Online Radar Course
Essential Radar Core Skills course for boat owners, yacht skippers and crew.
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Online Radar Course from MECO will enable you to:
- Learn step by step the key radar skills and technical knowledge you need to safely and reliably use small craft radar, and meet the minimum requirements for the IRPCS
- Evaluate the differences between cutting edge 'Broadband' radar and standard 'Pulsed' radar - there are some very important key differences, not all vessels choose 'Broadband' and for good reason.
- Develop and practice your core radar skills in systematic observation, radar plotting, horizon calculation, maximum effective range, sea clutter, rain clutter, gain control, EBL's, VRMs, MARPA, ARPA, true vectors and relative vectors.
- Build your knowledge from the very basic foundations step by step, beginners are very welcome!
Each section is broken down into the simplest of stages - you do not need any previous knowledge, or radar skill set
Course Curriculum
Introduction
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
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StartIntroduction
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StartRadar Brief Overview (1:06)
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StartRanges (pulsed Radar) (6:22)
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StartRanges (FMCW) (3:31)
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StartRange Discrimination (3:52)
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StartBearings & Bearing Discrimination (12:22)
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StartGain (2:19)
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StartSea Clutter (1:37)
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StartRain Clutter / FTC (4:08)
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StartSide Lobe Echos (4:50)
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StartRadar Horizon & Range (5:59)
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StartModes of Operation (5:03)
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StartSART's (2:44)
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StartRadar Target Enhancers (3:14)
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StartRacons (3:37)
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StartEBL / VRM / Cursor (3:05)
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StartRadar Plotting Sheet Instructions (2:06)
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StartP stage 1) Relative motion (Original - Actual) (O-A) (6:30)
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StartP stage 2) Our Motion (Own Way / O-W) (4:46)
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StartP stage 3) Their Motion (Way of Another) (W-A) (21:05)
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StartMARPA / ARPA (5:51)
During your course you will learn:
- How to avoid the common, dangerous radar blunders that lead to radar assisted collision.
- How to correctly use EBLs & VRMs to ascertain risk of collision and plot positions.
- Refining the picture, FTC, Rain, Sea, IR, Main Bang Suppression, and more.
- Modes of operation and the hardware limitations.
- About the limitations of bearing and range discrimination.
- About Radar Horizon, how to calculate this, and take this into account when using the radar.
- How to use your Radar to fix a position if the GNSS fails.
- The limitations of the different technology, broadband is not always best.
- Traditional (Commerical ship) Radar Plotting to fully understand how automation works.
- How to assess risk of collision and CPA
- How to accurately calculate the aspect of a target, its course and speed.
- A thorough understanding of True vectors and Relative vectors.
- How other electronics can interact with your radar - SARTS, RTE's, & Racons.
If you would like to learn everything you need to know about small craft radar then you're in the right place. I've been teaching Radar to commercial skippers, and yachtmasters since 2002, and I can help you too.
Ideal for:
- Yacht Skippers and crew
- Commercial Boatmasters
- Boat owners
- Yachtmaster Instructors
- Ideal if you are considering taking the yachtmaster exam, or instructor exams,
- Fully self paced and on demand course allows you to log in and out whenever suits you,
- Full support, I am on hand providing support if required,
- 30 day satisfaction guarantee.
Online Radar Course FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
How long does the course take?
Total study time, if you're in a rush is 6 hours, it's possible to easily complete in one day but it is recommended to then revisit the course material again for a recap after 2 weeks.