C.A.R.D. System

[sailnaway]

I thought this would be a good topic to post and get feed back from any one who has one and see if it in fact is a good piece of equipment.http://www.survivalsafety.com/

[GordMay]

There’s nothing wrong with the idea of a Radar Detector, but:
Collision Avoidance Radar Detector (CARD) ~ Model 060 ~$435.00 USD
vs
Raymarine 6" Mono LCD Radar ~ #1623 ~ $1,199.99 USD (West Marine)
For example: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&classNum=633&subdeptNum=108&stor eNum=3&productId=111575

Pay about 36% of the cost of a RADAR Unit, to get a Radar DETECTOR only ?

Not me ...

Gord

[kimberlt]

doesn''t your ship board radar set off the C.A.R.D.?
thanks
eric

[sailnaway]

Well Gord May you have to factor in the cost of instalation and a pole to mount it on. This can drive the cost up quick. $55 per hour yard fee and figure four hours on that maybe more. The pole to mount it on or even on the mast another lets say $350 bucks just to start with.So add $600 to the cost because allot of people cant do the install maybe they have the know how but for physical reasons they cant.

[GordMay]

sailnaway:
OK, certainly many people cannot install their own RADAR - but are you suggesting that those same people can install their own CARD (similar Antenna & Receiver - just smaller) System?
Of course, it’s easy for ME to spend OTHER people’s money - especially when it’s ONLY a "virtual" $800 or so ...
I’ll apologize for my implied use of “only” in describing the significant difference in price between a CARD and a RADAR. I should have said that the CARD appears to be overpriced (to me), even if useful.
Respectfully,
Gord

[WHOOSH]

I have heard mixed reviews on the performance of the CARD, and IMO there is little relationship between a CARD device and a radar. IOW we might as well be asking if a CARD makes sense given that the boat has a watchstander. Meanwhile, technology moves on and a new (IMO better) choice is the AIS Receiver. This is made possible by the new GMDSS requirement that all vessels over 300 tons must be operating a VHF-frequency transponder. For $500 you can now place a AIS receiver aboard that will present a small radar-like display with all AIS-equipped ships out to 32 NM, with their relative tracks apparent AND, for a contact selected by you, a data block that shows the ship''s name, course & speed, etc. This is a low-powered device and will most likely be left operating by the ship even if they turn off their radar. Something to think about when Christmas rolls around this year...

Jack

[GordMay]

WHOOSH said “... For $500 you can now place a AIS receiver aboard ...”
Do you have any specific product information ?

Receive-only AIS currently available, but the UK strongly recommends that small-craft users \delay equipping their vessels will full AIS until the Class B becomes available.

AIS Class ‘B’ is being developed specifically for use by small-craft and the final specification is expected to be completed by mid-2005.
http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/small-craft_ais

Thanks Jack, for this & all your very valuable input,
Gord

[WHOOSH]

Gord & the group:

There are actually 3 choices on the market in Europe (where GMDSS compliance is ahead of that in North America), but in a sense only one as I described it. NASA (an ''economy'' electronics mfgr in the UK) has intro''d a standalone AIS receiver & display and has been selling them for a few months; their list is 259 BPS, as I recall. They also offer an AIS ''engine'' (the mircoprocessor & receiver unit but no display) as does a different firm based on the Isle of Wight (SeaPro, I *think* is the name). The notion is that an ''engine'' product will deliver the processed data to the display of a dedicated chart plotter or laptop. The NASA ''engine'' is about to be released (this month?), the SeaPro unit is already being sold, and their respective prices are approx. $300 and $1,000 USD.

My impression from talking to Furuno, Simrad and Raymarine is that they are all going to intro similar products and/or build in this capability to existing products...but none of them have immediate releases planned. The ''catch'' isn''t that the final spec is going to change things, but rather than vessel compliance isn''t mandated for some time yet (2006?) However, ships are now equipped with & using the transponders, and this will increase with time. The ''catch'' with the ''engine'' products is that there needs to be compatibility between the ''engine'' and the nav software running on the plotter...and that''s still very iffy. SeaPro can promise compatibility because they sell both charting software and the AIS unit, so one is designed to fit the other. In general, IMO it''s clearly too early to buy an ''engine'' product, and perhaps too early to buy the NASA product (their rep isn''t "sterling" in the marketplace). But this kind of gear is coming and, for those of us who frequent busy shipping areas (off the FL East & West coasts are one good example of many, just in the USA), they will provide some useful help, even if (or perhaps especially if) equipped with radar.

Jack

[sailnaway]

I am glad to get the information out to everyone about diffrent units and some costs of them. The refrence I made to the instalation was for radar the card unit can be mounted on the stern pulpit like a GPS antenna.It is a simple rail mount on unit and requires no height to get it clear of the cabin.

[GordMay]

Jack / anyone:
You are a wealth of information. Do you have any information / opinion on the CASS "Sonar" System ?

From Echo Pilot: www.echopilot.com
Collision Avoidance Sonar System (CASS): http://www.echopilot.com/itemdets.asp?itemid=16

The new CASS (Collision Avoidance Sonar System) is a wideband active surf zone, sonar based on military research. It can see floating and semi submerged objects (containers, whales, rocks, etc.) up to 1200 yards ahead of the boat in real time. Ordinary sounders transmit at one frequency only, but CASS sends a swept chirp of 20-80KHz and it is this ability that ensures maximum performance even in rough disturbed water or shallow seas. The CASS incorporates a GPS and solid state gyroscope so that targets on collision course with the vessel can be identified and trigger an alarm.

Tks,
Gord