Radar for finding birds in close proximity

[bryang223]

I recently went tuna fishing and was able to mark flocks of birds out to 6nm regularly with my DRS25ANXT/6. However, I find that that the amount of sea clutter in the 0--2nm range makes it extremely difficult to track birds once you are in close proximity to them. I found there to be a lot of clutter even when the seas were relatively calm, and that adjusting the seastate to moderate or rough didnt help much because it would affect the bird returns and the sea clutter equally.

I noticed some boats have an open array and dome. Would a dome be better for marking birds in close proximity (0-2nm), ie less sensitive to returns caused by waves?

 

[Sparky Wire]

While Furuno domes see birds well, nothing beats an open array. Clutter setting is a "Filter" so it does exactly as it states. When trying to see very small targets like birds, the filter should be off.

 

[Johnny Electron]

Agreed. In the older analog radar days, it was recommended to have at least 6KW open array and a 4ft antenna to locate long distance birds. Open arrays have a much better horizontal resolution that assists target separation with finding smaller targets

 

[bryang223]

Sorry if I wasnt clear; I am thinking of adding a dome in addition to the open array if the dome would not show as much clutter caused by waves in the 0-2mile range. It was my understanding on the boats that I have seen with a large open array and a smaller dome unit that the dome would work better in close proximity to objects.

 

[Johnny Electron]

If a solid-state dome compared to a magnetron open, that might be the case. A solid-state radar (dome or open) can see closer in near the boat than Magnetron.