FINAL REPORT - Stakeholders - Ofcom

Pulse compression techniques are already in use for some maritime radars.
4.2.1.2 Operational Requirements
No operational requirements relating to ground-based radar have been identified. IMO
and other documentation regarding the performance of maritime radar relate only to its
ship-borne use.
4.2.1.3 Regulatory and Standardisation Issues
Maritime radars are defined in technical standards produced by the ITU, IEC and ETSI,
and their operational requirements in IMO documents. Table 4-1 below lists the relevant
standards.
Organisation Standard Description
IEC 62252 Radar for craft not in compliance with IMO SOLAS Chapter V
IEC 60872 Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and
systems – Radar plotting aids
IEC 60936 Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and
systems – Radar
IEC 60945 Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and
systems – General requirements
IMO IB978E Performance Standards for Shipborne Radiocommunication and
Navigational Equipment
IMO IB970E Handbook on the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
ITU ITU-R M.1313 Technical characteristics of maritime radionavigation radars
ITU ITU-R M.1314 Methods to reduce radar unwanted emissions
Table 4- 1 Maritime Radar Standards
4.2.1.4 Possible Improvements to existing technology
A parallel Ofcom study “Techniques for improving radar spectrum utilization” is reviewing
alternative technologies for radar. These technologies are likely to require extensive trials
in the context of design and operational
proving before adoption by maritime users.
One interesting development is the sharing
of radar information by Internet. Such a
system would enable two (or more) suitably
equipped users to share radar information.
Whilst at the moment this technology is in its
infancy, there is a clear potential to use, for
example, wireless LAN connections to share
radar information, improving accuracy and
extending the range of current radars. In a
sense, this is not strictly an improvement in
spectral efficiency, it is simply a
displacement of one service (radar) with
another (wireless LAN or similar), nor would
they negate the need for some radars to
operate in the first instance.
For GMDSS class vessels, such a system is
unlikely to provide the degree of reliability
that is necessary where safety-of-life issues
MARITIME RADAR PLUGS INTO A PC
German and Italian firms have joined forces to create
a PC-based radar system that exploits the
computer’s built-in networking capabilities to share
information with other users over the Internet.
Radars have traditionally been based on custom-built
systems relying on proprietary hardware and
software. This makes them expensive to build and
maintain and difficult to connect to other
manufacturers’ systems. The PC Radar board is
based on off-the-shelf components and can be fitted
inside a standard personal computer. It was
developed by French electronics company Sodena
under the Eureka EU research programme with the
help of Italian firm GEM Elettronica
In extreme circumstances when a ship loses the use
of its own antenna, it could use PC Radar to look at
another vessel’s image of local traffic on its own
display. Fishing fleets, the yachting market and
inland vessels will all benefit, the two firms say.
http://www.eureka.be/pcradar/
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