On Sat, 11 Aug 2007 18:16:59 -0700, "
wrote:

In clear weather I've found that we almost
always make visual contact on small targets before we see them on
RADAR.

If so, I'd argue that you need a better radar. We usually pick up
small fiberglass boats in the mid 20 ft range at around 4 miles on the
radar and I often need binoculars to find them visually unless they
are under sail. Our radar is a 3 year old Furuno with a 4 kw dome
scanner about 25 feet off the water. Getting gain and sea clutter
properly adjusted is one of the keys to good performance. I also like
the electronic averaging function which combines multiple scans to
enhance the image.