Instruction manual

PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT AND RESCUE BOATS OTHER THAN FAST

RESCUE BOATS

In some cases, lifeboats have passive radar reflectors, made up of light metal

at sharp angles, intended to reflect energy efficiently. They are less than ideal, as

they can be bulky and not at all useful for rafts or personal floatation gear. SART,

however, are much more efficient as radar beacons. They conserve battery life by

only operating a receiver, unless they detect an X-band pulse. When they detect

such as signal, they transmit an X-band signal in response, which will appear as a

bright radar target.

Further, the signal they send is not a single dot, but a pattern that will direct

rescuers. A SART sends a sequence of twelve pulses, timed, at first detection, so

they will display with the actual SART at the position of the first dot, and the

remainder radiating toward the edge of the screen. As the rescuers approach, the

dots will become short arcs. The closer the search radar gets to the SART, the

larger the arcs, until, when the SART is very near.

SARTs, like any marine rescue signaling device, work best when they are

elevated above sea level, distancing them from "clutter" caused by waves. If at all

possible, the SART should be mounted about 2 meters above the floor of a liferaft.

Fig.11.4 Signals of SART on radar screen

Fig.11.5 Different types of SARTs