Adjustable alarm
Regarding radar target enhancers (YM, July 2020), we fitted one so that other vessels have the best chance of seeing us on their radar screens. Installing one at the top of the mast ensures the earliest possible warning of your presence – something that is especially comforting when the Normandie Express is coming up behind you at over 40 knots. As for an audible alarm to let you know when you are painted by radar, this feature is unfortunately useless in the Solent as you are painted by radar pretty much all of the time, so we switch our alarm off. In quieter waters we turn it on, and a useful feature of our Echomax control box is an adjustable alarm threshold. This allows you to set your chosen warning range, whilst at the same time preserving the full 25-mile range of the transponder. Mike Attree