Radar question
Submitted by pricey10 on Mon, 2014-07-28 09:58
Hi does anyone know if a radar can detect whales?
We have doing alot on night driving and there's alot of whales around at the moment. I've got a big led light bar but it doesn't really cut it. I'm looking at getting a lowrance 3G/4g radar
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Karratha. WA
Sandgroper-WA
Posts: 125
Date Joined: 27/02/11
I haven't done a huge amount
I haven't done a huge amount of running at night, but you really don't want to be running big lights as it will ruin your night vision. What you want to do is minimize any internal cabin light that you may be exposed to as well as have as clear a windscreen as possible.
On the question of using radar to show up a whale wouldn't that only work if the ocean is exceedingly calm and the whale is at rest on the surface?
If it's that large of a concern would a forward facing sonar be an option? Might be another option that someone else could comment on.
Starbug
Posts: 563
Date Joined: 27/08/09
probably not. Even at the
probably not. Even at the surface a whales signal would be hidden in the clutter of signals reflected from the surface of the water.
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
no it wont, perhaps if the
no it wont, perhaps if the whale is broaching but on the next scanner rotation it'll be gone and easily mistaken as mere clutter.
Having said that while tuna fishing we could pick up on a flat calm day, schools of yellowfin in a frenzy but of course its easy to see them then as well anyhow.
Also birds in a big congregation low down. I believe the Jap longliners use a radar for birds but its a special unit on a different wavelength.
Sonars-havent really used one except on mulie boats down south and they are plodding slowly around but I think a forward looking sonar will need to project below the hull so is vulnerable to damage?
The lighting thing is always a trade off as SG says above.
Down around the west coast the danger of running over a craypot is far more immediate than a vessel collision so need to try and shield the spotty/flood from glaring on the deck/railings with a shroud or black tape on bow rails etc.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Lastchance
Posts: 1273
Date Joined: 02/02/09
Buy it anyway Pricey, whales
Buy it anyway Pricey, whales may not show up, but those goddamn moorings do. Just a matter of time until someone gets killed.
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
yeah Id hate to hit one in a
yeah Id hate to hit one in a small boat-having said that the moorings are designated on the chart for the reason that unmanned vessels do not need to be lit up (most of ours are anyway with solar lights) while on there.
Unfortunately most amateurs (including me) dont update their charts to reflect this.
Navionics and/or Cmap are a ripoff in that respect, as chart updates and Notices to Mariners are supplied by Hyd Office at basically the cost of the supply method yet they wanted the best part of $200 to update mine because of "royalties", however there are no Royalties on updates that I know of.
Incidentally, maybe more of a danger in the Dampier region for boaties than unlit moorings, is flow hoses stored on moorings.
Could be 100 meters long plus and float level with surface but usually have a couple of lights on.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Lastchance
Posts: 1273
Date Joined: 02/02/09
Spot on there Rob. Had a few
Spot on there Rob. Had a few near misses with offload pipes through Mermaid straight but as you say, they generally have lights.
pricey10
Posts: 486
Date Joined: 07/01/12
Yeah we nearly hit one on
Yeah we nearly hit one on those floating pipes heading out to the montes at 3am. It was way out of the moorings! And nothing on the chart. It had a couple of crap lights at each end that could not be seen at speed.
Do whales breach at night?
Karratha. WA
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
it should have been on the
it should have been on the moorings, Ive never seen on parked any other way?
Hey did you get the wattage of that lightbar of yours Pricey? Im looking at a 90 or 120W
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
marble
Posts: 776
Date Joined: 03/09/09
Waste of money. Flir may pick
Waste of money. Flir may pick one up if your lucky
PMY 25 Centre Console DF300 Suzuki
timboon
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Date Joined: 14/11/10
Do whales breach at
Do whales breach at night?
Like do they breath in the dark?
Starbug
Posts: 563
Date Joined: 27/08/09
Only the ones that want to
Only the ones that want to live till dawn