart and " at a glance " I
only saw a half doz. bouys with RACON designation ID..

The BC coast has about 20 RACONs. I expect that a RACON is too
expensive to place on every aid to navigation, so they are reserved
for "more important" (to commercial shipping) locations.

Since the radar MFGers have now incorporated this capability, I would
hope that more and more Nav Aids would be upgraded to RACON..

There are no modifications needed to a RADAR set to display a RACON
signal - as long as the RACON and RADAR both operate in the same band.

See http://www.tidelandsignal.com/ (click on "Radio Aids) for some
information from a manufacturer of RACONs (and other Aids to
Navigation)



My opinion, FWIW.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

--
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI
peterbb4 (at) interchange.ubc.ca
new newsgroup users info : http://vancouver-webpages.com/nnq
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca

Peter Bennett wrote:
On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 12:11:29 -0700, Steve wrote:


I've probably been aware of these Nav Aids for awhile but never
encounted them until this week in the Puget sound..

I noticed an unusual 'smear' behind the radar return from a channel bouy
(part of the Puget Sound Traffic Control system). At first I was going
to try and tune it out but recognized that this shadow or smear
resembled the old "Boy Scout" Morse Code representation of the letter
"N" "- ." (who says Morse Code is dead).

I'm assuming that this is 10+ yr old technology since my older Furuno
1721 radar wasn't able to detect this NavAid ID while me newer Furuno
1721 mkII does.


The manual for my JRC radar indicates that if "Interference Rejection"
is turned on, RACONs won't be displayed.


Since I was surprised to find a RACON NavAid ID response, I'm wondering
how wide spread it's useage is, or is it another good idea that was
never fully implimented due to USCG budget short falls (like SSID, etc).

I only did a quick look at one Puget Sound chart and " at a glance " I
only saw a half doz. bouys with RACON designation ID..


The BC coast has about 20 RACONs. I expect that a RACON is too
expensive to place on every aid to navigation, so they are reserved
for "more important" (to commercial shipping) locations.

Since the radar MFGers have now incorporated this capability, I would
hope that more and more Nav Aids would be upgraded to RACON..


There are no modifications needed to a RADAR set to display a RACON
signal - as long as the RACON and RADAR both operate in the same band.

See http://www.tidelandsignal.com/ (click on "Radio Aids) for some
information from a manufacturer of RACONs (and other Aids to
Navigation)

In the past, they only worked on 3cm radar. Not sure if that still
applies in all cases.

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 12:11:29 -0700, Steve wrote:

I've probably been aware of these Nav Aids for awhile but never
encounted them until this week in the Puget sound..

I noticed an unusual 'smear' behind the radar return from a channel bouy
(part of the Puget Sound Traffic Control system). At first I was going
to try and tune it out but recognized that this shadow or smear
resembled the old "Boy Scout" Morse Code representation of the letter
"N" "- ." (who says Morse Code is dead).

I'm assuming that this is 10+ yr old technology since my older Furuno
1721 radar wasn't able to detect this NavAid ID while me newer Furuno
1721 mkII does.

I had an old 1720 until 3 years ago that detected racons without
difficulty. They looked like radiating sharp blocks spelling the morse
code ID away from the ATON itself. I wouldn't call them a smear since
they were more sharply defined than any other echoes.

They are implemented widely in the Northeast for important aids,
including bridges in the Hudson River, the Narragansett Bay buoy NB,
the Buzzards Bay towe BB, Cleveland Ledge light CL

I am sure they occur in Long Island Sound as well, but I rarely have
occasion to use the radar there. Also, by the time I get to Maine in
September, the fog is usually gone, so I am not so conscious of them
there.

I don't think there is any need to put them on minor aids. If you have
a radar on, you see them from th eradar reflectors the almost all
carry now, and you know what they are because you know where you are
sort of.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC


We have achieved faith-based science,
faith-based economics, faith-based law
enforcement, and faith-based missile
defense.
What's next? Faith-based air traffic control?

I knew we had some in the Keys; google search on florida keys racon resulted in:

http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/...ews990401.html

Steve wrote in message news:...
I've probably been aware of these Nav Aids for awhile but never
encounted them until this week in the Puget sound..

I noticed an unusual 'smear' behind the radar return from a channel bouy
(part of the Puget Sound Traffic Control system). At first I was going
to try and tune it out but recognized that this shadow or smear
resembled the old "Boy Scout" Morse Code representation of the letter
"N" "- ." (who says Morse Code is dead).

I'm assuming that this is 10+ yr old technology since my older Furuno
1721 radar wasn't able to detect this NavAid ID while me newer Furuno
1721 mkII does.

Since I was surprised to find a RACON NavAid ID response, I'm wondering
how wide spread it's useage is, or is it another good idea that was
never fully implimented due to USCG budget short falls (like SSID, etc).

I only did a quick look at one Puget Sound chart and " at a glance " I
only saw a half doz. bouys with RACON designation ID..

Since the radar MFGers have now incorporated this capability, I would
hope that more and more Nav Aids would be upgraded to RACON..

My opinion, FWIW.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

A lot of older Radars can display these.

Indeed, when I bought my large boat and ran it home from Ft. Lauderdale, I
saw one of these near Hawk Channel and it lit up with its ID on the old
Raytheon R21X that was on board.

That was a very, very old scanner and display - but it certainly "painted"
the RACON ID!

--
--
Karl Denninger ) Internet Consultant & Kids Rights Activist
http://www.denninger.net My home on the net
http://scubaforum.org Your UNCENSORED place to talk about DIVING!
http://boaterforum.com Talk about Boating online - any topic, any time!
http://www.spamcuda.net SPAM FREE mailboxes - FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!

In article ,
Roy G. Biv wrote:


I knew we had some in the Keys; google search on florida keys racon resulted in:

http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/...ews990401.html

Steve wrote in message news:...
I've probably been aware of these Nav Aids for awhile but never
encounted them until this week in the Puget sound..

I noticed an unusual 'smear' behind the radar return from a channel bouy
(part of the Puget Sound Traffic Control system). At first I was going
to try and tune it out but recognized that this shadow or smear
resembled the old "Boy Scout" Morse Code representation of the letter
"N" "- ." (who says Morse Code is dead).

I'm assuming that this is 10+ yr old technology since my older Furuno
1721 radar wasn't able to detect this NavAid ID while me newer Furuno
1721 mkII does.

Since I was surprised to find a RACON NavAid ID response, I'm wondering
how wide spread it's useage is, or is it another good idea that was
never fully implimented due to USCG budget short falls (like SSID, etc).

I only did a quick look at one Puget Sound chart and " at a glance " I
only saw a half doz. bouys with RACON designation ID..

Since the radar MFGers have now incorporated this capability, I would
hope that more and more Nav Aids would be upgraded to RACON..

My opinion, FWIW.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions