Radar Reflecter Mounting

[Joe CD MS 300]

Is there a trick or standard convention relating to the mounting of a radar reflector? The halyard pulley on the spreader broke at the end of the season before last, probably from the constant spinning and twisting of the halyard. I never got it up at all last year on the new halyard. Being in Maine, I had been leaving it up all the time although we were pretty light with the fog last year.

Is there a proper method for rigging the reflector to keep it from constantly spinning or is my problem that I should only hoist it in the fog? It was mounted top and bottom on the halyard. I was thinking of adding a third line on the side and tying it off somewhere to eliminate the spinning or maybe adding small swivels where it attached to the halyard top and bottom. The reflector could spin but the line would not twist (as much). Any suggestions?

Joe

[rorik]

My reflector, the typical "round" metal shape, is bolted to the backstay, just below the roach of the main.

[Joe Myerson]

Joe:

I've had all sorts of problems with my radar reflector. So this year I finally mounted two small blocks on the port spreader.

I have yet to mount the reflector, but here's an illustration of what I have in mind

http://www.answers.com/topic/radar-reflectors

My only question: should I secure the halyard with a shroud cleat, or a cleat at the base of the mast?

Hope this helps a bit.

--Joe

[Jim Walsh]

I have the exact setup Joe provided the link to. It works fine. I use a shroud cleat, keeps things neat. I admit I only use it when it gets thick. It would bug me to look at it all the time.

[Chris Reinke]

I also have a similar rig however I moved the outboard block further out on the spreader. This allows the line to run close to the shroud and keeps it a bit neater. I hoist the reflector to the inner block and it works perfectly.

[Steve Laume]

I now have permanent reflectors mounted on my cap shroud. I know there is debate about how well they work. If they are always rigged, they are better than nothing and do not chafe, make noise or create much windage.

When I rig the round metal reflector on the flag halyard I clip what looks like a very small stainless carabiner to the lower attachment point and clip this to the cap shroud. It keeps the thing from swinging around when hoisted and separates the two halyard lines without adding another block to your spreader.

This works well with flags too, Steve.

[Joe Myerson]

One of the guys at the boatyard suggested using a small piece of shock cord between the reflector and the shroud.

But now I'm not sure what he had in mind: Wouldn't that be used if the reflector were on the outboard halyard?

My current plan calls for hanging it closer to the mast, so it couldn't touch the sails.

Anyway, I won't be at the boat for a couple of days.

--Joe

P.S. My current reflector is larger than the Davis model, and has square corners. I suspect it might be too big--but, again, I'll figure that out when I get to the boat.

[Emil Maurer]

I have ensign halyards rigged from a small block above on the spreaders to a second small block below, attached at the stanchion base with a loop of shockcord. The shockcord acts as a tension spring on the continuous ensign halyard loop. This means that a cleat is not required. You just pull the halyard up or down and it stays where you leave it and the lines do not foul due to the constant tension.
(Backstage curtain pull lines are usually rigged like this with a springed block holding the looped line to the floor.)

My Davis reflector is suspended from an attachment ring by a three line harness made from fishing line wire leaders with little fishing line leader clips that slide closed.
And finally, I have a small chain link connector which goes over the shroud, connected to the reflector. This guys the line holding the reflector out and away from the return line and also prevents the reflector from revolving.

This sounds complicated but it is really just a two point connection, one from above to the halyard and one to the side to the shroud and then you just haul it up. (The connecting link slides up and down the shroud)

[Maine Sail]

I use a Davis Echomaster in double catch rain position. I run it up my flag halyard and attach a keeper line to one of my lower shrouds with a bowline. This keeps it from spinning and puts the reflector well away from the sails and the lazy side of the flag halyard.

I have messed around with catch rain and double catch rain and my radar signature is consistently better in double catch vs. single catch rain.




By attaching the anti-swing line to the lower shrouds it pulls the reflector away from the flag halyard thus both preventing chafe and spinning..

[Joe CD MS 300]

NM

[Joe CD MS 300]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Since I don't have a second pully on the spreader, I'll give MS's suggestion using a shroud to keep it from spinning. Looks like a lot of you guys only hoist in the soup rather than keeping it up.

Joe

[Joe Myerson]

[quote=Looks like a lot of you guys only hoist in the soup rather than keeping it up.[/quote]

That's because a lot of us guys don't live in Maine.

[Dean Abramson]

My flag halyard for this goes up from a cleat on the mast (above the mainsail halyard winch) to a single block on the spreader, and down to the radar reflector. Below the radar reflector is a line which goes down to a cleat on on a shroud. This vee form keeps the reflector from chafing the hoist line.

Also, I attach (with stopper knots on two sides of the reflector) pieces of light shock cord, each of which ties with bowlines to a shroud. I think I am using the upper, and the aft lower, but cannot remember for sure. The shock cords keep it from spinning. When I hoist the reflector, the shock cords' bowlines just slide up the shrouds.

I am remembering this as on the starboard side, but it's possible that it's really on port. Have not done it yet this year.

Dean