The radar reflector can be present on board and is still not effective: flipped, tilted, shielded or mounted with a vibrating support. Control does not close with the word “present”. It must demonstrate identity, approval, orientation, height, free sector and consistency with the compass.
This checklist organizes documentary and visual checks without promising that another ship will always detect the echo. The reflector is passive and works within a wider system of watch, lights, communications and cautious conduct.
1. Write the navigation belt
Annex V requires radar reflector for limitless navigation and within fifty miles. It does not indicate it in the bands within twelve, six, three and one mile, within three hundred meters or in the internal waters.
The checklist uses the maximum scheduled route. Voluntary presence in the other bands remains possible, but is recorded as a choice and not as a non-existent obligation.
2. Confirm that it is a passive apparatus
The radar reflector strengthens the echo of a small target without transmitting independently. He's not an AIS, he's not a radar, and he's not an emergency signaller.
The card therefore avoids generic entries as “antillision system”. Record the actual function and its limits.
3. Model identification and approval
The product must comply with the prototype approved by the administration or an approved type for the diporto from an EU or EEA State. Compare physical model, statement and accessories.
If the label is unreadable or the document covers a different variant, the line remains open.
4. Inspect wrap and materials
The decree requires robust materials and adequate quality, capable of preserving the properties with ondous motion, vibrations, humidity and predictable temperature variations. Iron materials are excluded.
Look for cracks, crushing, infiltration, repairs, corrosion of support and slow fixing. Don't open sealed enclosures.
5. Check color and readability
The coloring must be highly visible and cannot be black. Check that paints, enclosures or dirt have not altered the identification or covered the markings.
Optical visibility doesn't prove that radar. Both are checked for their own function.
6. Record the expected band
Minimum requirements must be met between 9320 and 9500 MHz. It is a verification of conformity of the type, not a proof to carry out with improvised tools on board.
The card reports the product reference and keeps the documentation useful to demonstrate the requirement.
7. Read the maximum section of reflection
The maximum required section is at least ten square meters and must appear in the marking. It does not represent the physical area of the object or a guaranteed detection distance.
If the commercial data uses different sizes, they are not added or converted without consistent technical documentation.
8. Check azimutal diagram
On 240 degrees the reflection should not remain less than six decibels than the maximum, except for intervals not exceeding ten degrees. The measure is referred to the vertical axis within three degrees.
The checklist translates the requirement into two installation controls: verticality and orientation. The isolated peak is not enough.
9. Consider roll and deburring
The answer must remain, up to at least fifteen degrees from the horizontal and for a total sector of 240 degrees, above less twelve decibels than the maximum. The movement of the boat is therefore part of the problem.
A flexible rod or a hardness can add unforeseen inclinations. Annoting game and swing makes the control repeatable.
10. Compare height with marking
The recommended installation height must be indicated on the reflector. Measure the actual point and verify that the support and position are consistent with the model instructions.
Higher does not automatically mean better if they increase bending, shadows, inspection difficulties or loads on the structure.
11. Check the declared orientation
The marking includes the recommended orientation. Check arrows, references or configuration described in the instructions. Suspended models must maintain the expected position even with movement and wind.
After remittance or disassembly the box is reopened. It is not assumed that the device has been reassembled in the same way.
12. Measure the distance from the compass
The product must indicate a safety distance from the magnetic compasses. Compare it with the real layout, including additional supports and accessories.
If the rollbar has been modified, the compass should be considered in the new layout. The radar solution should not create a magnetic differential.
13. Check weight, lever and fixing
The weight must be marked. The support verification considers lever, acceleration, vibration, wind and access mode, not only the static seal in port.
Check bolts, plates, straights and rubbing points. Provisional elements are not accepted as permanent mounting.
14. Fill out the table without vague formulas
| Voice | Required statement | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Readable Model and Approval | Reconciling documents |
| Internal | No deformation or infiltration | Technical evaluation |
| Asset | Correct orientation and verticality | Restore Support |
| Location | Coherent height and sector | Renewable installation |
| Compass | Respected Safety Distance | Replacing devices |
| Fixed | Robust and controllable | Replace Components |
15. Search for screens across the horizon
See seldoms, antennas, tailors, solar panels, lights and temporary equipment. A view free on one side does not show a useful sector around unity.
The configuration is verified with dinghy, tents and cruising load in normal positions.
16. Perform seasonal control
Data, person, model, photography, fixing, trim and anomalies are recorded. After shock, detachment, transport or work at altitude you perform a new inspection.
Maintenance follows the specific instructions. Solvents, paints and improvised repairs can alter wrapping and identification.
17. Clearly write operational limits
The detection also depends on observer radar, antenna height, adjustments, sea, rain, distance and trim. No passive reflector ensures that every operator always sees the boat.
The checklist does not close the view, lights, communications and rules of conduct. Each system keeps its role.
18. Final checklist before departure
Confirm band, type approved, markings, color, integrity, maximum section, height, orientation, verticality, free sector, distance from the compass and fixings. Check that no object has been tied next to the device.
If a voice is uncertain, it indicates responsibility and term. Buying a spare does not close control until the new item has been identified, installed and verified.
The delivery procedure explains where the reflector is located, whether it is permanent or to arm and what orientation it requires. A new person on board must be able to recognize the configuration without relying on a trick known only to the owner.
For a suspended model, the board includes straightness, holding point and height. It is checked that it does not roar freely in an unfavorable position and does not interfere with sails, tailors or maneuvers. The test remains dry and in safe conditions.
The comparison over time is useful: photos from the same position reveal inclinations, shifts or new obstacles. Photography does not certify the radar response, but makes it evident when the installation is no longer the one evaluated.
Finally the card keeps separate passive reflector, active radar, AIS and any enhancer targets. Presence and operation of one does not automatically delete requirements or limits of others. This distinction avoids nominal controls and makes the audit understandable to the whole crew.
The marking control is carried out before mounting a cover or a bracket that can hide it. Manufacturer or importer are transcribed, model, date of manufacture, recommended height, weight, maximum section, distance from the compass, orientation and extremes of approval. Each field has a result; the word “present” does not replace the reading of data.
To evaluate the sector, the operator takes a visual turn around the device from the blanket and, when possible safely, uses photographs from the sides. Search for permanent and temporary objects: antennas, tailors, panels, lights, flags, tenders and equipment related to the crossing. The goal is not to invent a response measure, but to identify obvious changes compared to the expected configuration.
Verticality is controlled compared to the boat in its normal layout, taking into account that load, tanks and people can change it. The three-degree threshold quoted by the test of the diagram does not become a tolerance to be estimated at the eye. If support or structure are tilted, the board requires appropriate measure and competent intervention, without closing the line by approximation.
The fixing is observed both at rest and during a controlled verification of ordinary vibrations, without forcing the device. Rumors, game, rubbing or movement of the base are recorded. For a drizza version you can control tops, nodes or prescribed attacks, contact points and twist possibilities. The method always follows the specific instructions of the model.
The distance from the compass is measured at the nearest point between the set and the magnetic instrument, considering not only the envelope but also brackets and accessories. If a value is not available or the configuration does not match the identified product, you do not choose an arbitrary distance. You recover the correct documentation or you require technical assistance.
In the seasonal register, each photograph is dated and connected to the same identification. A replaced device receives a new card; it does not automatically inherit the approval, weight or orientation of the previous one. This rule prevents correct documents from being associated with a different object only because it occupies the same support.
If the reflector is held and must be armed, the departure includes a dry test. The crew detects the container, assembles only as permitted, recognizes the orientation and checks the lifting path. The test does not expose people to falls and does not interfere with the maneuver. Finally, the material is placed according to the instructions, ready for the intended use.
The closing of the audit requires a simple statement: conformed and verified configuration, or anomaly opened. There are no intermediate outcomes masked by reassuring notes. When verification cannot be completed, the boat is equipped and used only after the manager has solved the point in compliance with the scheduled navigation range.
