Although these are much lighter than the Tri-lens you still don’t want it to come crashing down on deck! On top of that, this reflector seems to be one of the weakest reflectors of the bunch according to the product testing sources linked above.Īlthough there are many more products out there worth researching and we will gladly always explore new products and options, these are the brands that we have had most of our experience installing. We only recommend using these if they are guaranteed to be well protected from the effects of a tacking jib. These brackets are almost always bent, damaged or missing. It is another face-of-the-mast mounted design which uses very flimsy mounting brackets. You should be left with something similar to this…ĬLICK HERE AND ZOOM-IN TO GET THE BIG PICTURE!įirdell Blipper – This is probably our least favorite radar reflector that we install. Next pull down and over to the cleat on the mast and cleat it as tight as you can. Hoist the reflector about 3/4 of the way to the spreader. **PLEASE NOTE, NOT MOUNTED IN 'CATCH RAIN POSITION'** See the gallery below for how we achieve a good way for these to be mounted beneath the first set of spreaders… The problem is how do you mount the thing without it flailing about like a wild, out-of-control disco ball. Especially when mounted in the coined “catch rain position” (pictured above), using Davis’ Echomaster Hanging Mount, optional. Many will argue that even though this isn’t the “fairest of them all”, it works pretty darn well. You’ll want to make sure that you have taken every precaution to ensure that it won’t come crashing down on your head! Echo Master – The most tried and trued of all of the reflectors. Keep in mind the plastic cover of these lenses are well built and therefore very heavy. These reflectors have recently been modified with a second mounting bracket on top for a sturdier mount (not pictured). This second bracket has made us more confident in installing these, as there is a big difference in how sturdy the unit is. This is especially a problem on boats which utilize overlapping headsails, don’t have forward lower shrouds, don’t have a mast mounted radar and guard (as pictured above), have aft swept spreaders, or use a permanent Stay-sail stay to help protect this vulnerable part from getting knocked off. This presents an inherent problem for us sailboat riggers it is in the path of the jib which is inevitably going to try and wipe it off of the front of the mast. Typically you will see these mounted to the face of the mast. Tri-lens – From what I understand this radar reflector offers some of the best all around performance for the price.

The Davis Echomaster Deluxe Hanging Version “Catch Rain Position” We will use seizing wire to properly seize them to the stay 12″-24″ up from the spreader. We only recommend these for boat’s with at least two sets of spreaders so that they can be mounted to the intermediate or D2 shrouds. This of course makes the reflector twice as expensive. This is why we like them so much. Yes, these don’t have the best performance, I’ve come to find out, but we always rig these in pairs (which may improve the performance results?), one on the port stay and one on the starboard stay. When properly mounted, they are neatly tucked out of the way of the sails and rigging.

Mobri – A favorite radar reflector of ours for a long time mostly from an installer’s point of view. I would like to take second and talk about the reflectors we have installed the most of and their pro’s and con’s in terms of rigging. In terms of performance you will need to do your own research to see which reflector suits your needs the best. Here are a few articles (click here and here) that get into the science of it all. Clearly there are many factors in how a radar reflector performs wind, rain, heel, elevation, type of signal, I am sure there are even more. What makes a radar reflector good in our eyes is: #1 how well does it reflect or bounce back a radar signal in varying conditions and circumstances, #2 how practical and sturdy is it to install on a sailboat mast. For sailboats the options are narrowed down a bit, but there is still much controversy over which ones are the best, in what conditions and why. In the world of radar reflectors there are many, many options. A radar reflector is used to help make your vessel more identifiable by other boats and ships that use radar to scan for vessels as well as other obstructions.

Radar reflector