Bargain basement radar?

[steamer]

--Went to West Marine; the cheapest unit they sell was over $2k.
My application is a little weird but I don't need great range; a few hundred
feet would be good enough.
--Does anyone know of a real bargain basement source for radar?
I'm willing to build from a kit, but I haven't found anything.
Suggestions?

 

[Matt Colie]

Ed,

If you are looking at marine radar, you may have problems from the get
go. Many that I have been inside blank the first couple hundred yards.
This may not be true of the miniature units, but that that is the
reason for the blank area at the center of the screen. I was told that
it was an artifact of the transmit/receive switch and the time it takes
to shift the receiver gain back on as there is only one antenna.

You might find something used that you can make do.

Good Luck

Matt Colie

 

[Bruce in Alaska]

--Went to West Marine; the cheapest unit they sell was over $2k.
My application is a little weird but I don't need great range; a few hundred
feet would be good enough.
--Does anyone know of a real bargain basement source for radar?
I'm willing to build from a kit, but I haven't found anything.
Suggestions?

You don't need a Marine Radar, which you can't use on Land anyway. You
need something like a Speed Sensor, or a GunnPlexer. Maybe gmheng.com
would have somethng that would fit your needs. My Little Brother builds
some very nice gear using that technology....

Bruce in alaska

 

[steamer]

You don't need a Marine Radar, which you can't use on Land anyway. You

--Clueless me: why can't I use a marine radar on land?

need something like a Speed Sensor, or a GunnPlexer. Maybe gmheng.com
would have somethng that would fit your needs. My Little Brother builds
some very nice gear using that technology....

--Will check it out; thanks.

 

[Shaun Van Poecke]

--Clueless me: why can't I use a marine radar on land?

Im not sure here, But I'll take a guess; I had thought that operating
marine radard on land is illegal. And i may be right or wrong on this
second guess, but i was pretty sure its illegal to operate next to people,
it. tied up at docks. From my basic and limited understanding, i think the
people on the boat are 'in the eye of the storm' and dont get hit with any
radar, but people around it get blasted.

Shaun

 

[steamer]

--Thanks, gang; looks like a blind alley. I've since found out that
the kewl hack for seeing thru crap while driving cars seems to be FLIR.
Turns out Cadillac offered this as a pricey extra, complete with a HUD, for
a couple of model years, so I'll be haunting junkyards for a spell...

 

[Larry]

Against FCC regs. A guy stepped off the boat onto the dock with a
marine band handheld. $8000 fine. The license was for the boat, not
the individual radios separately. Hence unlicensed anywhere else.

Casady

No flame intended, but that simply cannot be so. If possessing a marine
band handheld on land were illegal, it would be impossible to sell them,
or assuming that you own one, it would be impossible to remove it from a
marine environment as most folks do with their boats in the winter. You
certainly cannot transmit on marine frequencies on land, but I doubt
that you cannot own one and remove it from your boat. Furthermore, FM
radios don't even come with an application for an FCC license. I don't
think licenses are required for FM. I don't know about the single
sideband radios used at sea. They used to require licenses (I had one),
but I don't know if they still do.

 

[Bruce in Alaska]

No flame intended, but that simply cannot be so. If possessing a marine
band handheld on land were illegal, it would be impossible to sell them,
or assuming that you own one, it would be impossible to remove it from a
marine environment as most folks do with their boats in the winter. You
certainly cannot transmit on marine frequencies on land, but I doubt
that you cannot own one and remove it from your boat. Furthermore, FM
radios don't even come with an application for an FCC license. I don't
think licenses are required for FM. I don't know about the single
sideband radios used at sea. They used to require licenses (I had one),
but I don't know if they still do.

Actually, there ARE ligitimate uses for, and required Licensing
available, for Marine Handheld Radios on Land, It is called a
Marine Utility Coast Station if used on Land, and a Marine Utility
Ship Station is used on water. To obtain one of these Marine
Utility Station Licenses, one must make an additional "Showing",
that meets the Requirments of 47CFR Part 80.501, AND that these
communications can not be accomplished via a Fixed Radio.

Under the Rules in place TODAY, Ship Station Licenses for US Flagged
Vessels that are "Non-Commercial" AND do NOT make International
Voyages, and use only VHF, RADAR, and EPIRB, ARE covered by a Blanket
FCC License Granted to all such Vessels, and are NOT required to have
Individual Station Licenses onboard. The same type of Blanket Station
License is available for US Registered Aircraft, that meet similar
requirments.

If, however, you chose to fit a MF/HF Marine Radio, UHF OnBoard
Communications Radios, or Marine Mobile Satellite Radio Systems,
even if non-Commercial in nature, you must then apply for, and
hold a Ship Station License onboard, that lists the appropriate
transmitter frequency bands, that you are Licensed to operate.

All commercial Vessels ARE required to have an Indivdual or Plurality
Ship Station License aboard.

Bruce in alaska

 

[Bruce in Alaska]

Im not sure here, But I'll take a guess; I had thought that operating
marine radard on land is illegal. And i may be right or wrong on this
second guess, but i was pretty sure its illegal to operate next to people,
it. tied up at docks. From my basic and limited understanding, i think the
people on the boat are 'in the eye of the storm' and dont get hit with any
radar, but people around it get blasted.

Shaun

Operating a Marine Radar on Land, WITHOUT, either a Maritime Support
Station License, or an STA (Special Tempoary Authority) would be a
viloation of 47CFR PART80. It is not, however, a violation to operate
a Marine Radar while tied to a Dock, "Next to people" or not. There
isn't a licenseable Marine Radar, that has a Power Density, at the
Antenna Face, that would cause a significant problem for ANY Human
from RF Radiation. Your much more likely to be HURT, falling off
the ladder your standing on, because the Antenna rotated around
and hit you in the head, than by any preceived notion of RF Radiation.
Contrary to the much "Hyped" articles that appeared in a few "Sailing
Rags" (Magazines) a few years back, written by "Hacks" who had absolutly
NO understanding of the Technology they were expounding upon.

Mow Military Radars are a "Horse of a Another Color", and many use
completely different Technology, and CAN present Significant Damage
to Humans and other Lifeforms. Some out to a couple of hundred yards
from the Antenna Array. it is the old "Roasting a Turkey, in front
of the FeedHorn" option, from days gone by.

Bruce in alaska

 

[GregS]

--Thanks, gang; looks like a blind alley. I've since found out that
the kewl hack for seeing thru crap while driving cars seems to be FLIR.
Turns out Cadillac offered this as a pricey extra, complete with a HUD, for
a couple of model years, so I'll be haunting junkyards for a spell...

A hand held doppler radar will do nothing with a still object.

greg

 

[Bruce in Alaska]

A hand held doppler radar will do nothing with a still object.

greg

Unless the radar itself is moving..........

Bruce in alaska