54 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Showing or hiding the range rings To turn the range rings on/off: RANGE RINGS OFF ON Toggle as required D6897-2 PRESENTATION Changing the bearing mode for EBLs The default bearing mode for EBLs is relative to your vessel’s heading. If heading data is available, you can set the bearing mode to be relative (REL), magnetic/true (M/T). When M/T is selected, the EBL bearings will be expressed as either true or magnetic dependant on the equipment connected.
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 155 Sea Radar echoes from waves around your boat can clutter the centre of the radar picture, making it difficult to detect real targets (see page 146). Adjusting the sea mode will reduce this clutter for up to 5 nautical miles (depending on wave and sea conditions) from your boat. This has the effect of reducing the sea echoes to intermittent small dots whilst small targets remain visible and persistent. Gain levels further from your boat remain unchanged.
156 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Manual (MAN) mode If you do set the TUNE function to MANUAL, you will need to adjust it about 10 minutes after you have turned on the radar, since the required setting will change after the magnetron has warmed up. You should adjust the control to obtain the maximum signal strength (indicated by the eight step horizontal bar.). If you cannot tune the radar successfully, refer to the Installation Guide.
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 157 Setup Radar Setup Menu Interference Reject NORMAL Target Expansion LOW Wakes Period 1 min Radar Setup... GPS Status... Compass Setup... Highlight Radar Setup OK Select Interference Reject Select Radar Setup D8414_1 MENU Select NORMAL or HIGH Note: This menu can also be selected by pressing and holding INT. REJECT. If you wish to detect the presence of other radars in the vicinity: ENHANCE ECHOES...
158 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Wakes When the wakes function is switched on, you can see the direction and speed of moving targets relative to your boat. A target is displayed in yellow and as the signal diminishes with time it is shown in paler shades of blue. Note: The wakes option is a local setting and will therefore only affect the individual display on which you are working. Displaying wakes To switch on the wakes function: D8421_1 WAKES ON ENHANCE ECHOES...
Chapter 7: Using the Radar Changing the displayed range You can zoom in or out to view your radar picture at varying scales. The scale is measured from the centre to the top of the window and is displayed in the left hand corner of the status bar.
160 Measuring distances, ranges and bearings When you are using the radar application, you can measure distances, ranges and bearings in a variety of ways. These options are detailed in the table below: Functions Distances between points Range from your boat Bearings Range Rings Yes (approx.) Yes (approx.) Cursor Yes Yes Variable Range Markers (VRMs) Yes Electronic Bearing Lines (EBLs) Yes Floating VRMs Yes Floating EBLs Yes ...
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 161 ... Using VRMs and EBLs What is a VRM? VRM A Variable Range Marker (VRM) is a circle centred on your vessel’s position and fixed with respect to the heading mode. When this circle is adjusted to align with a target, its range from your boat is measured and displayed on the ADJUST VRM soft key. D8408_1 The data is also displayed if you select the VRM with the cursor.
162 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Tracking a target with a VRM/EBL You will be able to tell which way the target is traveling by watching how it moves in relation to the EBL. If it continues traveling directly along the EBL, it shows that it is on a possible collision course with your boat take the appropriate action. Creating a VRM and/or EBL To use VRMs and EBLs to tell you the range and bearing of a target: 1. Select the VRM/EBL 1option: VRM/EBL 1 ON VRM/EBL...
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 163 ... Using floating VRMs/EBLs You can use the VRM/EBL float function to measure the range and bearing between any two points on the radar screen. This function allows you to move the VRM/EBL centre away from your boat’s position and onto a target. You can then change the radius of the VRM to determine the distance between two points and change the angle of the EBL, relative to its new origin, to obtain the bearing. Floating a VRM/EBL 1.
E Series Networked Display Reference Manual ADJUST VRM 1900 ADJUST EBL xxx0 Move EBL over 2nd target Bearing between 1st & 2nd target on soft key OK To save & remove highlight D8431_1 164 5. If required, you can float a second VRM/EBL: i. Press SET UP VRM/EBL 2. ii. Toggle the VRM/EBL 2 to ON. iii. Repeat steps 1 to 8 above. Unfloating a VRM/EBL To unfloat VRM/EBLs and return them to the central position: 1. Select the VRM/EBL option. 2. Unfloat VRM/EBL 1 or 2: To unfloat VRM/EBL 1: FLOATING EBL..
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 165 maintained. A guard zone only operates when the whole zone is displayed on the screen. An audible alarm sounds to alert you when a target enters the zone. Guard zones are inactive for 10 seconds after being placed or re sized, to avoid inappropriate alarms whilst they are being positioned. You can set up guard zones to be either sector zones or 360° (circular) zones. Your radar can be set up using one or two zones.
166 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Repeat for other settings SET INNER xx.xx nm Press to highlight OK Set inner limit for guard zone D9104_1 ZONE SHAPE SECTOR Circular guard zone 6nm Head-Up D6832-2 Circular Guard Zone To set up a circular guard zone: Repeat for other settings SET INNER xx.
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 167 MARPA SAFETY NOTICES MARPA can improve collision avoidance when used wisely. It is the User’s responsibility to exercise common prudence and navigational judgements. There are conditions where acquiring a target may become difficult. These same conditions may be a factor in successfully tracking a target. Some of the conditions are: • The target echo is weak. The target is very close to land, buoys or other large targets.
168 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual How is a risk assessed? Each target is monitored to see if it will be within a certain distance from your boat within a certain time. If so, the target is designated as dangerous and an audible warning is sounded along with an on screen warning being shown. The target symbol changes to the dangerous target symbol and flashes to indicate that it is a dangerous target. Pressing the appropriate soft key will silence the alarm and remove the warning.
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 169 D6810_4 MARPA targets CPA graphics CPA graphics show vectors for your vessel and a selected target. A vector is a line on screen showing the predicted courses of your vessel and the selected target if you both remain on your present course. These vectors vary in length due to boat speed and vector length set in the MARPA Setup menu. Vector CPA graphic 9 D9008_1 3 0 181 T 17.
0 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual True mode With the display set in True mode, the vectors of your vessel and the target are shown extended to their intersection point. The CPA is shown as a line that is placed on your boat’s vector at the point of the CPA. The length and direction of the line indicates the distance and bearing of the target at CPA. The text indicates CPA and TCPA. The text next to the target symbol indicates its true course and speed.
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 171 Acquiring a target to track 1. Select target to be acquired: Target Move cursor over target to be acquired D6829-2 TARGET TRACKING... 2. Acquire target: 'Target being acquired' symbol displayed If target present for several scans, the radar will lock onto it and change the symbol to 'Safe' D8806-1 ACQUIRE TARGET Note: If set to ON, the CPA graphic is displayed. Cancelling targets ...
172 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual To cancel an individual target: MARPA LIST... ID Bearing Range Course Speed 1 2 1370T 1870T 1.4nm 4.0nm 1800T 1300T CPA TCPA 2.2kt 1.4nm 2min 1.5kt 4.
Chapter 7: Using the Radar 173 Radar Setup Menu Setup MENU GPS Status... Compass Setup... System Setup... Highlight Radar Setup menu Enter Radar Setup menu Active Scanner 2kw Radome Interference Reject Target Expansion Wakes Period NORMAL LOW 1min Timed Transmit Transmit Period Standby Period OFF 10 SCANS 3 MINS Sea Clutter Curve... Antenna Size Bearing Alignment Radar Advanced Setup...
174 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual 7.12 Warnings of potential dangers If switched on, the following alarms will be triggered when you are in the radar application: • System alarms anchor, timer, alarm clock and temperature. • Navigation alarms arrival and off track. • Radar alarms guard zones. • Fishfinder alarms. • Weather alarms. • AIS alarms. • Depth alarms. • Data alarms. • External SeaTalk alarms.
Chapter 8: Radar 175 Chapter 8: Radar • • • • • The E series can be used with digital radar scanners. Digital scanners offer: Improved target definition. Full color image. Scan to scan. SuperHD option. Super HD effectively increases the transmitter power by a factor of at least two, and reduces the beamwidth by a similar amount. • Dual range operation. 8.1 Radar setup The Radar Setup Menu lets you customize the way the radar operates.
176 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual When dual range is enabled, chart overlay and synchronization functions are disabled. If you already have chart overlay or synchronization turned on, dual range is not available. Tune adjust The tune adjust function is used to fine tune the scanner’s receiver for maximum target returns on the display. Auto mode: recommended In AUTO mode, the radar tunes itself automatically on all range scales.
Chapter 8: Radar 177 Antenna size The antenna size softkey is available to display the antenna size and type you have attached. This should be automatiacally detected by the system. 8.2 Radar alarms For information about the radar specific alarms you can configure, see Alarm Setup Menu on page 288. Note: Until you are familiar with interpreting the radar display, take every opportunity to compare the radar display with your physical surroundings.
178 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Status Icon Description Scanner on and transmitting. This is the usual mode of operation. D7440-1 Transmit (TX) (Rotating icon) Standby (STDBY) Scanner powered on but not transmitting; antenna not rotating. D6894-2 This is a power-save mode used when radar is not needed for short periods. When you return to transmit mode, the magnetron does not need to warm up. This is the default mode. (static icon) Off Scanner powered off.
Chapter 8: Radar 179 Image quality Not all radar echoes are produced by valid targets. Spurious echoes may be caused by: • Side lobes • Indirect echoes • Multiple echoes • Blind sectors • Sea, rain or snow clutter • Interference Through observation, practice, and experience, you can generally detect these conditions very quickly and use the radar controls to minimize them.
180 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Indirect echoes There are several types of indirect echoes, or ‘ghost’ images. These sometimes have the appearance of true echoes, but in general they are intermittent and poorly defined. Passing ship True echo True echo Mast or funnel False echo D1641-4 False echo Multiple echoes Multiple echoes are uncommon but can occur if there is a large object with a wide vertical surface at a comparatively short range.
Chapter 8: Radar 181 Sea clutter Radar returns from waves around the vessel can clutter the centre of the radar picture, making it difficult to detect real targets. Such ‘sea clutter’ usually appears as multiple echoes on the display at short range, and the echoes are not repetitive or consistent in position. D3968-4 In high winds or extreme conditions, sea clutter can produce an almost solid disc on a radar display. Rain or snow clutter Radar detects rain and snow.
182 8.6 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Radar window overview Your position By default your boat is shown at the centre of the radar display and your dead ahead bearing is indicated by a vertical line known as the Ship’s Heading Marker (SHM). Operation modes The radar gives excellent results in one of the four preconfigured operation modes under the GAIN softkey.
Chapter 8: Radar 183 With experience, the approximate size of different objects can be determined by the relative size and brightness of the echoes. Factors affecting echo strength • The physical size of the reflecting object. • The material from which the object is made. Metallic surfaces reflect signals better than non metallic. • Vertical surfaces, like cliffs, reflect the radar signal better than sloping surfaces, like sandbanks.
184 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Orientation Radar orientation refers to the relationship between the radar display and your direction of travel. There are three orientation modes: • Head up • North up • Course up These orientation modes are used in conjunction with motion modes (see page 185) to control how your vessel’s progress is shown on screen. Heading Up (H UP) This is the default mode for the radar application. e.
Chapter 8: Radar 185 Course Up (C UP) e.g: N As your boat's heading changes: Radar picture fixed SHM rotates accordingly D8400_1 Current course upwards N If you select a new course, the picture will reset to display the new course upwards. The reference used for Course Up depends upon the information available at a given time. The system prioritizes this information in the following order: 1. Bearing from origin to destination (your intended course). 2. Locked heading from an Autopilot. 3.
186 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Relative motion (RM) with optional vessel offset When the motion mode is set to Relative, the position of your boat is fixed on the screen and all the targets move relative to the boat. 0 offset 1/ offset 3 2/ offset 3 D6842-2 You can specify whether the boat is fixed in the centre of the window (0 offset) or offset by 1/3 or 2/3: The default vessel offset value is zero.
Chapter 8: Radar 187 Changing the bearing mode for EBLs The default bearing mode for EBLs is relative to your vessel’s heading. If heading data is available, you can set the bearing mode to be relative (REL) or magnetic/true (M/T). When M/T is selected, the EBL bearings will be expressed as either true or magnetic, depending on the equipment connected. The current EBL bearing is given on the EBL label and on the ADJUST VRM/EBL softkey label. To change the EBL reference 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8.
188 E Series Networked Display Reference Manual Harbor is the default mode. This setting takes account of land clutter so that smaller targets, like navigation buoys, are not lost. Coastal accounts for the slightly higher levels of sea clutter you might encounter out of harbor and adjusts the radar display accordingly. Offshore automatically adjusts for high levels of sea clutter. Buoy is a special mode to enhance the detection of small objects like mooring buoys. It is useful at ranges up to 3/4 nm.